SAFESoFar!2016-2017

SAFE(StudentAssociationforFireEcology)hasbeenonfirethispastyear!Fromtrainingwildlandfirefighterstocommunityserviceandeducationaloutreach,SAFEhasbeenbecomingagreatpartofNorthernArizona’scommunity.Whatwewanttoshareinthissemester’snewsletteriswhatwehavebeenupto,andwhereweplantogo!

Springbreakof2016RichardLamont,ournowclubpresident,wenttoTREXwildlandfirefightingtrainingexchangeinNebraska.Herehelearnedhowtoimplementprescribedfiresaswellashowtousewildlandfirefightingtools.ThisspringbreakwesentfivestudentstoTREX!

Fall2016kickedoffwithSAFEvolunteeringattheKidsforConservationboothattheCoconinofair.Herewetaughtfairattendeeshowfireburnswhengoingthroughahealthystandcomparedtoanunhealthystandwiththerebarforest.

ThispastyearSAFEhasbranchedoutinitseducationaloutreach.SAFEhasputtogetheraportablepresentationthatteachestheyouthabouttheimportanceofNorthernArizona’shistoricfireregime,andtheroleofourwildlandfirefighters.Thepresentationhastwofocuses,foresthealthandfirefighting.Intheforesthealthpartofthepresentationweteachthekidsaboutthelocallyfireadaptedplantlifelikeponderosapine.Wethenplayeducationalscenarioswiththem,likebuildingtherebarforest,sothattheyhaveabetterideaofhownatureworkswheretheylive.

Inthefirefightingportionofthepresentation,weteachthechildrenofthevarioustoolsusedbythefirefighters(suchaslinetools,hardhats,andpacks)andexplaintothemtheimportanceofmanagedfire.Wehavetakenthispresentationtoseveralschools,liketheSTARschoolandeventotheFlagstaffArboretum.

OurgoalsgoingforwardaretoworkwithRockyMountainresearchinbuildingamoreprofessionalfireecologycurriculumthroughtheirfireworksprogram.Wheneverweputonthesepresentations,wegreatlyexpressthedangersoffireandalwaysmakesafetyourfirstpriority.TeachingtheyouthaboutfireecologyisofgreatimportanceandawaySAFEreallyenjoysgivingback.Amoremindfulyouthisamoremindfulfuture.

OurmostrecentclubeventwastheGrandFallscleanontheNavajoNation.TheeventwasstartedbyahighschoolteacheronFacebookwhowasgettingtiredofseeingthebeautifulfallspollutedwithtrash.OneofourclubmemberscaughtwindofthecleanupinitiativeandSAFEshoweduptohelp!SAFEhasalsobeeninvolvedwithcleanupsattheFlagstaffArboretumaswellasyardworkfor

previousforestryprofessors.WeplanonadoptingatrailofftheFUTSandvolunteerourtimewheneverandwhereverthecommunityneeds.

Inourecologysegments,wehaveguestspeakerscomeandsharewithusabouthowfireeffectstheworldaroundusaswellasotherecologicalnews.Wehavealsobeenworkingwithmembersingettingthemjobready.Wehavehadresumeworkshopnightsandmockinterviews,sothatmembersarepreparedforwhattheworkingworldthrowsatthem.

SAFEalsofindsimportanceinclubbonding.Wehavehadacoupleofhikesaswellasgymdayswheremembersgettopusheachotheraswellasgettoknoweachotherbetter.Forthefuture,weplantogettogetherwithotherclubsinoutdooractivitiesandfriendlycompetitionlikeUltimateFrisbee.

Ourclub’smeetingsalternateinfirefightingandecologyeveryotherweek.Forfirefighting,wehavebeenshowingmembersmoreofwhatitmeanstobeawildlandfirefighter,andhowtoprepareforthejob.

Author:MaxKlierEditor:ChadBrown