United StatesDepartment ofAgriculture

Forest Service

Volumes 53-54NO.21992-93

FireManagementNotes .

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FireManagementNotes An international quarterly periodical

devoted to forest fire management

Contents

United StatesDepartment ofAgriculture

Forest Service

Volumes 53-54No.21992-93

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People-Fire Managers Must Talk With ThemArthur W. Magill

Public Involvement in Fire ManagementValerie Chambers

Behind the Scene With a Fire lnfonnation OfficerMaryjane Cavaioii

Another First-Human Resource Specialist Trainingat NARTC

Melanie Goss

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Smokey Bear 1993 Campaign

NWCG Information Resource ManagementWorking Team

Stephen F. Pedigo

Wildland Firefighters, Thank Jerry Jeffries­Recipient of the GEICO Public Service Award forFire Safety-for Many of Your "Lucky Stars"

Doris N. Celarier

18 Smokey and the American Cowboy-Eastward Ho!Rick Hi/(ginhofhan and Marvin Dablemont

20 Continuing Success Story of Training WildlandFirefighters

Denny Bungarz and Richard C. Wharton

23 Partnerships-Making Them Work in Times ofLimited Resources

Glenn A. Carawan, Jr.

Short FeaturesFire Management Notes is published by the Forest Service altha U.S, Department ofAgriculture, Washinglon. DC. The Secretary at Agriculture has determined that thepublication of this periodical is necessary in the transaction of the public business requiredby law of this Department

7 Fire Management Notes-Looking for a FewGood Ideas

Doris N. Celarier

Subscriptions may be obtained from the Superintendent at Documents, U.S. GovernmentPrinting Office, wasrnnqron, DC 20402.

Send suggestions and articles to the Chief, Forest Service (A.ttn:Fire ManagementNotes). P.O, Box 96090, U.S. Departmental Agriculture, Washington, DC 20090·6090

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Handtool Sharpening GaugeBob Hensler

Elena Rio, and Her Brush With FireDoris N. Celarier

Mike Espy. SecretaryU.S. Depanmen! of Agriculture

F. Dale Robertson, ChiefForest Service

Mary Jo Lavin. Acting DirectorFire and Aviation Management

Francis R. RussGeneral Manager

Doris N. cerarrerEditor

Enid HodesDonna PaananenContributing Editors

Front Cover: Forest Service firelighter-artist Elena Rios' charcoal andconte crayon drawing entitled "Burning Snag." Rios. a memher (!( tile LosPadres Horshors ill SUIlIa8al"/10l"0. CA. svnmesizcd a vurietv ofFnfighril1g experiences in this dva....ing. (See anicte, page /4.) Photocredit : Ed Gomowski. Los Padres Nationat Forest.

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U,S. Department of Agriculture programs, services, and employment are open to all onthe basis of merit, without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, ordisability. Any person whObelieves he or she has been discriminated against in any U.SDepartment or Agriculture~related activity should immediately contact the Secretary 01Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250.

Disclaimer: The use 01trade, firm, or corporation names in this publication is for themtorrnaucn and convenience at the reader, Such use does not constitute an officialendorsement of any product or service by the U.S. Department at Agriculture. individualauthors are responsible lor the technical accuracy of the material presented in FireManagement Nores

Fire Management Notes

People-Fire Managers MustTalk With ThemArthur W. Magill

Research forester, USDA Forest Service. Pacific Southwest Research Station,Forest Fire Laboratory, Riverside, CA

Fire managers know the wildland­urban interface fire problem is a"people" problem. but recognizing theproblem and addressing it in ways thatare apt to cause interface residents tochange their behavior are two differentthings. The interface fire problemdemands that managers deal withpeople in special ways. Fire preven­tion in the interface, like recreationmanagement, depends upon managersknowing who they are serving andbeing involved in effective two-waycommunication with them. Lives andproperty protection depend on it.

Putting Out Safety Information­Does It Help Much?

Fire managers recommend topeople who move into the wildland­urban interface that they fireproof orbuild firesafe homes and protect themwith defensible space (Davis 1990;McLean 1992). They stress the need toavoid building with wood shingles,open-furred roofing. fiberglassskylights, unscreened soffit vents,unboxed eves, and overhanging decks,as well as landscaping with firepronevegetation and having vegetation anddebris next to buildings (Bradshaw1987). Yet. they are continuallyfrustrated by residents who apparentlydo not hear or heed their warnings andrecommendations. Why, when takingaction to protect their homes fromwildfire seems obvious, do mostpeople fail to comply with firesafeprocedures?

What Are the Barriers?

Are We Adequately EducatingFire Managers How To Communi­cate the Wildland-Urban Interface

1992-93 Volumes 53-54, Number 2

Fire Safety Messages Effectively?Fire Management Notes, a long­established magazine directed to thethe wildland firefighting communityand distributed to 3,000 offices orindividuals, offers a clue aboutinterests and values. Articles in FireManagement Notes suggest thatmanager interests have been tradition­ally captured by "things" such asplanning, interagency coordination,fire behavior, suppression, enforce­ment, strategies and tactics, andvarious technological devices. Inarticles about the wildland-urbaninterface that beg for discussion ofhow managers communicated withpeople, there are only hints andglimpses of how managers andcommunities interact and the relativesuccess of those exchanges (Bailey1991; Manning 1990). In a majorarticle reporting survey findings onproblems, solutions, and priorities offire managers, communication withthe public wasn't even a survey item(Phillips and George 1991). FireManagement Notes has published onearticle in which the methods andsuccess of a program to communicatethe wildland-urban interface firesafety message was reported (Jolly1991). In fact, the category of "com­munication" (other than informationsystems) was included for the firsttime in the index of volume 52 (\ 991).

Are We Delivering Our Messageto the People We Need To Commu­nicate With? In 1988. a workshop,"Fircsafe California: Survival byDesign," was held to educate groupssuch as homeowners, architects andlandscape architects, builders,developers and realtors, bankers,insurance carriers, planners, and

various state and local officials alongwith fire managers and fire preventionpersonnel, about fire safety in thewildland-urban interface and toencourage groups to take action toimprove safety. Even though morethan 50 such persons were invited, lessthan 10 attended. The majority ofattendees were fire people, so the firesafety message was discussed amongthose already familiar with it­firefighters talking to firefighters.

Are We Delivering Our MessageEffectively? Fire managers and othernatural resource professionals tend to"talk" more about public involvementthan they involve themselves in it. Forthe most part, evidence of thispreference by managers is subtle andis depicted by actual behavior ascontrasted with professed behavior.For example, one fire manager wrotein Fire Management Notes aboutwildland-urban interface problems andhow to solve them. He rightly advo­cated educating the people living infireprone areas about the need forbuilding firesafe structures andcreating defensible space (Bailey1991). However, his focus was moreon resolving interagency problems,knowing your counterpart in otheragencies, and improving interagencycommunication than on involving thepublic. Improving interagencyoperations is a valid goal, but greateremphasis on working directly with thepublic may be more important.

Another fire professional empha­sized giving attention to firefightertraining", equipment, mutual aid andcooperation, subdivision and homedesign, new building materials, andresearch-if it included educationalprograms on subdivision and home

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design (Bethea 1987). Sociologicalresearch, ironically, was consideredunnecessary, even though to developthe educational programs that werechampioned such research is basic.

In a fire manager's proposaloutlining roles for management, staff,and the public, the responsibility to"get the public involved" is relegatedto community leaders (Bailey 1991).Again, this recommendation suggeststhat fire managers would rather notdeal with the public, but abdicate thatresponsibility to somebody else, inthis case, community leaders.

Behavior-What Blocks MakingChanges?

Homeowners. Communicatingwith homeowners about impendingdisaster is not easy. People tend torespond poorly to warnings and beoblivious to events that can have adisastrous influence on their propertyand lives. For example, people whoexperiment with drugs do not"choose" to become drug addicts.They assume "they will not gethooked," that "nothing like that couldhappen to me" (Duster 1970). Dusteralso identified this attitude in soldierson the battlefield who, when all aboutthem are dying, simply "know" theywill survive.

Many people who live in areas ofhigh environmental hazard, much likeDuster's soldiers, deny the danger,although there is a range in denialintensity and coping mechanisms.Some occupants of flood plains, forexample, believe they are excludedfrom Flooding-c-vit can't happen tome"-whereas others' behaviordemonstrates coping with the percep-

4

tion that flooding is a frequent event(Craik 1970). Some people deny theenvironment is hazardous, othersbecome accustomed and less aware ofthe hazards, and some accept thehazards believing technology willultimately eliminate them (Preston andothers 1983). Even with knowledge ofenvironmental hazards, some peoplewill purchase homes in areas subjectto earthquakes and floods (Sims andBaumann 1983). Home size, architec­ture, and location apparently are muchmore important to them than thehazards of the areas. These are a fewexamples of the bewildering noncha­lant behavior fire managers confrontwhen trying to convince homeowners,developers, and builders to usefiresafe principles in the wildland­urban interface.

Several conditions serve to increasethe, difficulty of conveying fire safetymessages. The formula, "educationcauses awareness causes desiredbehavior," is a myth: Information sentmay not be received, and if received, itis not necessarily followed (Sims andBaumann 1983). For example, peoplewho have experienced hurricanes werefound to develop higher "thresholds"of tolerance than those who have not,and experienced people are less likelyto respond to warnings (Sims andBaumann 1983). Of course someinformation is received and used, butthe evidence indicates minimalexchange and consequent behavior.

People also have been found"acutely aware of persistent hazards"like smog and crime, but infrequentevents. such as floods and earth­quakes, tend to elicit less awareness(Preston and others 1983). Further­more. sensational events-like floods

and fires-attract considerableattention, while more mundaneevents-those involving nonfatalinjuries-may be given little attention.Added to the various barriers toachieving the desired behavior is thefact that over half of the people in theUnited States move every 5 years(Laska 1990). Thus, if fire managers,by chance, succeed in changing thebehavior of homeowners in an area,new ones will move in, and effortsmust be repeated.

Industry. Developers, builders,architects, and landscape architects,like any good entrepreneurs, continu­ally seek new and better ways to turn aprofit. Clearly, they are aware thatpeople want nice homes in attractivelocations. All of the professionals arepeople first, so they are subject to thesame foibles and misconceptions ashomeowners with regard to underesti­mating or not recognizing interfacefire hazards. Apparently, developersand "spec" builders are aware thathome size, architecture, and locationare important to homeowners. Theyrecognize that people move to theinterface to escape urban problems, toenjoy the "freedom" of the country,and to gain environmental qualityincluding a good view and surround­ing trees and shrubs. These construc­tion professionals pursue the opportu­nity to gain a profit by providingattractive homes in the wildland-urbaninterface. Unfortunately, homes thatsatisfy the locational, architectural,and landscape dreams of potentialbuyers arc too often those thatcontribute to the interface fire prob­lem.

Government. Community plansfrequently do not address the interface

Fire Management Notes

fire issue, and local governments havebeen unable or unwilling to enactordinances that control developmentand construction (National FireProtection Association 1987). Theunwillingness of governments to enactfire legislation may be related to anavoidance by politicians to be associ­ated with actions that may be viewedunfavorably by their constituency(Sampson 1991).

Insurance Companies. Claimpayments for property destroyed bywildfire cost insurance companiesmillions of dollars each year. Most ofthese losses could be avoided ifhomeowners followed the "propermitigating measures to protect theirhomes from the threat of wildfires"(Riley 1991). Riley suggests thatinsurance companies should evaluate astructure's risk to determine rate cost.Lower rates could be chargedhomeowners who reduce risk byadapting to firesafe road designs,architectural designs, and buildingmaterials or do not live in high-riskareas.

How Do We Overcome theBarriers?

Identify Community Leaders.Gaining the support of communityleaders has definite merit, thoughidentifying them may not be easy.Overlapping cliques are comprised ofkey individuals who make localcommunity decisions (Mills 1956).Often the driving force behindprograms may be one person, residingin the background, who "gets an idea"that is then championed by other.more visible persons. It is the "back­ground" leaders in each community

1992-93 Volumes 53-54, Number 2

Why, when taking action to protecttheir homes from a wildfire seemsobvious, do most people fail tocomply with firesafe procedures?

that fire managers should seek, fortheir support would appear essential tothe success of fire safety programs.

Send Credible Messages.People-whether homeowners, designand construction professionals, orpublic officials-are more likely to beenticed to participate in fire safetyprograms if the following conditionsare met:• Clear messages given by credible

individuals who specify necessaryactions

• Messages reinforced locally­preferably by background leadersor influential groupsListeners may regard media

warnings as "informational" only,unless they are perceived as comingfrom an authoritative source (Sims andBaumann 1983). Fire managers shouldbe considered the credible authoritieson interface wildfires. They areespecially effective as authorities ifthey have established themselves ascredible authorities in a communityby-• Becoming directly involved with

public education and involvementprograms (which means establish­ing dialogue with the people wholive or plan to live in hazardousareas)

• Soliciting the help of communityleaders through dialogue to fortifythe meaning and importance oftheir messagesTo achieve public involvement,

managers should start with home-

owners and potential homeowners,because they are the ones seekingbetter living conditions and providingthe basis for an industrial profitmotive.

Lack of favorable response towarnings of environmental hazards,including fire (as pointed out earlier)has been discouraging (Perry andLindell 1990; Sims and Baumann1983). Nevertheless. a few factorshave proven useful for warning ofimminent hazards. Effective warningsare-

• Clear• Specific for the desired response• Derived from a credible source• Reinforced locally• Conveyed by a positive message

on primetime television. Prime­time television is espoused to bethe most effective medium,if the message is positive (Simsand Baumann 1983).Knowledgeable people are most

likely to respond favorably to environ­mental threats, but programs that usefear to emphasize risk and dangerwithout adequate explanations tend tobe unsuccessful (Perry and Lindell1990). People may endure economiclosses, high stress, greater health risks,and severe disruptions in their lives asa result of floods, fires, or otherdisasters and only regard theseimpacts as "misfortune" (Rochfordand Blocker 1991).

Use the Fly Fishing Model.Multicultural recreation research, insouthern California, has presentedcommunication as a process where theparticipants share information. How­ever, the sharing approach may beforeign to natural resource managerswhose objectives lead to cornrnunica-

5

tion "in terms of getting a job done"(Hodgson and others 1990). In otherwords, managers may be moreinterested in "selling" their goals tocustomers than engaging in the two­way communication necessary foreffective marketing. Marketingfiresafe development means thatmanagers must participate in two-waycommunication that enables them tolearn more about the goals ofhomeowners and to structure mes­sages that address homeowner goals aswell as reducing losses to fire.

The effectiveness of marketing maybe improved by using the "fly fishing"model of communication. Accordingto the model, managers should"prepare messages of the kind thereceiver looks for" and should "deliverthem where, when, and how theywould be expected" (Hodgson andothers 1990). Accomplishing this,again, requires increased knowledgeof user cultures that may differ fromthe resource protection orientation ofwildland fire managers. Gaining suchknowledge should enhance thedialogue necessary between firemanagers and concerned persons ifmanagers are to refine and redirecttheir messages to improve their chancefor success (Bradshaw 1992).

Working It Out: Talking to People

The need to work with home­owners, to recognize and addressbusiness profit motives, and toidentify and gain the support ofbackground leaders may pose barriersto effective fire safety programs.Barriers may fall, however, if fire

managers resist dealing with "things,"overcome their reluctance to be

6

directly involved with citizen involve­ment programs, and establish two-waycommunication with the people theywish to influence. Achieving thesegoals is more likely if fire managerspursue continuing education in thesocial sciences and other disciplinesthat emphasizes interpersonal andmulticultural relations and communi­cation strategies.

Fire managers must confrontconstruction professionals as well ashomeowners. If people prefer certainarchitectural and landscaping stylesrather than those that are firesafe, thenit behooves managers to encouragearchitects and landscape architects todevelop and use alternative designsand materials that are not onlyfiresafe, but have the aestheticqualities homeowners desire. Firemanagers also need to work with thebuilding materials industry to developmore fire-resistant coatings anddesigns for wooden building compo­nents as well as other firesafe alterna­tives that are aesthetically pleasing.The roofing industry may haveinadvertently taken the lead byproviding an extensive selection ofattractive roofing material that also isfiresafe. Other industries may beenticed to follow this lead, providedan increase in profits can be demon­strated.

The communication effort alsoneeds to target county planners, otherlocal public officials, and legislators todevelop guidelines, set policy, andpass ordinances that improve firesafety. Insurance carriers need to beincluded in this dialogue-to exploreand create policy incentives thatsupport local fire safety plans andordinances.•

Changing Behavior andMaking a Difference

To make a difference in fire safetyin the wildland-urban interface. bothfire managers and homeowners need to

take action-Shifting and adjustingtheir usual ways of doing business. Firemanagers need to examine their-• Reluctance to be directly involved

with citizen involvement programs,working with people who holddiffering viewpoints, and initiatingsocial interaction with those in thecommunity

• Lack of political experience necessaryfor effective interaction with local andcommunity leaders

• Wariness of abstract concepts andalternative solutions (Magill 1988)

They need to exchange theseattitudes and responses and buildmutually beneficial relationships withthe people they serve:

• Homeowners• Construction professionals­

architects. landscape architects,developers, builders, and buildingmaterials researchers and developers

• Community leaders, county plannersand other local officials, andlegislators

• Insurance and financial industries

Literature Cited

Bailey, Dan W. 1991. The wildland-urbaninterface: social and political implications inthe 1990's. Fire Management Notes.52(1):11-18.

Bethea, John M. 1987. Remarks by John M.Bethea, Florida State Forester. In; Gale,Robert D.; Cortner, Hanna J.. eds. Peopleand fire at the wildland/urban interface: asourcebook. Wildland/Urban Fire InterfaceWorkshop for Social Scientists; 1987August 6-8 Asheville, NC. Washington,

Fire Management Notes

DC: U.S, Department of Agriculture, ForestService: 7-11.

Bradshaw, William G. 1987. The urban/wildland interface fire problem: can socialscience playa role? In: Gale, Robert D.;Cortner. Hanna J.. eds. People and fire at thewildland/urban interface: a sourcebook.Wildland/Urban Fire Interface Workshop forSocial Scientists; 1987 August 6-8Asheville, NC. Washington, DC: U.S.Department of Agriculture, Forest Service;12-16.

Bradshaw, William G. 1992. Personalcommunication. U.S. Department ofAgriculture, Forest Service, Washington,DC.

Craik. Kenneth H. 1970. Environmentalpsychology. In: Craik , Kenneth H. andothers. New Directions in Psychology 4.New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston,Inc.; 1-121.

Davis, James B. 1990. The wildland-urbaninterface: paradise or battleground? Journalof Forestry. 88( I ):26-31.

Duster. Troy. 1970. The legislation of morality;law, drugs and moral judgement. New York:The Free Press: 274 p.

Fire Management Notes­Looking for a Few GoodIdeas

From the Inside Out. As this issueof Fire Management Notes (FMN) goesto press, the FMN general managerFran Russ is assembling a group toexamine the goals for the magazine andhow those goals are achieved. For thepast three years, FMN has made aconcerted effort to improve itself insmall. but important ways: bettercommunication with authors; moreexacting definition of technical rerms;easier access to information through theuse of highlights, breakout backgroundparagraphs, detailed information in

1992-93 Volumes 53-54, Number 2

Hodgson, Ronald W.: Simcox. David E.; Pfister,Robert E. 1990. Communicating with usersof the Angeles National Forest: Report No.2. Chico: California State University, andPomona: California State POlytechnicUniversity: 31 p.

Jolly, Lane L. 1991. Clark County goes face-to­face with wildland-urban interface. FireManagement Notes. 52(3):31.

Laska, Shirley B. 1990. Homeowner adaptation10 flooding: an application of the generalhazards coping theory. Environment andBehavior. 22(3):320-357.

Magill, Arthur W. 1988. Natural resourceprofessionals: the reluctant public servants.Environmental Professional. 10(4):294--303.

Manning, Dick. 1990. Vegetative managementin the wildland-urban interface. FireManagement Notes. 51(4): 14-15.

Mcl.ean, Herbert E. 1992. Paradise burning:how to live with wildfire. American Forests.98(1 & 2):22-26.

Mills. C. Wright. 1956. The power elite. NewYork: Oxford University Press: 423 p.

National Fire Protection Association. 1987.Wildfire strikes home! Report of theNational Wildland/Urban Fire ProtectionConference. Quincy, MA; 90 p.

headings, and development of or focuson themes or topic areas.

Mostly Up to You. In some form,the FMN group will be in touch with afew of you-to find out what topicstweak your interest. What articles, forinstance, have helped you understandan operation more clearly, helped youwork more safely and efficiently,guided you to training opportunitiesyou did not know of before,encouraged you to push towardexcellence, or just made you feel goodabout being a part of the firefightingcommunity?

On Our Way. This review willtouch on topics covered. the depth andstyle of coverage, use of illustrations,and the graphic presentation of

Perry, Ronald W.: Lindell. Michael K. 1990.Citizen knowledge of volcano threats at Mt.St. Helens. Environmental Professional.1211):45-51.

Phillips, Clinton P.: George, Charles W. [991.Wildland fire in the 1990's; problems,solutions, and priorities as seen by firemanagers. Fire Management Notes.52( 1):3-10.

Preston, Valerie; Taylor, S. Martin; Hodge.David C. 1983. Adjustment to natural andtechnological hazards. Environment andBehavior. 15(2):143-164.

Riley, Douglas J. 1991. Wildland-urban tire­loss mitigation: an ongoing problem forinsurance companies. Fire ManagementNotes. 52( I ):27.

Rochford, E. Burke: Blocker, T. Jean 1991.Coping with "natural" hazards as stressors:the predictors of activism in a flood disaster.Environment and Behavior. 23(2): 171-194.

Sampson, R. Neil. 1991. The politics of theenvironment. Journal of Soil and WaterConservation. 46(6):398-400.

Sims, John H.: Baumann, Duane D. 1983.

Educational programs and human responseto natural hazards. Environment andBehavior. 15(2):165-189.

material. Recently. we improved ourproduction system---editingelectronically so that the magazine canmove from manuscript directly intopage-a first step toward timelyinformation in a timely productionframework.

Send the Word. If you have ideasor long and carefully concealed wishesfor FMN, this is the time to share them.Write or call Fran Russ, generalmanager, 202-205--0891; DG:WOIC orDoris Celarier, writer-editor, 202-205­1020; DG:WOIB at 201 14th Streer SW,Washington, DC 20250.•

Doris N. Celarier, writer-editor.Public Affairs Office, washington. DC

7

Public Involvement in Fire ManagementValerie Chambers

Public involvement program manager, USDA Forest Service,Puhlic Affairs Office, Washington, DC

Fire management in the ForestService and other agencies today looksa whole lot different than it used to. It'snot just about stamping out forest firesin the most expeditious way possible.Instead, fire management, like so manyother government programs, has comeunder intense scrutiny from a well­educated and sophisticated public.People's expectations are higher nowthan they once were. Concerns such asprotecting ecosystems; the economicburden of fire suppression; the goals ofState, local, and tribal govemments; airquality; the urban-wildland interface;global warming-i-you name it-nowbear considerably on our fire manage­ment programs.

Fire managers cannot afford to reston the laurels of a successful anddecades-old fire suppression program.Managers need to move at times fromthe public information end of thecontinuum to true public involvementwhere the public is engaged with us indialogue about larger societal questions:How much fire suppression and at whatcost? How do we preserve national"shrines" like Yellowstone andYosemite National Parks for humanenjoyment without compromisingecological integrity? What do we needto forgo (for example, some level of airquality for a reduction in fuels in theurban-wildland interface) in order toprotect something, or can we haveboth?

Special thanks to Jerilyn Levi. program analyst.USDA Forest Service. Fire and AviationManagement. Washington, Dc' and BarbaraKennedy, public affairs officer. USDA ForestService. Pacific Northwest Region. MI. HoodNational Forest. Gresham. OR, for assistancewith this article.

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Learning by Listening-andTalking: The Tok Fire

Although thousands of fires occurannually in Alaska and many grow tobe large fires, most are in remotelocations. In July 1990, the AlaskaDivision of Forestry knew that theTok Fire, more complex than most,would be in the spotlight. The fire,which grew to over 96,000 acres(38,851 hal, was located near thecommunities ofTok and Tetlin at thejunction of two major highwaysthousands of tourists travel during thesummer enroute to vacation destina­tions in Alaska and Canada.

Involvement During a Fire.While firefighters were out on the fire,representatives from the community ofTok, the Tetlin Native Corporation,and State and Federal organizationsincluding the Alaska Division ofForestry, the USDA Forest Service,and the U.S. Department of theInterior Bureau of Land Managementall provided real-time input into themanagement of this large fire.

Much at Stake. The smallcommunities ofTok and Tetlin hadmuch at stake. Residents worriedabout threats to homes and businessesand potential damage from the fire andfire suppression activities to subsis­tence fishing, trapping, and hunting.The situation was complicated furtherby the need to evacuate Tetlin, aremote town threatened by the spreadof a fire front several miles wide.

"Get the Public Involved," Saidthe Incident Command Team, Earlyon, the Incident Command Teamasked the public for its input. Publicinvolvement was managed by the teamthrough two existing planning

processes: the revision and update ofan Escaped Fire Situation Analysisand the development of a Fire Reha­bilitation Plan. Individuals from thecommunity and representatives fromlocal agencies voiced their concernsand were encouraged to work with theoperations and planning team mem­bers. Within several days of theIncident Commander's arrival, theteam, with considerable input from thepublic. developed action alternatives.analyzed potential outcomes, andselected a preferred alternative.Residents and tourists were keptinformed about the fire throughfactsheets, news articles, and photo­graphs placed by the incident informa­tion staff at a popular visitor centeralong the Alcan Highway.

The Incident Commander used acommunity leader from Tetlin toidentify issues, advise on Alaskannative culture and special environmen­tal conditions (such as permafrost),and distribute information to residents.

Was It Worth It? The interactionbetween the community and firemanagers served to lessen anxiety andmisinformation and create greater trustbetween the local communities andland managers. In this case, publicinvolvement was about gatheringvaluable information from residents,but even more importantly, aboutbuilding relationships-with payoffboth during the fire and for longafterwards.

How To Involve the Public More inPlanning and Decisionmaking,

Local Groups. What can firemanagers do to involve the publicmore in planning and decisionmaking?

Fire Management Notes

Do we have time on a big projectfire to do public involvement? Orany other time of the year? What'sthe payoff?

For starters, it's not necessary to re­invent the wheel or pack out theGrange hall once a month. Criticalrelationships built during fire sea­son-with the State forestry depart­ment, local fire departments, countycommissioners, sheriff's office, andhomeowners' associations---can befostered the rest of the year asmanagers plan fuel reduction andsilvicultural treatments, preseasontraining, and fire prevention activities.Local people who were overjoyed atthe arrival of yellow- and green-cladfirefighters the summer before maywant to stop by the office and com­ment on fire management plans duringthe winter or even participate intraining sessions or in a critique of theprevious season's activities. So keepthe door open. Some preseasonagreements and decisions can bereached with involvement fromcommunities. This can help preventthose uncomfortable situations whenpeople suddenly show up at the basewanting to "fight fire" and have to beturned away.

Interest Groups in Urban Areas.Interest groups in the cities also have astake in public lands such as thenational and State forests and parks,and wildlife refuges. They wouldprobably like to know about planningmeetings. All it takes is a telephonecall to a contact in an interested groupto determine if its members would likeperiodic updates or to be involved insome way.

1992-93 Volumes 53-54, Number 2

Understanding theSocial and PoliticalDimension

Fire managers need to have a senseof the historical, political, and socialcontext of fire management if they areto plan programs that meet with publicsupport:• Brush up on your Stephen Pyne-­

read or reread his "Fire in America,"an excellent overview of firemanagement history in the Forest

What do managers gain from betterrelationships and dialogue with thepublic? For one, an informed andactive citizenship is to our advantageif we are to successfully carry outprograms in the public's interest."Partners." both public and in theagency, are needed to fund firemanagement, to gather importantinformation, to solve problems, and tofoster public support for fire manage­ment programs. We lay the ground­work for these partnerships by gettingout in the communities, listening topeople's concerns, and encouragingthem to be involved in helping defineand solve the problem. So often, welayout the problem and charge ahead

Service and a discussion of ever­changing social and political forces insociety.

• Look at mass media coverage of firesand fire management issues.

• Engage in policy discussions with thepublic to help broaden the level ofunderstanding.

• Learn about the human dimension ofecosystems in your local area bytaking the time to talk with residentsabout cultural considerations andhistorical relationships.

with a program to fix it, when a fewtelephone calls to key contacts in thecommunity might confirm that there'snot really a problem or that some otherapproach would cost less and work alot better.

State-of-the-art fire managementrequires much more than money andadvanced technology. Public involve­ment, along with an understanding ofthe social and political dimension, is alogical and important part of modern­day fire management that we can't dowithout. Done with the purpose oflistening to and learning from thepublic and of building long-termrelationships, the payoffs are substan­tial. •

9

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Handtool SharpeningGauge

Gets Rid of Guesswork inHandlool Sharpening. The handtoolsharpening gauge, developed by theMissoula Technology and Develop­ment Center (MTDC) in 1992, is aguide to the proper cutting angle for anumber of firefighting tools: thePulaski (both ends), axe, shovel,combination tool, and McLeod. For thePulaski, it also has a "no-go" line thatshows when the head is too worn torefurbish. By using the gauge, toolblades arc inspected and sharpenedmore accurately and conveniently.

Convenient. The gauge weighs 4lI2 ounces (142 gm) and,measures 3 by8 inches (7.5 by 20.32 em), an easy-to­carry size and weight for using in thefield.

Where To Use. The gauge is idealfor caches, fire camps, or whereverlarge-scale sharpening operations areconducted. The idea for the sharpeninggauge originated in 1988 among cachemanagers and others looking for a fast,accurate way to refurbish tools.

Where To Obtain MoreInformation: Bob Hensler, projectleader, Missoula Technology andDevelopment Center, Building I, FortMissoula. Missoula, MT 59801;telephone (commercial and FrS)­406-329-3929: DG-B.Hensler:ROIA.

How To Purchase. GeneralServices Administration: individually,in a box of 10, and a case of 100 (10boxes to a case) at a unit price of $6.39.(Unit price remains the same regardlessof number purchased.) NSN 5210-01­324-2776. NFES 0510.•

Bob Hensler. project leader, MissoulaTechnology and Development Center,Missoula. MT

Figure 2--Gallge is used to check mid-section ofblade. Photo credit: Missoula Technology andDevelopment Center. Hans Wi/hrecht.

10 Fire Management Notes

Figure 3-Gal/ge is used to check angle ofhoe. Photo credit: Missoula Technology andDevelopmentCenter. Hans wilhrecttt.

Figure 4--A Pulaski hoe is measured on the sharpening limits gauge. Photo credit: MissoulaTechnology and Development Center, Hans Wilhrecht.

1992-93 Volumes 53-54, Number 2

+"------~

Imagine littleRed Riding

Hood withouta forest.

PLEASE be ve,y w,elulwit~ matc~es. Because

wit~out t~e forests. life is

unimaginable.

OnllJ You Can Prevent Forest Fil'es.

...-~-6-- ...U'iDA fe,..,,1 s.",~~.,J ~O"' Slot. fo"",te•.

Behind the Scene With an IncidentInformation OfficerMaryjane Cavaioli

Supervisory public information technician, USDA Forest Service,lnyo National Forest, Mr. Whitney Ranger District, Lone Pine, CA

When the phone rings at 2 a.m. andthe caller tells you to be at a tire 500miles (805 km) away in 2 hours, theincident information officer, just likeeveryone else who battles a wildernessblaze, grabs a prepacked fire bag and atent and heads for the door. But on theway out. the incident informationofficer also grabs a briefcase or two..crammed with everything pastexperience has taught is necessary,plus a still camera and a video camera,if available. Also taken is an extra firebag stuffed with Forest Serviceuniforms to wear when working withthe media, a battery-operated blowdryer guaranteed not to melt makeup,and whatever else is needed to be on­camera ready for television at anyhour of the day or night.

Why? Because it is almost guaran­teed the moment you arrive at the firescene, someone from television newsis going to thrust a camera in yourface and start asking questions on alive, from-the-scene telecast beforeyou have had time to glance at a mapor an Incident Status Summary givingyou current information on the fire.

The Media and the InformationOfficer

My first experience with mediarelations on a fire was as a greenincident information officer trainee,but I had been warned by moreexperienced friends in the field. So Imanaged to get through it withoutinserting my foot into my mouth orlooking too camera shy. Actually, Ididn't say much except that I had justarrived on the scene and, as soon as Ihad been briefed, I would get back tothem. Fortunately, the fire was farfrom home, and the Action Newscast

12

was not the same one my familywatches.

Major Responsibilities, Theexperience did make me immediatelyaware of the seriousness and responsi­bility an incident information officerposition carries. Little jokes and asidesare out of order here, because what­ever you say goes out on the airwavesand you are going to have to live withit (maybe for the rest of your life andyour children for generations tocome). So are the Incident Com­mander and all the agencies involvedwith the fire. That is why you'll oftenhear, "I don't know, but I'll check itout and get back to you." Part of yourresponsibility is to make sure you doget back to the press, public, lawmak­ers, other agencies, or whoever elseasks a question.

Crucial Deadlines. All mediapeople have deadlines the incidentinformation officer must consider ifthe officer is to maintain goodworking relationships with them. Irecall sending a television news­woman to another location for some"good flame" footage. Right after sheleft, the fire blew up with "big flames"where I was with all the reporters whohad been monitoring the radio. Whenshe came back, all the excitement wasover, and she screamed at me forspoiling her coverage and making herlate for her deadline.

"Burnout" Hazard. To theuninitiated, the job sometimes looksglamorous. Your name gets in thenewspapers, and your face appears ontelevision. But in reality, there is ahigh burnout rate among incidentinformation officers because of thedemands. All public and mediaquestions and concerns have to be

dealt with. Local lawmakers will wantto know what's going on. You mayhave a congressional aide or even amember of Congress checking out thethreat to his or her constituency. Awrong answer can create all kinds ofproblems.

National Interest. If a large firethreatens lives, structures, or popularlandmarks, there will be public andmedia interest from outside the area.Often the incident information officeris asked to give live updates to radiostations by telephone. Much of whatgoes into the newspapers also comesfrom telephone interviews, andnewspaper staff photographers seekyour advice on good places to getshots. Television crews want actionshots-lots of flames-and short,attention-getting quotes-the soundbites. You are expected to issuefactual news releases that everyone inthe media will want to develop into astory with a particular angle.

Person to Person

Often when private property is atrisk, the fire inforrnation center will befull of concerned citizens wanting toknow if their homes or those of friendsor relatives are at risk. Some peopleare going to be irate because of thedanger, and others will be emotionallyupset because everything they own isgoing up in smoke. The incidentinformation officer has to deal witheach individual sympathetically and ina professional way. During some firescausing severe damage to or even lossof private property, extra staff withcounseling experience are brought into help the public fill out insuranceclaim forms and deal with the over-

Fire ManagemenI Notes

whelming emotions arising from theloss.

Morale of the firefighting staff isalso a concern for the incidentinformation officer. Often thisinvolves producing an incidentnewsletter so crews can keep track ofwho's doing what on the fire, what'shappening with the fire, current newsevents, and sports scores. Specialcartooning talents are sought for thenewsletter. Morale boosters andinformation sharing may also involvepreparing bulletin board displays andhandouts as well as making personalappearances in affected communities.

Command Staff Duties

The incident information officer oran assistant attends planning andcommand staff meetings to get up-to­date information on the fire. Thosefacts are augmented by reports fromfield incident information officers whoget updates frequently from the lineand pass the information on. TheIncident Commander has to givepermission before any information canbe given out to the media. Theincident information officer's primarysource of approved information is theIncident Status Summary (IncidentCommand System Form-209).

Running Interference

Aside from getting the news outquickly and accurately and presentingthe policies of the agency in control ofthe incident, an incident informationofficer's first priority is to runinterference for the Incident Com­mander. For instance, the incidentinformation officer must keep themedia, the public, and elected officials

1992-93 Volumes 53-54, Number 2

from distracting the Incident Com­mander. At the same time, an informa­tion avenue between the IncidentCommander and these publics must bemaintained. Being able to do this isthe mark of an accomplished incidentinformation officer.

Sometimes, incident informationofficers have to run interference withpersonnel on the fire who see theoccasion of reporters interviewingthem as a chance to air personalgrievances. I was on a fire that wasthreatening a community inside anewly designated wilderness on onesuch occasion. The communitymembers were upset because a largedozer firebreak had not been placedbetween their property and thewilderness. A newspaper reporter wasinterviewing fire personnel stationedin the area to protect structures. Oneemployee used the occasion to startcriticizing Federal fire suppressionpolicies. It was not too long after theYellowstone fires, so he got thereporter's full attention. I had to pick amoment I could break in and explainwilderness policies and the fact that adecision was currently being made onwhether to construct the firebreakbecause of danger to the homes.Fortunately, my intervention defusedthe situation.

Handling Disasters

More Than Fire. The informationofficer may perform duties at anyincident involving the IncidentCommand System. An incident can bea fire, flood, hurricane, earthquake,hazardous material spill, serious trafficaccident, or even a volcano. Since it isimpossible for one individual to know

The moral of the story is never turnyour back on a fire when talking tothe news media,

everything the press or public is goingto ask, the information officer'snetworking to build informationsources for each type of event is animportant part of preparation.

View From the Trenches, I askedseveral information officers to shareexperiences for this article. Myfavorite was a city fire departmentinformation officer who was on livetelevision, his back to the fire, tellingthe interviewer that everything wasunder control. At the same time, thecamera showed that the fire wasbuilding fast and was totally out ofcontrol. Indeed, a moment later, theinformation officer and the televisioncrew had to run for it. The moral ofthe story is never tum your back on afire when talking to the news media.

Another related "one of thefunniest, most exciting things thathappened" during one informationofficer's career. While serving on theGorda-Rat Fire on the Los PadresNational Forest near San Luis Obispo,CA, the incident information officerreceived a call from a Catholicmonastery. The caller described themonastery's location, asked where thehead of the fire was in relation to themonastery, and requested a recom­mendation on what to do. When theofficer checked the incident map, hefound that the monastery was inharm's way, directly in the path of afast-moving 30,000-plus-acre (12,000ha) fire. The officer's recommendationwas to "get the hell out of there, not to

13

pack anything, not even a change ofclothes but to leave immediately."

He then called the Incident Com­mander and reported the monastery'ssituation. The Incident Commandersent over a strike team of large cityfire engines he had been unable to useon other areas of the fire but thoughtmight work well for protecting themonastery. The strike team workedthrough the night, burning out aroundbuildings and hosing down structures,and by daylight had saved the monas­tery.

Several days later, the incidentinformation officer was approached atthe fire information desk by a priestwho told him he was the caller who

had been ordered to "get the hell outof the monastery." Embarrassed, theofficer apologized for swearing. Thepriest replied that he felt the officerwas the hero who had saved themonastery. The incident informationofficer told the priest all he did wascall the Incident Commander and thestrike team of engines had done therest.

The priest then asked the incidentinformation officer if he was aCatholic, or if he would like tobecome a Catholic. The officerpolitely declined. The priest thenasked if the officer would like thepriest to bless him, and the officerfigured-it couldn't hurt.

Impact on the Future

Humor aside, these stories revealthat the incident information officerplays a pivotal role in IncidentCommand and firefighting agencies'operations. As David Hanson stated inhis Fire Management Notes article,"Command Staff Helps ICS Work"(volume 51, no. 2), 'The way publicinformation is handled on an incidentcan affect ongoing incident operationsand the agency's ability to function inthe future."

We need to fully recognize theneed for and abilities of our incidentinformation officers and the importantposition they occupy. •

",;"1;,:;',,, " ,"d.,:"'" ..,"., ,

. Elena Rios and HerBrushWith:Fi~e",,,' '",'/'''''~;Ari Ex~ibi~ i~'th~,Was'hiri'gtOil,J!:

:,Ofnce;.F?( 2we~"ks'in'AP~"I,Elena""R.i.Qsbr,ou~ht,to th~,:v~ash'i~gt()n":., ","

·..;,:,()ffi,~e~t~~:w~lkwa)" to the:,Shi~f's. ~lJnrerence"Ro?~::~I1d:tothc' Fi~ arid

AVia!;onMaii~geri1ent ~~d,Public'· '",' '"" '.." .

Aff~iisOfficeo;fim iiJtheAudi;~rs "intendent, for;:g~esti;;g shedevelop .':,, .Buildirig-c-anartist's story ofwildland - a~.'~;exhibi(oft"ire"tYghting; 'the'manY ";,,~1'Jirefig~,ting tofd'through.an exhibit-of ,staff members i'n the Los.Padres ;, her charcoal an.dmi'xedmedia .drawings. "Supefviscr's'Office 'inil01~ia,·'CA, for

}'lie Artist,t~e'Fi'refight~r, Ri,os, .:. helping-in many ways; big'andsmaH; t,"',,,:;:':

who received her 'Bachelor of Fine Arts and former State',ahd:Privat'e Forestry" degree in ,1986 from the Sa;rl Fra'Tlcisco Deputy .Chief:A,"anJ ,:Wesrfor

Art Institute, is also a USDA Forest bringing the exhibit t~' Washington.Service firefighter who started The"u1:iual details ofwildland fin:~~' .

.-----.-y:]*" in firefighting on the Sequoia the red and-orange of wildfire.fhe ".::ltlT ,~~\INatiiJnal Forest after sh~'had equipment, and the people were, .

~, J\~ ,Pl,grad,ua,tcd irom, the institute. ,thereL,.y~s~it was.aftrcfine sense, (' 1\ f ·idCurrentIY"she is,'!'m,'ember-of experience. 'Buttheiexhihit:offered'

, ~ \ ~the Los Padres Hotshots. At a something more-c-the.firelinc from.a"" . "fire, her skerchbookis .never point o(view,: The''r~rocity of.the flash!"

far aw~Y'. Sh~ has pa~)sip~l~d andihundefi,~tair.craft,dropping· .: .n 'I.,

in"~~~e~bus 'art shows ~-u~h~ , retardant; the exhaustion of the restingas the J990 La Hispana firefighter-whose large-booted foot ,National Fine Arts .looms 'forward .tcward the viewer; the

.Compeuuon an;'-l EXhibi~ion~ 'strengthiD the eye ot~the female ..Albuq uerqu~/NM;"where'her " smok~j.~ml?er.•entry w~sawarded first place, " J '

,"[[tc'/!" .Rio,\' e.\J;'.(lil1ilIg'()lle41;el'lJriiwilfgfi//tj;~j;,;:1~:;'·"· Ricls's e~hibircalne to' 'Dorish'~',;Celat-ier, ";~;i{~'~·~edij~:':,art'exhihi! hrougllf fOrhe;WjHhin~~folJ O)fi('(' ill "Washi~gton;th~~ugh the'enco4rage-,: ",,, Ii ';,USDA' ForestService.Public Aji'aii's

.6pril;'PJiqi(iJ:redif:': Jill Biillel,:n'{?i.\:;el";,VSDA,·":.·,, :,:h~,~~~i:~n~: ~~tio~~:of;~;~.ryp,e~I?I.~i: :i:: ," " .., Pfti'cC,; ;Wa§i~i~gt~f1'; be, -, ' ' .~-,: Fij/'6(S~;itke W~i~!.tiii~~f()/i:~E(". " :;;, ,:", ,:]1' j, M"a'~~,r~~n~n~-"hc,r,. :E:~,,~t~h.,,or iupeT~.". """:,'.':'.,','i:;,." ,,' ";: .:"" ''-':::,. 'i,::!l,· . "'I;' :1",.,

, " , '.'., '.1'" I! ',r" I! ' '", '" , ..:~:1,1'c,,~ 'a-'--' ,if,," " " """" • ,. :1:1:" "', .:': ' ,:.'

14 Fire Management Notes

I

Another First-Human Resource SpecialistTraining at NARTCMelanie Goss

Formerly personnel officer, USDA Forest Service. Northern Region,Lewis and Clark National Forest, Great Falls, MT

Human resource specialist trainees, making a small~group presentation at Train-the-Trainers ofHuman Resource Specialist course in Marana. AZ, in April 1992. Photo credit: Harry Croft. Fire andAviation Management. Washing/oil. DC.

.,",

.~I

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I

II

A diverse group of 26 individualsfrom the USDA Forest Service and theDepartment of the Interior NationalPark Service (NPS) and Bureau ofLand Management (BLM) attendedthe first Train-the-Trainers of HumanResource Specialists course at theNational Advanced Resource Technol­ogy Center (NARTC) in Marana, AZ,on April 20-24, 1992.

Since 1988, human resourcespecialists have established them­selves as vital members of the fireorganization with a critical role inassisting colleagues during fireemergencies. Successful IncidentCommanders and other fire managershave learned the value of thesespecialists and have effectively usedtheir skills.' The NARTC course gavetop specialists from all over the UnitedStates the opportunity to pool theirideas about this position. They andindividuals new to the programtogether experienced a model coursethat could be used for future training.

This course was the culmination ofseveral years' effort to plan and holdsuch training. While several ForestService regions and State agencieshave had human resource specialistson fire assignments since 1988, therehad been no nationally recognizedstandard for training. A task forcefrom the Forest Service Fire andAviation Management had recom­mended standardized training nearly 4years before the first course was held.In 1990, then-Forest Service DeputyChiefs for State and Private Forestry

'See the article, "Human Resource Specialists inAction," Fire Management Notes 52( I):22-23,written by Melanie Goss.

1992-93 Volumes 53-54, Number 2

and Administration Allan J, West andWilliam Rice, respectively, approvedthe task force's recommendation toconstruct a national-level trainingmodule to improve the effectivenessof the specialists and to stress thecontinuing need for these importantmembers of the fire organization(USDA Forest Service 1990).

The human resource specialists inMarana represented a diverse cross­section of the workforce, Of the 26students, 10 were from a professionalseries (predominantly foresters); 9were from administrative fields (7from personnel); 6 were technicians;and I was from the clerical supportstaff. All regions of the Forest Servicewere represented.

-II,III

• I

Keynote Speech: "An Integral Partof . . . Team"

Former Deputy Chief Allan J, Westgave the keynote address for thecourse on Monday evening. Heclarified and reiterated both his andForest Service Deputy Chief forAdministration J. Lamar Beasley'ssupport for the human resourcespecialist position. Specifically, hesaid, "I have a personal interest in andcommitment to the creation andexecution of the Human ResourceSpecialist Program as well as to thiscourse in Marana. The human re­source specialist is not just anotherfire camp specialist. ... You are anintegral part of the fire managementteam,"

15

Course Content and Presentation

Because the course was created totrain students to return to their ownagencies and train others to becomehuman resource specialists. theinstructors designed a course thatcould be used in the future. Theinstructors gave the students a I-dayoverview of content and presentationstyle for such a course. (Normally, itwould take 3 to 4 days to present thematerial.) Subjects included:• The role of the human resource

specialist• Equal employment opportunity and

civil rights policies and procedures• Dealing with inappropriate

behavior• Working with other incident

personnelFollowing the overview, the

instructors placed the students intosmaller groups to develop their own

What is NARTC?

The National Advanced ResourceTraining Center (NARTC) is arecognized "graduate school" fornational-level wildland fire training.The Chief of the Forest Serviceendorses all courses, which require thatinstructors maintain a high standard ofexcellence in both preparation anddelivery. Both trainers and trainees areselected based on their experience andtheir dedication to course objectives.

While most NARTC courses arefire management related. many otherresource topics are represented in theNARTC catalog: minerals, pesticideapplications, lands. aviation, andburned-area rehabilitation. Nearly allcourses are multiagency in attendanceand training cadre.

16

The first Train-the-Trainers ofHuman Resource Specialists course,held at the National AdvancedResource Training CenterApril 20-24, gave top humanresource specialists the opportunityto take the course some of themhad helped develop along withindividuals new to the program.

presentations on subjects such as thoselisted above. (The instructors tried toplace students from different agenciesand parts of the country into eachgroup as well as experienced humanresource specialists with those whohad little training in this area.) Oncea group had developed its "unit,"members presented the material to theentire class. These presentations gavestudents an opportunity not only topractice teaching the course but also toview and experience a variety ofteaching styles. After each group hadfinished teaching a unit, the instructorsand students evaluated the presenters'content, organization, delivery,clarification of issues, and pointsemphasized. These critiques wereintense, but constructive, and providedspecific suggestions for improvement.In fact, because each subsequentgroup benefited from hearing theevaluations of the previous groups'presentations, delivery of the trainingmaterial continuously improved.

Guest Speakers

The course included a number ofguest speakers. Mark Boche, forestsupervisor. Malheur National Forest.and Gordon Reinhart, retired Type IIncident Commander. formed a panel

to give the perspective of a line officerand a national Incident Commander.They talked about the value of thehuman resource specialist position andwhat it has been like to work withhuman resource specialists. Bothagreed the specialists are the criticallink between incident employees andthe Incident Management Team.

Another speaker, John Berger,Pacific Northwest Region mentalhealth coordinator, provided a 4-hoursession on critical incident stressdebriefing (ClSD), a process thathelps victims deal with the aftershockof a traumatic event. This presentationoriented the students to the role of thehuman resource specialist in suchcritical areas as facilitating a debrief­ing. ClSD has been used on many fireincidents to help personnel cope withsuch events as the loss of a firefightingcolleague through death or suicide or a"near miss" from some kind of firecatastrophe.

Lonnie Lewis, regional vicepresident of the National Federation ofFederal Employees (NFFE), spokeabout the role of the union representa­tive and how that individual's workrelates to the human resourcespecialist's responsibilities. Lewispointed out each should be aware ofthe other's presence at the incidentbase and that they should strivetoward cooperation in solving prob­lems.

The Future fur the Course

This training course marked animportant event in fire managementhistory. The next important eventwould occur when the trainersconducted their own courses back at

Fire Management Notes

J

.I

fII

"I

Major Contributors:Development of the Train­the-Trainers of HumanResource Specialists Course

• Harry Croft-Then-budget coordina­tor, Forest Service, Fire and AviationManagement, WO

• Jef Jefcoat-Equal opportunityassistant, Forest Service, PacificSouthwest Region

• Janet Anderson-Tyler-Districtranger, Forest Service, Mt. HoodNational Forest

• Donald Phillips-Forester, ForestService, Lassen National Forest

• Lorrene Schardt-Managementanalyst, Bureau of Land Management

• Melanie Goss-Then-personnelofficer, Forest Service, Lewis andClark National Forest

their home units. At least one studentreported that she was already sched­uled to present a course in her region afew months later.

When will the next Train-the­Trainer course occur? A similar coursewill be scheduled as needed, probablynot for several years following theMarana training. Because 26 individu­als had been trained in 1992, it wasnow the agencies' responsibility toensure that each has the opportunity to"carry the message" to others in his orher part of the United States,

Former Deputy Chief West finishedhis kickoff speech at the outset of thecourse by challenging the specialiststo "pass on all the good training youare about to receive and continue tomaintain the tradition you have

started." The trainers vowed to accepthis challenge, •

Literature Cited

USDA Forest Service, Fire and AviationManagement. 1990. Workforce diversity, amodel for the future. Washington. DC: U.S.Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.Fire and Aviation Management; 26-34 andapp. D.

R E :\1 E "I B E R

5',uSC'""

;I'I

Picture the Seven Dwarfswithout a forest.

PLEAS E puloul all youP campl;pes completely.Because a burnt forest is not a pretty picture.

Only You Can ppev.nl Fopesl F.p.s.

r!J==-."__6~~~

1992-93 Volumes 53-54, Number 2

Smokey Bear 1993Campaign

The Smokey Bear public serviceannouncements in this issue featuringLittle Red Riding Hood, Hansel and

Gretel, and the Seven Dwarfs are partof the 1993 Cooperative Forest Fire

Prevention campaign. To be used in acampaign, the ads must be approved by

the USDA Forest Service, NationalAssociation of State Foresters, and theAd Council. Foote. Cone & Belding,

Inc" is the volunteer agency thatdesigned the ads.

17

Smokey and the American Cowboy­Eastward Ho!Rick Higginbothan and Marvin Dahlemont

Assistant ranger and forestry technician, USDA Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest.Potositrredncktown and Houston/Rolla Ranger Districts. respectively, Potosi and Houston, MO

fITis~,fTlfENT OF AGR\t~&.

Smokey Bear greets a rodeo audience .flankcd hy hull riders Charles Sampson and Ted Nucc, Photocredit: Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association,

Although Missouri may not bethought of as a cowboy hotbed, it ishome to some of the finest and mostrespected rodeos in the country. Since1990, the Mark Twain National Forestin Rolla, MO, has been using some ofthese rodeos to deliver a special fireprevention message. The program iscalled "Smokey and the AmericanCowboy." The rodeo is one ofAmerica'5 oldest sporting events, withan annual paying audience rivalingthat of professional football, Itspopularity is increasing every year.Many rodeo competitors and fans areoutdoor enthusiasts and frequent usersof public lands, a perfect audience forfire prevention messages.

The Smokey and the AmericanCowboy public service program teamsup two of our Nation's most recogniz­able symbols-Smokey and thecowboy-in a worthwhile cause,wildland fire prevention. The conceptis simple. Through his partnershipwith the Professional Rodeo CowboysAssociation, Smokey Bear brings his"protecting America's heritage"message to the rodeo through publicappearances, special rodeo themepromotional materials, and publicservice announcements.

It Started With Gene Dowdy

The Smokey and the AmericanCowboy concept was the brainchild offormer rodeo contestant Gene Dowdy,a long-time Forest Service employeeand the program's first nationaldirector. The partnership Gene forgedwith the Professional Rodeo CowboysAssociation is a natural. Although theprogram has been used throughout theWest and has become a part of some

18

of the most prestigious rodeos in thecountry, 1990 was the first time it hasbeen used in the Eastern Region. Theprogram is warmly received at someof the biggest (and smallest) rodeos inthe United States.

Tailoring the Fire PreventionMessage to the Community

Approximately 40,000 acres(16,188 hal in Missouri are consumedby wildfire every year, and theSmokey and the American Cowboyprogram helps get the fire preventionmessage to the outdoors crowd. Thisprogram, unlike some other preventionprograms, allows each fire preventionofficer to tailor a fire preventionmessage to the local people and localproblems. A typical program caninvolve any or all of the following

program elements: Smokey Beararena appearances; fire preventiondisplays; autograph parties with rodeocelebrities; free promotional materials;rodeo parade appearances; prerodeovisits to schools and shopping malls;poster and essay contests; andpublicity through radio, television, andnewspapers.

Missouri Events

The fire management staff at MarkTwain National Forest are the drivingforces of the program in the Missouriarea. In 1992, the Mark TwainNational Forest participated (and willalso do so in 1993) in six area rodeos.These included the Cape GirardeauShrine Club Rodeo, the LickingChamber of Commerce Rodeo, theSikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo, the

Fire Management Notes

Eminence Rodeo, the AuxvasseRodeo, and the American RoyalRodeo. The American Royal Rodeo,held in Kansas City's Kemper Arena,is one of the Nation's largest rodeosand kicks off each new rodeo season.Smokey's participation in these rodeosincluded shopping mall appearances,"meet Smokey" times before eachrodeo performance, rodeo parades,and nightly arena appearances.Altogether, this year's program hasbrought Smokey's fire preventionmessage to well over 400,000 peoplein Missouri.

Acceptance of the program hasbeen enthusiastic. Many of the

Beginning in 1990, Mark TwainNational Forest in Rolla, MO, hasbeen using the rodeo to deliver aspecial tire prevention messagethrough the Smokey and theAmerican Cowboy program.

cowboys have become supporters andfans of Smokey and lend their time tohelp promote fire prevention. Severalof last year's World Champions havetaken the time to autograph Smokeyand the American Cowboy promo­tional materials that were handed outto rodeo fans. Even Ty Murray, thethree-time World All-Around Cowboy

and current front runner for anothertitle, took time between his bareback,saddle bronc, and bull riding to signposters and cards. With all thesupport the program has received fromthe rodeo cowboys association, rodeocommittees. and the public, theprogram's potential east of theMississippi River is exciting. Hope­fully, the Smokey and the AmericanCowboy program in Missouri andsurrounding area will continue to growand become the standard of wildfireprevention that it is in the West. •

'I

,j

1992-93 Volumes 53-54, Number 2 19

Continuing Success Story of TrainingWildland FirefightersDenny Bungarz and Richard C. Wharton

Training coordinator and administrator, National Fire Fighter Joint Apprenticeshipand Training Program, Sacramento, CA

\.-

From January 1990 to the end of1991, 361 men and women from theUSDA Forest Service, Department ofthe Interior Bureau of Land Manage­ment (BLM), and the Hoopa ValleyIndian Tribe have entered the NationalFire Fighting Apprenticeship andTraining Program (NFFJATP) inSacramento, CA. The Forest Serviceand BLM firefighters come fromOregon, Washington, Nevada,California, Utah, Idaho, Montana, andArizona. The tribe lives in northernCalifornia.

In those 2 years, four groups tookthe basic training course. The programconsists of a 4-week basic academythat covers:• Wildland firefighting safety• Fire behavior• Use of tools• Physical fitness training• Introduction to hazardous materials

Fireline construction training at the basic apprentice academy managed by the National Fire FighterJoint Apprenticeship and Training Program at Sacramento, CA. Photo credit: Denny Bungarz,NFFJATP.

.'

"

First responder first-aid training at the basicapprentice academy managed hy the NationalFire Fighter Joint Apprenticeship and TrainingProgram at Sacramento, CA. Photo credit:Denny Bungarz. NFFJATP.

20

Following this intensive program,the graduates enter a I6-working­month agency or tribal apprenticeshipprogram. Their apprenticeshipsrequire 600 hours of manipulative andclassroom training as well as super­vised experience fighting fires. A 4­week advanced academy follows theapprenticeship program. Once theapprentices have completed the 18months' training and apprenticeship,they become joumeyperson wildlandfirefighter specialists. (Apprenticeswith appropriate wildland firefightingexperience receive credit, not toexceed 6 months, so a number ofindividuals become journeypersonswithin 12 working months after thebasic training.)

In the spring of 1992, officials fromthe agencies and the tribe had anumber of questions about the successof the program. To answer these andother questions, the NFFJATP offeredto conduct a survey. In March 1992,the survey was sent to fire manage­ment officers in the BLM and theForest Service. (The Hoopa Valleytribe contracts for the NFFJATPtraining through the Forest Service.)The survey requested informationabout agency and tribal apprenticesstill in the program, apprentices wholeft the program before attainingjoumeyperson status, and the presentoccupation of those who had becomejourneypersons. The results of thesurvey are in table 1.

Fire Management Notes

Table I-Breakdown ofdata on NFFJATP enrollees,.

NumberNumber transferred

i, of basic Number Number to anotheracademy converted to still agency or Percent left

Group graduates journeyperson active to tribe program's

I (1990) 107 ** 80 15 2 II (n=12)2(1991) 90 8 76 I 7 (n=6)3 (1991) 86 3 71 0 I (ne12)4 (1991) 78 0 78 0 0

Total 361 91 240 3 8 (n=30)

"Thirteen apprentices were removed from the program for the following reasons: absence withoutteave.faited step test. and inferior performance. Seventeen apprentices resigned for the followingreasons: health, tegat problems, return to school, hetf~r joh and pay. or moved out ofagencyjurisdiction.**Although III signed up forthe program. 4 did nor start the training program.

'1

,

Journeypersons Converted

By the spring of 1992, the 88apprentices from the Forest Serviceand BLM who had becomejourneypersons had the following firepositions:• 58-OS-462-5, Assistant Fire

Engine Operator, Lead CrewMember

• 8-0S-462-5, Fire EngineOperator

• 6-0S-462-5, Hot Shot CrewMember

• 5-05-462-5, Hand CrewMember, Fuels

• 5-OS-462-5, Fire PreventionTechnician

• 2-0S-462-5, Helitack CrewMembers

• I-OS-462-5, Dispatcher• I-OS-462-7,-9,-1l,District

Fire Management Officer Trainee• 2-OS-455-5, Engine Operator

1992-93 Volumes 53-54, Number 2

One person from the Hoopa ValleyIndian Tribe had a position equivalentto a OS-462-6, Station Foreman, andtwo were equivalent to 03-462-5,Firefighters,

Transfers

As shown in table I, three individ­uals transferred to other agencies orthe Hoopa Valley Indian Tribe. OneForest Service apprentice transferredto the BLM and another to the tribe­both continued in wildfire positions.The third transferee did not take a fireposition but became a OS-462-5,Cultural Technician, for the BLM,

Of those who had transferred fromone forest to another (not shown intable), three have become OS-462-5,Assistant Fire Engine Operators orFire Engine Operators.

A high percentage of employeesselected for the NFFJATP remain inwildland firefighting careers withtlte Forest Service. Bureau of LandManagement, or the Hoopa ValleyIndian Tribe,

Analysis of the Data

Analysis of the data indicates about8 percent of the apprentices left theprogram prior to reaching journey­person status. The data also show thatgender and ethnic background have nobearing on whether or not a personleaves the program.

Of those reaching journeypersonstatus, most are in GS--462-5, ForestryTechnician, positions in wildland fireoccupations. Few people completingthe program left Federal or tribalservice. Of those transferring to otheragencies or the tribe, all of thejourneypersons remain in the wildlandfire occupation. Of the transfers fromone forest to another or BLM districtto another, all but one of the appren­tices or joumeypersons still havecareers in wildland firefighting.

This survey shows a high percent­age of employees selected for theNFFJATP remain in wildlandfirefighting careers with the agencyand forest or BLM district where theybegan or with the tribe. The percent­age of apprentices removed orresigning from their positions is low.The investment agencies are makingin a basic wildland firefightingprogram is paying dividends inemployee retention, In addition,supervisors have remarked that theself-esteem and enthusiasm of the

21

Fire shelter practice at the basic apprentice academy managed hy the National Fire Fighter JointApprenticeship and Training Program at Sacramento. CA. Photo credit: Denny Bungarz, NFFJATP.

A Brief History of theTraining Program

In 1990, the Pacific SouthwestRegion was under a consent decree andcivil rights.policy directive to diversifythe work force of the USDA ForestService. To meet this goal in tire man­agement, the Pacific Southwest Regionselected the National Fire Fighter JointApprenticeship and Training Program(NFFJATP) to assist in recruiting andtraining apprentice female and minorityfirefighters.

The NFFJATP pot 107prospectivefirefighters through a 4-week intensivetraining program early in 1990. Atgraduation, the enthusiasm among theenrollees was the highest long-time

22

Forest Service employees had seen inyears-IO? enrollees had completedthe coursework. (For more information,see Fire Management Notes 51(3):3--4.)

By the end of 1991, 254 othersentered the program from the ForestService and other agencies and theHoopa Valley Indian Tribe. Accordingto various issues of the "CaliforniaLog," Forest Service PacificSouthwest's newsletter, a number ofthese graduates have already receivedperformance and special act awards.The accompanying article shows howsuccessful this program has been intraining individuals for firefightingcareers in the agencies that paid fortheir training.

trained firefighters has remained high.

We suggest that a similar survey be

taken in a few more years to observe

the movement of joumeypersons as

they become available for promotion.

The Future of the Program

In April 1992, the Forest Service'sPacific Southwest Region and theBLM through the California StateOffice entered into a 3-year agreement

with the NFFJATP to continue theprogram. In addition, the NFFJATPcoordinated a training program

designed to upgrade about 89 Region5 employees in the wildlandfirefighting area. This academy was

conducted in November of 1992 forindividuals at the GS-462-4 level;when this training was completed,

they were promoted to the GS-462-5level.

The fifth group to enter theNFFJATP began its basic academy onFebruary 9, 1993. NFFJATP has acontinuing process of recruiting

candidates for these classes and

expects that this process will producesome 600-plus qualified male andfemale firefighters from a variety of

ethnic backgrounds by 1996.For further information about the

program, contact the NFFJATP at916-648-3000.•

Fire Management Notes

.'

!

Partnerships-Making Them Workin Times of Limited ResourcesGlenn A. Carawan, Jr.

Refuge manager, u.s. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service,Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Cambridge. MD

u.s.FISH & WILDLlI'E

SERVICE

The wildland fire protectioncommunity for years has enjoyed thebenefits of teamwork. Teamwork hasbeen an integral part of wildland firesuppression-s-from the unifying ofindividual efforts of the fire crew tothe more complex and difficult-to­achieve synergy derived from hun­dreds of staffers of different back­grounds pulling together to achieve acommon goal on a campaign fire. Itthus seems only natural, and certainlyprudent, that more agencies andorganizations could capitalize on thisspecial ability to work togetherduring difficult times, channelingteambuilding skills and abilities intotheir fire protection and fire manage­ment plans. This approach is particu­larly appropriate for presuppressionactivities, equipment preparednessprograms, and suppression efforts.

A Challenge to Greater Demands,Shrinking Resources

The Honorable Curt Weldon fromPennsylvania's Seventh District statedin his address at the first forest fireprevention conference, Fire Preven­tion for the 1990' s, "If we could everunite this force, there's no limit towhat we could achieve in terms ofdealing with your concerns andmaking your job easier." As chairmanof the Congressional Fire ServiceCaucus, Congressman Weldon wasprimarily speaking about participationin the political and legislative pro­cesses, but his message can be equallyapplied to unifying all fire communityparticipants and their benefactors intopartnerships, These partnerships willnot only generate the political cloutand justification to continue the

1992-93 Volumes 53-54. Number 2

excellent job that the public has cometo expect, but will also allow betterand more efficient use of limitedresources in times of tight budgets.

Congressman Weldon issued achallenge for all those in the firecommunity. Some have heard themessage and have acted, while othershave not. For those who have seenbudgets slashed, staff reduced. andprocurement of important materialsand equipment suspended whilesimultaneously experiencing greaterand greater wildland fire problems andgrowing responsibilities with wild­land-urban interface fire protection,the experience described here relateshow some agencies and organizationsare "making it happen" regardless ofthe fiscal constraints and hardships.The answer is partnerships.

Fire Planning WorkshopJump-Starts Collaboration

On June 25, 1991. the MarylandPublic Land's Forestry Division, incooperation with the BlackwaterNational Wildlife Refuge of the U.S,Department of the Interior (DOl) Fishand Wildlife Service (FWS). cohostedthe Comprehensive Fire Planningworkshop. The workshop wasorganized to solicit input from thepublic, representatives from local andState government, elected officials,DOl FWS and National Park Service.Maryland Forestry Division, MarylandPark Service, Chesapeake ForestProducts Company, and GlatfelterTimber Company on the best approachfor providing wildland fire protectionin Maryland's Eastern Shore. The areato be serviced included Talbot.Caroline, Dorchester, Wicomico,

Somerset, and Worcester Counties.While participants readily agreed

that the common goal was "to providethe best resource management andprotection possible in the EasternRegion of Maryland at the least cost togovernment agencies, industry, andprivate citizens," they unanimouslyagreed the only way this was tobecome a reality was to develop aninteragency-industry partnership forwildland fire protection; in effect, ascaled-down compact.

Creating a Compact

Specific objectives were definedfor the workshop:• To enhance relations between

cooperating fire managementagencies and participating forestproduct companies

• To determine the status of currentand future fire managementprograms and activities, prepared­ness to deal with prescribedburning and wildfires, availabilityand compatibility of equipment.unit strength. and types andcondition of specialized equipment

• To develop a comprehensive firemanagement plan that will address"how we can cooperatively reachour goal with the use of combinedresources."

Pooling Equipment, Spawning NewIdeas

Over 50 people from these variousgovernment agencies, the timberindustry. and the public, includingseveral elected officials. attended themeeting. The representatives of eachof the agencies and timber companies

23

spoke about fire preparedness statusand needs in their organizations. Theysummarized their equipment and unitstrength capabilities for cooperatingwith the Maryland Forestry Divisionin the event of a severe wildfire.

More importantly, the meetinggenerated a spirit of teamwork thatwas subsequently channeled intodeveloping a comprehensive wildlandfire protection plan for the lower six­county area of the Eastern Shore andcreating the Delmarva Fire Manage­ment Group. It also spawned newideas and provided a forum for therepresentatives of the various organi­zations to meet and interact for acommon cause.

The meeting also identified newplayers, such as Assateague NationalSeashore and the Blackwater NationalWildlife Refuge, which had not beenactively involved in wildland firesuppression in the past. Major benefitswere derived by consolidating theidentified resources and capitalizingon the special skills and talents of thevarious individuals. As a result, all ofthe participants created a closerworking team that was prepared andequipped to provide better fireprotection at less cost than if theyoperated independently,

Capitalizing on Consolidation,Uniting Forces

For agencies and groups that havenot tried this approach to "making itwork with less," it is highly recom­mended you do so, Even if you don'thave less, it is still highly recom­mended that you capitalize on theconsolidation of available resources

24

When budgets are tight, onealternative is to forge partnershipsthat capitalize on the consolidationof available equipment, pooling ofresources, and collaboration ofgovernment and business.

and do some conscientious planning.For example, by developing a firemanagement cooperative agreementwith FWS, Maryland's ForestryDivision was able to unite forces withthe federally administered BlackwaterNational Wildlife Refuge, As a result,a better fire protection program wasdeveloped for the area around therefuge because of careful planning onthe part of both the refuge managerand the Maryland Forestry Division'ssupervisory staff.

Cutting Out Duplication

Duplication of effon has beeneliminated because the BlackwaterNational Wildlife Refuge and Mary­land Forestry Division are communi­cating, and acting and reacting to aplan, One of the best illustrations ofthis is in the acquisition of equipmentcritical to both wildland wildfirepresuppression and to fire suppressionin the arson-plagued marshes ofDorchester County. While theMaryland Forestry Division purchasedan all-terrain marsh vehicle specifi­cally designed for plowing firelines,the Blackwater National WildlifeRefuge acquired a similarly manufac­tured machine, but one that would bededicated to use with a foam­equipped, 250 gallon (946 L) slip-onpumper unit and dump cargo area for

transporting materials and supplies toisolated fires. The two agencies sharethe equipment, Other mutuallycomplementary actions, like combin­ing training courses and implementinglarge-scale aerial ignition forpresuppression, are also beingeffectively used by the State and theBlackwater National Wildlife Refuge,

Teamwork, the Key Element

With the completion of a newcomprehensive fire preparedness anddispatch plan that is now beingdeveloped by the newly formedDelmarva Fire Management Group,the Maryland Forestry Division,Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge,Chesapeake Forest Products,Glatfelter Timber Company,Assateague National Seashore, Statewildlife management areas, Stateparks, and private landowners can andwill be the real beneficiaries. Theywill benefit from the teamworkdeveloped to overcome the growingdeficits in fire suppression andpresuppression resources.

The dollars and staff hours aresimply no longer adequate to allow theproblems of wildland fire suppressionto rest on the shoulders of anyoneagency. We must, therefore, begin torely more on each other and todevelop the kind of teamwork weknow can be effective in wildland fireprotection. We in Delmarva know itworks, and we think other jurisdic­tions will find it works, too, •

Fire Management Notes

,;'I

"

NWCG InformationResource ManagementWorking Team

The interagency fire communitycurrently lacks a connected andcoordinated information managementsystem. For example, the Forest Servicecollects weather information accordingto its standards and guidelines, but thatinformation neither may be in a formator system a State fire system Can usenor accessible through that system.

The National Wildfire CoordinatingGroup (NWCG) recognized thechallenge of bringing quality infor­mation in the right fonn to the rightpeople at the fight time to supportsound and deliberate decisions andgenerate ideas. On August 28. 1989,NWCG chartered the InformationResource Management Working Team(IRMWT) to begin to addressinteragency fire information manage­ment.

The mission of IRMWT is "toidentify policy-level information issuesthat affect ... interagency firemanagement activities and to provideadvice to the NWCG members on howto address those issues." The IRMWTconsists of representatives from theCalifornia Department of Forestry andFire Protection; USDA Forest Service:and Department of the Interior Bureauof Land Management. National ParkService. and Fish and Wildlife Service.The membership is a cross-section ofcomputer analysts, research scientists,and program managers.

1992-93 Volumes 53-54, Number 2

An aggressive program of work forthe IRMWT has been proposed for thenext 3 years in the following areas:• Develop an interagency information

management strategy• Sponsor an NWCG conference on

information management• Complete the transition of INCINET

(Incident Command Network) fromprogram design to field use

The IRMWT recognized that havingand managing useful information in theinteragency fire community is critical.Your comments are welcome. Contactany of the following team memberswith your ideas:

John Gebhard, ChairpersonBureau of Land ManagementDivision of Fire and Aviation

Management4948 Kootenai, Room 103Boise, ID 83705208-334-1310FAX: 208-334-1317

Linda SandfordCalifornia Department of Forestry

and Fire Protection1416 Ninth StreetRoom 1516-17Sacramento, CA 95814916-323-4610

Wendy BristolNational Park ServiceBranch of Fire Management3056 Elder Street, Suite ABoise, ID 83705208_334-1979Compuserv NPS:WASO-FIREFAX: 208-334-9326

Charles A. GrimesU.S. Fishand Wildlife Service1849 C Street NWArlington Square 340Washington, DC 20240703-358-1729FAX: 703-358-2251

Jim SavelandForest ServiceRoute I, Box I 82-ADry Branch, Georgia 31020912-744-0220DG: J.Saveland:S29L02AFAX: 912-744-0286

Steve PedigoForest ServiceFire and Aviation Management201 14th Street SWWashington, DC 20250202-205-1513DG: S.Pedigo:WOICFAX: 202-205-1272

Bill Sommers (NWCG Liaison)Forest Service

Forest Fire and AtmosphericSciences Research

201 14th Street SWWashington, DC 20250202-205-1561DG: W.Sommers:WOICFAX: 202-205--2497 •

Stephen F. Pedigo, branch chief,USDA Forest Service, Fire andAviation Management. FireIn/ormation Resource Managementand Planning, Washington, DC

25

The 1992 GEIC() Public Service Award winners at the March t . /993. awards ceremony, U,S.Botanic Gardens Conservatory. From left to right. William B. Snyder, chairman, GEICO ..award winners Jerry M. Jeffries. USDA Forest Service: Mary Ann Andrews, Office oIU.S.Attorney; Dr. Jessie K.M. Easton, U.S. Department ofVeteran Affairs; Dr. George W. Brooks,NASA at Langley Research Center, and Jerry A. Jones, U.S. Postal Service: and RepresentativeSteny H. Hoyer (MD). Photo credit: GEICO,

Wildland Firefighters,Thank Jerry Jeffries­Recipient of the GEICOPublic Service Award forFire Safety-for Many ofYour "Lucky Stars"

Jerry M. Jeffries, USDA ForestService Northern Region fire andaviation safety manager. received theGovernment Employees InsuranceCompany (GEICO) 1992 award for hiscontribution to fire safety and accidentprevention. His work in safety andaccident prevention is what lies behindmany of those firefighting "accidentsthat never happened." The awardrecognizes his dedication to firelinesafety, his expertise in recognizinghazards, his development of trainingmaterials on safe use of equipment andsurvival standards, and his skill incommunicating what he knows to top­level decisionmakers and to fire­fighters. Ultimately. his contribution iscloseup and personal to fireflghters-e­reducing injury or saving lives.

Jeffries is the second Forest Serviceemployee in 2 years honored byGEICO for achievements in fire safetyand accident prevention. Last year, Dr.Stuart E. "Ted" Putnam, MissoulaTechnology and Development Center.received the award.

What Did He Do'?

"Standards for Survival," Afterthe 1990 Dude Fire fatalities. theDirector of Fire and AviationManagement directed that the trainingcourse "Standards for Survival" betaught to all fircline personnel. and.based on Mr. Jeffries' recommendation.taught to all fire site personnel in theNorthern Region. He conductedlnstructionnl sessions for onsite trainers

26

The Geico Award PublicService Award

The Government EmployeesInsurance Company (GEICO),founded in 1936 to serve Federalemployees. each year selects fourcareer civil service employees andone retired Federal employee foroutstanding achievements in thefields. of substance abuse preventionand treatment. fire prevention and

at all Northern Region forests and jobcorps centers. which resulted insurvival training for over 5.000employees, contractors. and operatorsduring the last 2 years.

safety, physical rehabilitation, andtraffic safety and accident prevention.

The nominations come fromFederal departments, independentagencies, and offices in the executivebranch. They are screened by anomination committee and chosen bya selection committee. The $2.500awards are presented to the recipientsat a reception in Washington. DC.

Project Leader-NationalTractor Ptow-Ftreline DozerInstructional Materials. Designatedas project leader for the developmentof the National Tractor Plow-Fireline

Fire Management Notes

'.,

Dozer instructional materials, he and agroup of technical experts fromCalifornia, Florida, Wisconsin, andSouth Carolina designed a nationaltraining video and workbook thatconcentrates on the personal protectiveequipment. communication, strategyand tactics, management andsupervision, and training of personnelinvolved in the dangerous flrelineactivity of tractor plow-fireline dozeroperation.

Chain Saw Safety TrainingProgram. From analysis of accidentdata, Jeffries determined the ForestService needed a training program inthe safe operation of chain saws on thefire line. He spearheaded the formationof an interagency committee to designand implement a Chain Saw Safety

Training Program that has been taughtto over 200 operators in the NorthernRegion in 1992and has been adoptedby other firefighting units outside theregion.

Wildland Fire Safety Knowledge.Jeffries is a nationally recognizedexpert on wildland fire safety whooften, at the request of a region or theWashington Office, briefs firemanagers and field firefighters on firehazard situations and safety measuresand serves as a fire accidentinvestigator. He also is the NorthernRegion safety troubleshooter duringmajor fire occurrences, who looks forthe broad picture in safe firefightingperformance.

Tetratorch Guidelines. Jeffriespersonally developed the guidelines

for the use oftetratorch and teaches 8 to10 fire safety Courses a year at theNorthern Region Interagency FireTraining Center.

The Legacy

Jeffries' work and dedication tofirefighting safety has increased safetyawareness throughout the wildland firecommunity, the accountability forsafety in firefighting at all levels ofinteragency wildland firefightingorganizations, and safe conditions forfirefighters who put to use safetechniques and procedures working thefireline.•

Doris N. Celarter, writer-editor,USDA Forest Service, Public AffairsOffice, Washington. DC

•Iij

f ~Where would Hansel and Gretel

be without a forest?

PLEASE don't ever toss c.qoeerles do the bpu,h.Because when a forest burns, we all feellosf.

Only You Can Ppevent Fore,t fope,.

~,..rm,-,-.,-,---------e U'DA Fo_IS""",J ..,SI,I.Fo_l"+1992-93 Volumes 53-54, Number 2 27

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