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HELENA - The Montana National Guard has a new tool which could aid local fire departments in fighting wildland fires as they recently the National Guard has established a dip site at Fort Harrison.

The concrete pool refills itself when water is taken out of it. The National Guard typically uses it to suppress fires on the Fort. But during a fire season briefing, they told the Department of Natural Resources it is available to the agency for fire supression.

The National Guard also uses the pool as a training tool according to Lt. Colonel Scott Smith.

"We train our pilots keeping them bucket qualified all the time. Certainly I just throw that out to Mary [Sexton, Director at DNRC] and the Forest Service. If you need to use it coordinate with us. It is available for you to use too."

Smith told various fire agencies even with recent deployments the Montana National Guard will make itself available to help fight fires this summer.