Three new members of Grand County Emergency Medical Services have qualified as Red Card Wildland Firefighters to assist various agencies on the Williams Fork Fire burning in Grand County with Lt. Chadwick Davis, a paramedic, and EMTs Stephen Rubenstein and Andrew Smyth earning the recognition.

National Park Service defines a Red Card Wildland Firefighter as individuals who qualify in the pack test measures to complete the wildland firefighting duties assigned to them. The minimum requirements for the Pack Test measures include aerobic capacity, muscular strength and muscular endurance. It includes arduous, medium and light training.

Arduous training involves fieldwork calling for above-average endurance and superior conditioning. Moderate training involves fieldwork requiring complete control of physical faculties and may include considerable walking, standing and lifting 25-50 pounds.

Light training involves mainly office type work with occasional field activity. Grand County EMS will provide care for wildland fire personnel, eating with and sleeping on the ground alongside the firefighters and responding to medical and/or traumatic events.

Operating under the Type 1 Incident Command, Davis and Rubenstein will be on a 14 day deployment as line medics to aid in necessary wellness and medical interventions and have been trained to dig fire lines and other field tasks to assist on the Williams Fork Fire.