Work on the grounds of the primary museum site has been deferred for some time due to heavy wind storm damage that has left large trees on the ground and dangerous stems and limbs hanging aloft as well.
For some time, years, we have been trying to get forest fire crews to come to the site for training, as a means of solving some of our safety and access issues, including the potential for chain saw training.
This past April 24th, eight members of the
Keystone Wildfire Crew, from southern Lancaster County, worked on the site. The crew includes folds who are engaged in timber work. They have access to more and bigger equipment than most. The day included chain saw instruction by a certified U.S. Forest Service chain saw operator who spends his summers on Western fires. Several were heavy equipment operators. By the end of the day, the site was safe for our ground crews to be invited back to work on the site.
A considerable stack of big logs was hauled away following the work day. All arrangements were handled by the crew staff and the state forest fees and permits were paid.
While on site the crew mulched much of the accumulated debris spreading that and much of our piled mulch awaiting spreading.
This is the same crew that installed the current display in the exhibit space we occupy on the second floor of the
PA National Fire Museum in Harrisburg.
I am proud to say that I was the first Warden of the Keystone Wildfire Crew. The current warden, Michael Hall, was then one of my crew members.
Steve Cummings
