In 1992 my friend Chris, in San Francisco, sent me a government manual called The Fire Officer's Guide To Disaster Control, which can be found in firehouses across the United States. At the time Chris and I thought this whole thing was curious, but then again we can read things into anything that helps us understand and enhance our belief systems. So we moved on, but never forgot about the manual.

As all things recycle

2/21/08 - ABC 15 news out of Phoenix - home of the Phoenix Lights - ran this story and video Are Arizona firefighters trained for UFO, alien contact?

For centuries people have looked to the skies for answers. Is there life outside our solar system? Have UFO's visited our planet? Because our sun is a star, does that mean the thousands of stars visible in the night sky could be someone else's sun? The questions, and the universe, are endless. Events like the March 1997 mass-sighting of strange night lights above the Valley, popularly dubbed "Phoenix Lights", have generated questions and turned skeptics into believers. A 600-page guide may lend credibility to UFO believers.

The Fire Officer's Guide To Disaster Control can apparently be found in firehouses across the United States. It covers everything from fire and flood response to aviation disasters. Chapter 13 of the book has an unusual twist. Titled "Enemy Attack And UFO Potential", it outlines what could happen in the event of a UFO crash. The authors of the book, retired firefighters William M. Kramer and Charles W. Bahme write in part: "It would be remiss to not give some part to the role fire departments might play in the even of the unexpected arrival of UFO's in their communities...In a less optimistic scenario, you may have engine trouble upon approaching the scene, and radio contact could be lost with your dispatcher. If at night, your headlights could go out, the city could be blacked out, and your portable generators may malfunction when you attempt to use them for fans and portable lights."

ABC15 contacted several Valley fire agencies regarding the book and some even called us asking several questions prior to the story airing. Not one fire department we found admitted to using the guide for training, although some did recognize the guide's existence. "It just shows you that serious professional people are starting to take his whole subject of UFO's seriously," said Jim Mann, director of the Maricopa County chapter of The Mutual UFO Network. For nearly ten years, Mann has investigated UFO sightings and encounters for MUFON in what he calls a fact finding mission. "I don't think we're crack-pots, we're just people who want to be aware of what's going on, even if the reports turn out to be false," Mann said.

The authors of the guide could not be reached by ABC15 for comment regarding this story, but in a previous reports by other outlets, they said many people are missing the point regarding the chapter and a UFO does not just mean an alien spaceship. Regardless, believers like Jim Mann view the guide as an opportunity for non-believers to at least take a closer look. "UFO-ology could possibly be taken seriously now, we don't know where we came from and we don't know where we're going," he said. Mann claims he has investigated dozens of UFO sightings in the Phoenix area, including those reported by members of the military and doctors. "These are well respected people," Mann said. "We (MUFON) aren't trying to push our beliefs on anyone. Anything could happen and this is a matter that should be taken seriously."