Access to ROV Safety Training for Federal Staff

ROV RBDC Graduating Class - April 26, 2018

Mendocino NF

QWR wants to congratulate members of the Mendocino Hotshots and Forest Recreation/Resource specialists who completed the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ROHVA) ROV Basic DriverCourse (RBDC) taught at the Fouts Springs OHV Area near Stonyford, California on April 26 and 27, 2018.  Fouts Springs is on the Grindstone Ranger District of the Mendocino National Forest.

Mendocino Hotshot Practices "Two-Feet" Control in Exercise 4

Fouts Springs OHV Area

These ROHVA classes were offered in support of the long-standing partnership between OHV stakeholders and the Mendocino National Forest and in recognition of the agency’s commitment to providing chainsaw training to help create and maintain a professional volunteer workforce. 

This unit has a very active OHV volunteer program that helps clear trails after winter storms and performs other important trail or facility maintenance efforts. 

As many land managers know, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles (ROVs) or Side-by-Sides (SxSs) are becoming increasingly popular and are the fastest growing segment of the powersports market.

Practicing Backing Up in Exercise 4

Fouts Springs OHV Area

Many federal and state agencies have increased the use of ROVs for recreation/resource management and fire suppression activities.  QWR offered the RBDC course for agency staff that needed to get certified or recertified before operating a government SxS.

Due to decreasing federal funding for recreation and related staff (including on-site agency personnel who are certified ROHVA instructors), QWR believes that unit partners will have an increasingly important role to play in helping provide access to certified safety instruction for OHVs (or other education modules) to agency staff.

Hotshots and Recreation Staff from the Mendocino NF

Don Amador, President of Quiet Warrior Racing/Consulting, states, “It is an honor to help train agency staff about how to operate their SxS vehicles in a safe and environmentally sound manner.”

“I was great to see the RBDC students (many of them were new to driving SxSs) gain confidence over the course of the day using the skills they learned to safely operate their vehicle,” Amador concludes.

QWR appreciates the dedication of Forest Service and BLM officers who have embraced the concept of “trail volunteers” as a key element in maintaining sustainable and high-quality recreation on public lands.

LINK TO ROHVA (Go ahead and take the free online ROHVA E-Course)

http://www.rohva.org/

*If you are interested in having Don teach a ROHVA ROV Basic DriverCourse, contact him at: damador@quietwarriorracing.com