22 METHODS OF COMMUNICATION FOR FOREST PROTECTION 



4 SCOUTS 



A still further use for auxiliary signals arises 1 in the case of the scouting service 

 on forest fires. It is particularly necessary that men employed on this work be well 

 acquainted with various means of maintaining communication so that they may be 

 equal to any emergency. While, normally, communication with large camps will be 

 established with emergency telephone equipment, many cases will arise, especially 

 while the telephone system is in course of development, where this will be impracticable. 

 Two uses for some means of signalling are likely to arise under these circumstances : 



(a) When it is desired to open communication between the camp and the head- 

 quarters somewhere in the rear. The distance will necessarily be great, otherwise the 

 telephone would likely be employed. For this use only the heliograph is suitable; 



(&) When it is desired to communicate from the heliograph station to the camp 

 or camps, or from one scout to another, or to a ranger on the fire-line, or across some 

 impassable barrier. The distance is likely to be short and the message concise. The 

 equipment must be of the simplest possible character. These requirements are most 

 readily met by flag signals. Flags, as will be hereinafter explained, may be used to 

 convey messages either by the wigwag or the semaphore method, the former being, 

 perhaps, the simpler. 



5 DANGER SIGNALS 



Finally, conditions sometimes arise in fighting forest fires, especially in mountain- 

 ous regions when it is desirable to convey instant warning of danger to the men on 

 the fire-line. "Many lives have been lost fighting fires and it is the duty of the fire-line 

 foreman to keep a close watch on the behaviour of fires in dangerous localities and to 

 be prepared to withdraw his men to a place of safety. Ordinarily this may be done 

 by messenger, but on the chance that time may be lacking to employ this method it has 

 been considered necessary by some organizations to adopt a set of danger signals. 

 These are best made by revolver shots although whistle blasts may be similarly employed. 



6 MISCELLANEOUS FOREST SIGNALS 



The need for short distance signals arises very frequently in forest work not only 

 in forest protection but in many other lines. Communication across impassable 

 barriers, or between members of survey parties beyond calling distance from each 

 other, or between members of hunting parties within sound but not sight of game are 

 conditions under which some form of visual signal would often be extremely useful. 

 Also in cruising, in some phases of telephone construction (such as pulling wire and 

 slack) and in various other forest activities where members of crews are out of sight 

 but within hearing distance, a simple code of audible signals often saves much time 

 and energy. 



