Deschutes National Forest hosts rappeller training, certification west of Bend – for pilots and spotters, too

(Update: adding comment from rappeller and air base manager)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Hovering helicopters and firefighters descending by rope are in view west of Bend this week as an annual national recertification event for the U.S. Forest Service Helicopter Rappel Program is underway on the Deschutes National Forest west of Bend, by Forest Service Road 41.

Five helicopters hovered above the trees Thursday as part of training wildland firefighter rappellers, as well as the pilots and spotters who are a key part of the crew and help make the aerial firefighting operation go smoothly -- and safely.

Veteran rappeller Sarah Jokober said, "I can arrive at a fire with a team of three other people, and we can control the train and do good work. And we can really visualize and experience the benefit of the work that we're doing."

Jakober knows well the danger of being dispatched to wildfires in remote, difficult to reach locations as she has for seven seasons now. 

"We can get places quickly, and we can get people into places that not a lot of other people get. So it helps with small fires and an immediate response," she said.

The rappel event started Wednesday and will continue through next Wednesday, depending on weather. In total, there are about 80 people getting their certifications for rappelling, 15 to 20 from Central Oregon alone.

Chad Schmidt, the air base manager at Central Oregon Rappellers, said, "We're also certifying at this event spotters that have to be certified as well. So they've got dual duty at an event like this. And then we're certifying pilots as well. So what you see around us here is a lot of veteran propellers, certifying spotters that are certifying, as rappellers and spotters."

Schmidt first rappelled as a rookie in 2000. He knows the role improves the speed at which fires and blazes can be extinguished, hopefully at far smaller size than otherwise.

"We can jump on, and then things will settle down for a little bit and, you know, maybe a week or two before we see another incident to respond to," he said. "And sometimes we're responding to a couple incidents a day for maybe a portion of a week or two, and then things calm down."

"Having worked through all that, having trusted the equipment, I think we feel like that it's not as risky or dangerous as folks who haven't done it would think it would be," Schmidt added.

In order to be a rappeller, people need three to five years of wildfire firefighting experience. On average, the Forest Service fires about five or six candidates a year. Once hired, individuals go through technical training for three to five weeks before they see a rope and take up rappeller duties.

More information about the training from the Forest Service:

During the training dates, the public can expect to see up to five helicopters hovering in the air west of Forest Service Road 41 and south of the Cascade Lakes Highway at any given time between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. including on weekends.

This location was selected for this national event due to meeting several pre-determined criteria focused on safety and functionality.

While no trail or road closures are anticipated, those recreating along Forest Service Road 41 and adjacent trails should adhere to any posted signage and avoid closed areas for their safety and the safety of training participants.

The national rappel event will provide annual recertifications for 45 spotters and 120 veteran rappellers. Rappellers are aerial-delivered wildland firefighters that rappel out of a helicopter to fight wildfires that are often in remote, difficult to reach locations. In addition to initial attack, rappel crews also support large fire response, all-hazard incident operations and resource management objectives.

During the 2023 wildfire season, rappel crews responded to 455 initial attack wildfire incidents across the United States and Canada, with 98 operational rappel actions taking place in Oregon and Washington.

Locally, the Central Oregon Rappellers, based in Prineville and hosted by the Ochoco National Forest, typically have 28 rappellers on staff during wildfire season. They respond to wildfires in Central Oregon and around the Pacific Northwest.

For further questions, contact the Deschutes National Forest at (541) 383-5300.