DATE

His memorial service in Redding is planned for Sunday, June 23 at 1PM at the Civic Auditorium.

The Sheehy family has requested that only family members, close friends and the fire community are invited.

Ab.

Forest Service Update: Latest on Saddle Back Incident Support for more details.

One from the early 2000's is Al Golub, a fire photojournalist with the Modesto Bee, whose son was a Stanislaus Hotshot. Retired now, some of Al's fire photos are on the wildlandfire.com Creek Fire, Mariposa County, 2001 photo page. He told stories with his photos. He's building his historical galleries on his Al Golub photoshelter website, including the Acorn Fire, Merkleeville, CA of 1987 with the Stanislaus Shots with supe Greg Overacker "Racks"; and the Telegraph Fire, 2008. He hasn't entered the Creek Fire photos there yet (maybe he's too busy entering all the 49ers and other historical photos).

Mellie

When it comes to the news, news reporters and what gets on the page or screen, Casey put it most poignantly when he wrote that they have their “own ideas of what they want to write about, who they want to hear from”. It’s not about the crews or engines or the effort.

It’s about ‘if it bleeds, it leads’.

Flame, fire, destruction, chaos, pain and sorrow, and ‘flash’. That’s why there will be repeated shots of helicopters dropping water, airplanes throwing red stuff, smokejumpers under silk, houses burning but not a line crew going vertical on a hillside with a foot in the black. It doesn’t matter that the super-soaker DC-X only managed to make one pass all day and it missed the fire, it’s a colorful 18 second shot that will make the news because it shows up well.

The public and politicians don’t see a crew building line, they see farm workers hoeing a field – in their minds eye there isn’t any difference. They think the fire gets put out by airplanes and helicopters using water, not by the physical labor of hand and engine crews.

Having worked at in TV news carrying the camera, I can also say – if I had to walk very far, it didn’t get taped. It’s too much ‘work’ for too little ‘flash’. And then there were those two guys showing up in the tanker that dropped red stuff making great TV……

My heroes have always thrown dirt.

LCES COMT

I'm sorry but what politicians see or do is the least of my concerns. Wildland fire is not all about politics. It's about the public we serve. It's about our co-workers and their safety. It's about the resources we're trying to protect. Don't get me wrong. I understand the political picture because I've worked in that arena. But even if it's just in a magazine article, I'd rather forget politicians and spend an afternoon on a hillside with a hotshot crew (engine crew, helitack crew, situation unit, you name it).

Still Out There as an AD

Hello Community and Friends,

Today we are happy to demo the first version of the new Wildlandfire.com and ESRI Project, the Wildlandfire.com Map.

Please check it out on the Home Page for likes/don't like and give us your feed back. It isn't done, and there is a lot of work to get the final product, but getting this first product out is a big step forward behind the scenes!

We will continue to improve the map over the next few weeks to get more info on it. But please check it out and give us your feed back!

Mt. Eddy

Hotlist: AZ-PNF-Doce

I almost never post on They Said anymore... reasons are not relevant now.

I want to chime in on the great article about hotshots, while I am certainly aware of how great shot crews can be, I want to stand up for another asset in our tool bag that rarely gets kudos, Engine crews!

Think about this, when our engines do there job correctly fires do not get so big that we need to call in the 'elite' crews. In SoCal our initial attack success rate is something like 97%, that is because dedicated, well trained and aggressive engine crews stop these fires before they get big.

The media almost never lauds the efforts of these folks. They continually trot out articles on HotShots (well deserved), and even on Inmate Crews (you decide), but when was the last time you saw an article articulating the backbone of our initial attack efforts in SoCal (at least)?

Just wondering...

To sent from my iPhone,

If you are required to monitor your radio then I would say you are engaged in a inactive work related activity. As I read 29 CFR 785.19 that would mean you or at least one member of your module who is required to monitor the radio should be compensated for that time, unless you could stagger your meals and take turns monitoring the radio. I believe law enforcement brought this same issue forward and prevailed and are now paid during their meal periods. STRANGEL brought up a good point if we don't challenge this obvious disregard of the law than it is our fault. I would also challenge our agency administrators who have instilled the core value of integrity into our guiding principles to show some of it by choosing to abide by federal labor law and to pay its workforce according to those laws. I imagine this will become a union issue at some point and in regards to firefighters on the fireline that have been instructed by team members that they must show a lunch I am surprised it has not already become one. I realize my interpretation my be flawed and I welcome other opinions on this matter. As of yet I have only heard one cricket and the rest was just tumble weeds in a ghost town. I assume that means I'm correct or they don't care or maybe they just are not listening to the guy on the ground because it does not affect them. Maybe someone from the NFFE could give the federal firefighting community advice as to what would be necessary to fight this perceived abuse. Is it grievable. Does NFFE or FWFSA have an opinion? I know you're reading this.

rtn

FireHog

There's a pdf article from Aviation Week and Space Technology, June 17, 2013. We'd be in violation of copyright if we posted it here. Holler if you want direction to seeing it. Here's their website aviationweek.com/Awst.aspx Email if you can't find it. Ab.

I am currently employed as a flight nurse in Arizona. I have never had any fire fighter training but was wondering if there are any positions that would be able to utilize my experience and expertise as a flight nurse with 13 years experience ER/CVICU and 8 years of flight.

Sent from Windows Mail

June 23 at 1 p.m.
at the Civic Auditorium in Redding, Calif.

The Sheehy family has requested that only family members, close friends and the fire community are invited.

I'm a engine captain in R5. I have to listen to the radio and be ready to respond at a moment's notice. So my question is does that rule stand for staffing at your station as well?

Sent from my iPhone

I remember the days when I was supposed to rest between night shift and didn’t get any rest at all. I’d lay on top of my paper sleeping bag because it was too hot and then I’d go in the sleeping bag to escape the bugs, Ideally, the best thing is to voucher fire control folks in motel rooms. Good idea but motels are expensive and there usually not as many rooms that staff need. A more modest solution that is a lot more comfort follows. Frequently there are temperature controlled large buildings near fire camps. That facility could actually be turned barracks by placing bunk beds in in a standard arrangement spacing 5’ spacing between beds. If it has showers, so much the better. Crew members would sleep much better and would be easier to keep track of. Ideally, the feeding facility would be next door. Other direct service facilities Then crew members wouldn’t even need to go in the main camp.

1. Crew would be able to sleep more comfortably and longer.
2. Crew members would be contained and be more easily be sent to an emergency.
3. The place might have washing facilities.
4. There would be fewer distractions in the main fire camp.

OK. This idea must have a flaw since it generally not being used. Let me know.

BW

In the line of Wildfire
outsideonline.com

Drought and climate change have turned western forests into firebombs that go off every summer. Even with new technology, the essential weapon in the fight against flame are the Hotshots, an elite group of wilderness first responders who head straight for the heat...

More at the link...

I posted your question and some answers may show up here... Hotlist

Saddle Back Fire 24 Hour Report (357 K pdf)

Thanks to those who sent it in. Ab.

The Forest Service is still working with the Sheehy family to understand and honor their wishes for a memorial service for Luke.  When the details are worked out with the family we will provide that information.

Always Remember Luke

When the 24-hour report comes out, would someone please send it in. If anyone has photos of Luke with family or the crew, please share.

Thanks to everyone supporting the family, the crew and each other.

Ab.

~~~~~

From: Office of the Chief
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2013 12:18 PM
To: ALL FS
Subject: Region 5 Firefighter Fatality

All FS Employees:

It is with a very heavy heart I write to inform you of the loss of a firefighter, a smoke jumper, and one of our Forest Service family. Luke Sheehy, a 28-year-old firefighter from Susanville, Calif., died Monday afternoon as a result of injuries received on a wildfire on the Modoc National Forest in northeast California. Luke, a member of the California Smokejumpers based out of Redding, was struck by a dead tree on the Saddle Back Fire in the South Warner Wilderness about 15 miles southeast of Alturas, Calif. The incident occurred just before 5 p.m. Efforts to resuscitate him were not successful. He was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Alturas where he was pronounced dead. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of this brave young smokejumper who lost his life yesterday working with his team to control a blaze on the Modoc National Forest. We are launching a full review into the cause of his death to learn everything we can to prevent future tragedies like this.

Chief Tom Tidwell

Always Remember Luke Sheehy

The Wildland Firefighter Foundation is helping with arrangements as they do. I am thankful for their "safety net". Ab.

You need Google Earth. June 9-10 KMZ of lightning strikes (this will ask you to save the file or open it in google earth.)

Screen capture of google earth lightning strikes - terrain (jpg)

Screen capture of google map lightning strikes - states outline (png)

from Normbc9

This could be a real problem when it soon warms a and dries out. Think about Lightning “Sleeper” fires.

Thanks, Norm. Ab.

Rtn,

I used to be on an IMT and I'm a union rep. so I feel like you were talking to me. First you're correct about a lot, kudos to RM for doing the right thing, yes the CFR says what you say it does, and yes unless they are released from all duties they need to be compensated. Those are the reasons I haven't shown a meal break in over twenty years while on an assignment. I just justified it in the remarks section of the CTR. Just because some people can be intimidated or coerced into giving up time that doesn't make it someone else's problem. If the rules are there and for what ever reason you decide not to make a stand like RM did who's fault is it? I hear from many dispatchers complaining about being forced to stay at their desks during lunch because of a bust but not being able to claim time, but yet I know of four dispatchers that challenged it and won. They get paid so whose fault is it the others don't? Duty officer is another one. If you can be held accountable then it' standby, but if you don't fight then guess who loses?
Hear any crickets chirping?

STRANGEL

RM

Kudos for standing up for what is right! It's funny that IMTs have been knowingly violating Federal Labor Laws for years. When you look at 29 CFR 785.19 you will discover that the employee must be compensated (paid) for the meal break unless they are relieved of all duties, whether active (answering a radio) or inactive (maintaining LCES) while eating. The CFR says nothing about the status of the fire (whether it is controlled, contained, or neither). Policy should not override the law but our agencies have pretended as though it does. Of course anyone can take a stand against this obvious abuse but I suspect retaliation will be in the form of DEMOB from the assignment. I would love to know how our agency administrators, IMT team members, and Union Folks would weigh in on this or if they would. I hope I don't hear crickets chirping, seems like an important subject.

Rtn

For the past several years IMTs are trying to save a buck by making line going personnel show a 30 min meal break while on the fire line. They tell you to show the break but add the 30 min to the end of shift, which is not only dishonest but technically illegal. One particular incident I had enough and decided to try a different approach. I documented the CTR, LCES NOT IN PLACE FOR 30 MIN DUE TO MANDATORY MEAL BREAK ! The ops chief actually flew out to our spike camp and talked to me and Supt. Asking us to submit another CTR -- don't show the break and tear up the old CTR. Oh, the remark was added after the original CTR was signed. Why do they penny pinch at the expense of the people getting the job done ?

RM

You should contact the Kern Valley HS, Bakersfield Ca. BLM.

Ask for their "Scrape Training" info.

They have done a well thought out, effective way to approach line construction.

We have adopted it for training our T-2 Crew, Roadrunners, here at Rio Hondo College.

John Bennett

Good post STRANGEL. This is an area that needs to be cleaned up as it puts both the employee and supervisor in a tough and distracting position, during a time when the last thing you want are distractions.

Outside of portal to portal legislation, the one thing that would fix this situation immediately for most situations can happen with a signature from the Chief of the Forest Service and or Regional Forester. All employees should be guaranteed 16 hours of pay, with paid breaks for meals when committed to an incident, everyday, for the length of the commitment. When you get back to camp or other lodging accommodations after a 13-14 hour shift, all will remain on the clock for a total of 16 hours, and available for call back. If you think about, even under the current fire business practices, who isn't available to be woken up in the middle of the night for an emergency change of plans in fire camp, with 2;1 mitigation occurring at a later time?

Alternative #1) Pay Federal Wildland Firefighters portal to portal.
Alternative #2) Pay them from 0600 to 2200 hours daily. What do you think everyone will do with the 8 hours off that starts at 2200 and ends at 0600? Good night...

ms

The person that responded to you from their iphone is correct. The IIBMH does say all of those things, but the Master Agreement (MA) which is a negotiated contract with national agency management says under Art.28

3. Restricted Facilities:

Management will not restrict employees to facilities while in a nonpay status.

The MA trumps the IIBMH, but before you celebrate you have to ask yourself how important is it to you? The MA is like any other piece of paper in that until someone forces them to abide by it, that's all it is, a piece of paper. They have the choice of paying you portal to portal to control your time or you can do what you want during your off time, as long as you're fit for duty at the start of your shift and you don't do anything illegal. If the camp has over 300 people, there should be contact info for a union rep.

If you truly think you'll get better rest at home that's where I would go, but remember this could just be the start of a fight if you have a bad manager.

STRANGEL

Couple of things regarding your post;

I totally agree most of our fire camps do not provide adequate sleeping arrangements.

I would like the folks who come up with these policies walk for 14 days in our shoes, and then be expected to follow the policies.

Especially on night shift, sleeping in a park or a dust bowl in 90° plus temperatures.

Below are a few excerpts from the Interagency Incident Business Management Handbook (pdf)

Bottom line: unless it is a closed camp you can go home and sleep in your own bed.

But do not drive a government vehicle to do that especially off the clock!!!

Have someone pick you up.

But realistically I’ve done both, and I got better sleep at the office, or in fire camp than at home.

• I lost time from camp to home.
• She made me shower before I got into bed,
• I had to get up early to meet the crew at briefing time.
• The kids wanted to say hi.

It wasn’t ..."done work", and into the bag like at fire camp, it was the semi-regular routine of home life. And that equaled less sleep.

Remember Firefighter Christopher Paul Carroll was taken from us on July 2nd, 2012 while assigned to the CA-LPF Hill Incident. Chris was an AFEO on LPF Engine 74 at Los Alamos Station. The Hill Fire was a local fire that was transitioned from a Type 2 team to a local Type 3 Organization. Engine 74 was going back to their station each evening after a 15 hour shift, and Chris headed home. On the way back to work on the morning of July 2nd Chris was involved in a motor vehicle accident.

I'm not saying fatigue played a part in the accident, as I’m not privy to the CHP report, but fatigue might have played a part, and one must be mindful of that.

Excerpts from the Interagency Incident Business Management Handbook (pdf)

Off-Shift Time

The degree of control to be maintained over regular government employees and casuals during off-shift hours is dependent upon location, the individual's work function, and the urgency of the emergency situation.

• At the IC’s discretion, regular government employees and casuals may be released during off-shift periods from the incident base or camp.
• At the ICs discretion, regular government employees and casuals may be restricted to an incident base and all other camps during off-shift periods. This is usually referred to as a “closed camp” (45 FLRA No. 120, 0-NG-1958, Decision and Order on a Negotiability Issue, September 18, 1992; Office of the General Counsel, Authority to Close Fire Camps Opinion, March 28, 1990).
• Time spent restricted to the camp where personnel can rest, eat, or, to a limited degree, pursue activities of a personal nature is not compensable. Such time is compensable only to the extent needed to complete the guaranteed base hours. Time spent in ordered standby is compensable.
• The same policy applies to mobilization and demobilization facilities.
• Regular government employees assigned to an incident at their home unit should be given their regular scheduled days off when the situation permits. Regular scheduled days off are considered off-shift time and are not compensable.

Work/Rest Guidelines

Work/rest guidelines should be met on all incidents. Plan for and ensure all personnel are provided a minimum 2:1 work/rest ratio (for every 2 hours of work 4 or travel, provide 1 hour of sleep and/or rest).

Work shifts that exceed 16 hours and/or consecutive days that do not meet the 7 2:1 work/rest ratio should be the exception, and no work shift should exceed 24 hours. However, in situations where this does occur (for example, initial attack), incident management personnel will resume 2:1 work/rest ratio as quickly as possible.

The intent of the guidelines is to manage fatigue

and provide flexibility for IC’s and AA’s managing initial attack, extended attack, and large fires. The guidelines are designed to ensure that for every 2 hours of work or travel, 1 hour of time off should be provided within a 24-hour period. It does not matter when the 24-hour period starts; all time recorded on the clock is counted as hours of work; time off the clock is counted as hours of rest, including meal breaks.

The IC or AA must justify work shifts that exceed 16 hours and those that do not meet 2:1 work/rest ratio. Justification will be documented in the daily incident records. Documentation shall include mitigation measures used to reduce fatigue. The Excess Hours Log or the Extended Work Shift Authorization Sample found in Appendix B – Tool Kit is an acceptable method of documentation.

The work/rest guidelines do not apply to aircraft pilots assigned to an incident. Pilots must abide by applicable Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines, or agency policy if more restrictive.

Other Pay Provisions

• Inadequate Food or Lodging – Inadequate food or lodging situations should be the exception. When nonexempt regular government employees and casuals do not receive adequate food or lodging, they shall be in pay status the entire time they are working, sleeping, or eating (Comp. Gen. B-230414, 1/10/90).

  Adequate food is defined as: meals ready to eat (MREs), sack lunches, military-type rations, hot can, or similar meals.

  Adequate lodging is described as: a sleeping bag (paper or cloth) or a blanket or equivalent covering to provide protection from the elements for sleeping.

  Regular government employees must be in nonexempt status to qualify for compensation. There is no authority to grant compensation for these conditions to exempt employees. Exempt employees can only be compensated for on-shift time.

  ICs are responsible for determining when an inadequate food or lodging situation exists. This must be documented on the CTR, SF-261, in the remarks section. Hours recorded for an inadequate food or lodging situation count as hours of work for computation of the 2:1 work/rest ratio.

Subsistence and Lodging Provisions

Subsistence and lodging are normally provided to incident personnel.

• Food at Official Duty Station. This is considered a personal expense, and the regulation prohibits receiving compensation in addition to the pay and allowances fixed by law. (5 U.S.C. 5536). Federal funds cannot be used to pay subsistence or to provide food to regular government employees at their official duty station or casuals working at their point of hire, except as stated below. Similar state regulations may apply to state personnel.
• Conditions to Provide Food at Official Duty Station. Agencies may provide meals to personnel at their official duty station at government expense during emergency operations which pose a threat to life and property, if both of the following conditions are met:
  • Emergency personnel are in the field engaged in 4 emergency operations (e.g., search and rescue, firefighting activities – fireline personnel), and
  • The operational period prevents personnel from taking meals at home or in the normal office/work station environment.

    Agencies may provide meals to personnel engaged in support of emergencies, if they are unable to sufficiently provide their own subsistence, due to long shifts or lack of preparation time. The cost of the meal(s) will be deducted from their payroll through agency procedures.

Sent from my iPhone

Thanks, iPhone wielder. Ab.

If my module is assigned to a campaign fire on my home district and not on per diem can I be told I have to stay at camp. I live minutes away from fire camp and believe I would get much better rest if I could go home at night. Last time I checked I was getting paid 16 hrs and not 24.

-Thisbasecampsux

Based on decisions made on one of last year's socal fed firefighter fatality, it seems that even if you're assigned to a fire and your engine is assigned to a fire and there's no camp to sleep in, if you die in a vehicle accident in your POV returning to duty from home the next morning, you will not be considered a LODD and your family will not be eligible for PSOB. Seems unjust, but a consideration... Ab.

I am closing the comments on the "Some People's Children" thread. I feel that the people have had their say. An investigation is ongoing; it should take its course. I still do not understand what happened or who was involved. I do know that the issues are not about diversity per se, so the thread is getting off-topic and may unfairly portray some individuals.

If anyone would like me to forward a message or cut and paste a message to anyone who has posted, let me know their moniker and I will do it. Please continue to email from blind accounts and with monikers. Communication behind the scenes sometimes helps, but please do not violate any terms of the investigation if you're involved. I will not reveal any poster's identity (not that I know who is who even now). I remain fairly clueless... Ab.

I would like to add on to fish01’s comments about where did we go wrong as an agency. I recently completed reading “The Tinder Box” by Christopher Burchfield. It provided a very comprehensive overview on how we got to where we are today. Although I had only worked for the Forest Service in Region 5 very briefly in the past, having watched from the outside what went on and knowing many of the people talked about in the book, it all rang true. For anyone interested in how we got to where we are today and why it continues, the book should be required reading, regardless if you have ever worked for the agency or not. Maybe we can learn from the past, but in this case, I doubt it as evidence by the continued hiring practices and an agency that has great difficulty making good policy decisions in a timely fashion.

Cafban

We are in agreement on much of what you have said in your response to my post, however I see what you are trying to do here and there are a couple issues I have with it. Yes, I am aware of “No Fear Act” training, and yes, I do fully understand what it is and why there is a need for such a program. I’m sorry that the truth I speak of “saddens” you, but I am here to “nip it in the bud” as you said yourself. I am going to quote you here

“I am a firm believer that if you witness something illegal, or immoral, and you do not say anything, you are in a sense, CONDONING IT... you are allowing it to take place, and since you didn't say anything to correct the action, who's to say it won't happen again”?

Well there it is. I have done exactly as you asked, I have brought it to the attention of the masses via this forum. I am in fact doing what is right and hopefully lessoning the chance of a situation like this in the future.

· Firstly, I will not stand by and watch as people maliciously manipulate the system and try to destroy the careers that others spent their entire lives building. The fact remains that there is a “loophole” in the system that people are time and time again taking advantage of, for their own personal gain. Until this problem is mitigated, we will continually allow some of our most valuable and revered employees to be scrutinized, discredited, humiliated and in situations like this, ostracized.

· Secondly, I’m not trying to sway people one way or another on the matter of reporting EEO issues in the workplace. That is a non-issue, so long as accusations are truthful and correct. In a case like this, where false allegations have been made in the interest of undermining your coworker and intentionally trying to damage the reputation of another, the system is a total failure and is detrimental to the agency as a whole. Individuals need to be held accountable for their actions! Upon discovery that erroneous claims have been made, immediate action should be taken to correct this type of injustice. Well, that remains to be seen. I too encourage people to stand up for what is right and I wouldn’t be placing blame on those who stood up for what was right, and said something to correct a situation, IF those whose integrity is in question were in fact speaking the “TRUTH”, not half truths, not partial truths, the whole truth.

· Tertiary, in situations lacking “Honor, Respect and Integrity” or in situations where “Immoral and Illegal” actions were taking place, all parties present at the time of incident should be given a chance to tell their side of the story. But that’s not the case and that seems to be one of the main problems with the system in place today. That, and that alone is why you get what we have here; a strange case of Guilty Until Proven Innocent, or better yet, Guilty Until Proven Guilty, and someone’s “good” name is being slandered. From the first year seasonal, to the upper echelon of the Forest Service food chain, we cannot afford to come to a conclusion after hearing just one side of the story. We have to get the other side as well. By getting both sides of the story early, you can avoid making a “knee jerk” reaction to a perceived injustice or further complicating an already delicate situation. This is easier to acknowledge than to do, but it is something we, as an agency, must recommit ourselves to if we are to lead ourselves and our organization to the best of our abilities.

Sincerely,

The One Who Kicked The Hornets Nest

You asked where did we go wrong as an Agency?

My personal opinion of where the Forest Service in R-5 began its march towards inefficient hiring and chaos began as early as the mid 70’s. That is about the time individual Forest lost hiring control and all applications began to be “submitted & screened” at the RO level. Before that, people submitted applications to the Forest they wanted to work on and most of the workforce was local to that Forest. The 1st yr. of Regional hiring, many returning seasonal employees found themselves not being offered positions or being offered positions at lower grades. I was one of them, but got real lucky in finding a job in R-6 where you could still apply to the local Forest. Others did not fare as well.

Then in the early 80’s, R-5 attempted to settle a discrimination complaint by entering into a Consent Decree. The FS management pretty much agreed to hire a percentage of women found in the private workforce. (46%). The Consent Decree resulted in discrimination against not only men, but if you think about it, even women employed in R-5 might have been left out, as promoting women in R-5 did not increase the percentage of women, just moved the same number around.

Finding Qualified candidates was a challenge at best, and the agreed upon 46% was hard to achieve. Judge Conti grew impatient with the FS excuses, but the Decree was binding. Whether it was legal or moral, I can’t say. After all Quotas had been ruled illegal. The pressure was on to keep Line management out of jail.

One of the most brilliant?? decisions was to advertise jobs with the selection criteria being,” MUST Not Meet OPM –X118 standards. In a nutshell the person who would be selected could NOT meet the job qualifications. It also was the start of widespread discrimination towards a select group. ANYBODY QUALIFIED could not be considered. HMMM

The late Jerry Levitoff and others fought this in court as the Male Class Complaint, but we lost our case on technical grounds. If we had They Said and current technology back then to shed light on Line Officers actions, I believe our outcome may have been different, and today’s environment may have been different.

The hiring tactics and PC rhetoric and grievance procedures have been ingrained into the HR. culture, and seem to be the Standard in most public service employment. It is going to be hard to change.

Keep speaking up.

Fish01

The Sale Fire 6/3/13, which occurred along I-5 and the Sacramento River in Red Bluff should have been a wake up call...the river jungles usually don't dry out enough to get hard running fires this early...they are mostly green fuels and lots of 1000 hour fuels which should act as a heat sink and slow spread. It didn't happen.

In the Sac Valley PSA which covers the area from Whitmore to Stonyford, the Energy Release Component stands at 72, breaking the record for this time of year. The Stonyford 1000 hour Fuel Moisture is 9% which is critical FM in that area. That means the green and 1000 hour fuels are adding to the intensity, not slowing it.

I'm reading some talk on the net about dry conditions, but I don't hear anyone suggesting any solutions other than LCES. Situational awareness is important for sure, but Crew Leaders and Initial Attack IC's can make a difference.

Fighting fire is combat and the only good fight is one you win. Don't give the fire a chance, overwhelm it. This is a year when you should lean toward the Blitz Attack strategy. This season's fires have already demonstrated a strong resistance to control. Anticipate that; expect retardant burn through and lots of spotting. Review and revise your run cards.

Don't be afraid to augment the dispatch if you think you've got a working fire. Its a lot cheaper to return the crews to quarters than it is to staff a major fire.

This is a year when the fire will give the exam and the lesson at the same time. Be safe.

viejo

From: Beason, Rachel (HHS/OASH) [mailto: Rachel.Beason@ nospam hhs.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2013 8:20 AM
Subject: National Strategy for Suicide Prevention Webcast Event

We can all play can important role in suicide prevention and the U.S. Surgeon General’s National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. On June 27, 2013, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Region V is hosting a live event and web cast on the tools and resources available to support the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention that will include participation by the U.S. Surgeon General, SAMHSA, and other partners in suicide prevention. Please share this webcast information with others in your community or consider hosting an echo site with a group in your community.

For registration and additional information on this event, please go to blsmeetings.net/ everyone plays a role

I work in Region 3, and unfortunately the same situation has occurred at my District. Those with so called 'diversity status' have essentially filed grievances after being asked to be at work on time or input their time correctly. Their 'complaints' have been investigated at the highest levels, and all the scrutiny has been put on those who simply asked their employees to do their jobs! The Agency has given carte blanche to all those with 'diversity status' to challenge anyone who asks them to perform at a professional level of competency. Now I see what they mean by 'Cultural Transformation'.

-Dobro

I've been offline for the last 5 days with a DSL failure. I have one of the oldest high-speed internet systems in my town and it finally gave up. The technician just came and fixed it. Last week the tech came and fixed the phone portion of the system.

Prior to that and concurrently with that, I was helping a formerly fit and healthy son who suddenly developed and almost died from acute pancreatitis from unknown causes (not alcoholism, not kidney stone, which account for 80% of acute cases; might have been scorpion bite; currently listed as unknown cause). Some of my most satisfying recent moments were watching him sleep in the dimly lit hospital room between 2 and 4 AM. He went back to work today with orders from the doc to come home for a nap if he needed to. We take our health and our family's health for granted. Please take every opportunity to show your appreciation and love to those who matter. Strange things can happen to good and fit people.

I'm back around, trying to keep on keeping on. I have just filled in posts with their arrival dates as they came in since May 30. There are several communications I did not post at the community member's request and one book I did not post or link to since I haven't read it. As for the rest, I do not know the validity of any communication or reply. I have definitely been "out of touch" and trust the firefighting community will use this forum appropriately. To those of you who sent in the fantastic photos, thank you! I'm not sure I'll get them posted. In the not-too-distant future you'll be able to post your own photos. Ab.

Last Thursday, a wildfire started in California's Angeles National Forest, north of Los Angeles, near a hydroelectric plant called as Powerhouse No. 1. The Powerhouse fire was pushed by erratic dry winds, destroying at least six homes near Lake Hughes, damaging many more, and leading to the evacuation of several thousand residents. Cooler weather has now allowed the firefighters to reach 60% containment of the fire, and some residents were allowed to return home. [28 photos]

Hotlist thread

US Forest Service adds night-flying helicopter to its suppression efforts in California
Effort adds additional helicopter to cooperators’ Southern California assets

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2013 – U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell announced today that the agency will begin night helicopter wildfire suppression operations this season in Southern California.

“The re-introduction of Forest Service night helicopter firefighting operations in Southern California further establishes the agency’s commitment to protect lives and property in the region,” said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. “California has already experienced challenging wildfires this season, and is projected to continue to have a severe summer. Night flying operations will provide an aggressive agency initial attack while better ensuring public safety, minimizing overall fire costs and lessening impacts to communities.”

The program will begin this month, following the completion of aircrew and aircraft certifications and will support suppression efforts in the wildland urban interface areas within and adjacent to the Angeles, Cleveland, and San Bernardino national forests, and the southern half of the Los Padres National Forest.

The use of the agency’s night flying helicopter program will be determined by the Angeles National Forest and in coordination with local, county and state partners and will be assigned to incidents through normal dispatch protocols.

The Forest Service will also implement a night aerial supervision fixed-wing program to support the helicopter night flying operations. The program will include an agency-owned aircraft, agency pilot and an agency air tactical group supervisor. The aircraft will be equipped with technology to support night ground and air firefighting operations including an infrared camera and command and control avionics equipment.

The agency’s helicopter night flying operations will be consistently evaluated to determine if there is a benefit in terms of containing fires, preventing new starts from becoming large fires and potential cost savings in fire suppression. These benefits will be weighed against the safety, risk and costs of the program. If there is a measurable benefit and a documented need in other areas of the country, the Forest Service will evaluate expansion of the program.

USDA has made a concerted effort to deliver results for the American people, even as USDA implements sequestration – the across-the-board budget reductions mandated under terms of the Budget Control Act. USDA has already undertaken historic efforts since 2009 to save more than $828 million in taxpayer funds through targeted, common-sense budget reductions. These reductions have put USDA in a better position to carry out its mission, while implementing sequester budget reductions in a fair manner that causes as little disruption as possible.

The mission of the Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Forest Service lands contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation’s clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.

Ab/Mellie

6/3/12 1245 MST

Lone Peak IHC

Thank you for your help
James R Thomas

facebook.com/FWFSORG

I was wondering if you had any recent follow up on the Cramer Fire. Did Allen actually serve jail time? In my brief review of the Cramer Fire, it appears that no one else (Ranger, FFMO etc.) where held accountable? Of course Allan was found operating outside the scope of his employment! He was doing everyone's job because leadership couldn't do their job! I think it would be worth highlighting the lack the actual fire experience our line officers have... Again.

Thanks

Sent from my iPhone

The Core Values that we, as Firefighters are to uphold... such as "Honor, Respect and Integrity", I'd agree should be of the utmost importance, seeing as how we are considered to be Public Servants. People speak of Integrity... well, yes, let's cover the word Integrity, in depth. The dictionary defines Integrity, as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions. But I would love to write Webster, and ask them to add on, "when no one is watching" at the end of that definition. Because one can show or have "Integrity", in front of others, but boom, the minute they are on their own, or by themselves... everything changes. It is important, that each and every one of us, holds ourselves to a higher standard, for the simple fact that we are entrusted BY the public, to do a greater good, than the average Joe Citizen.

As for Honor... it is defined as... to show respect. We must Honor (Respect) ourselves, our fellow firefighters, and the public, by always performing in a professional manner, with Respect and Integrity... and I hate using words, that I am already trying to define, but these three words, Honor, Respect and Integrity... they go hand-in-hand, at least in my eyes... Respecting ourselves, our supervisors, our subordinates and everyone else we may come in contact with, is a MUST!!

In regards to "The One Who Kicked The Hornets Nest" last post... Supervisors are held, to an even Higher Standard, or Code of Conduct, wouldn't you agree? Supervisors should be Leading by Example, and should be the models for future supervisors to look up to!! After all, most supervisors in the Forest Service, are generally Responsible for their firefighter's lives and safety, so it is Imperative, that they act in accordance, with the title of Supervisor... meaning... they should have, almost to say... the most Honor, Respect and Integrity out of the 5 or 20 lives, they are responsible for... If a supervisor is lacking in these common standards, Honor, Respect and Integrity...then maybe the Agency can tailor make, an Ag-Learn Class for them, as opposed to removing them from their duty... but as you so relevantly put it, we all should have Honor, Respect and Integrity...and at this stage in our lives and careers, should've had that instilled in us, as we were growing up as adolescence.

It saddens me, to hear someone, who works in Region-5, blame the subordinates who only stood up for what was right, and said something to correct a situation, be labeled as a whistle-blower, or be accused of abusing the system in order to get what they want. After all, don't we, in the Agency, teach our junior firefighters, that if they see something wrong, to speak up?? If they see something unsafe, no matter the ridicule they feel they may face, if found to be safe after all... to go ahead and speak up??? Without fear of Reprisal??? The Agency mandates training, in this matter, YEARLY. It's called "Fear of Reprisal" for this simple fact, that if you see something that is unjust, or an act that is lacking Honor, Respect or Integrity, shouldn't you speak up, to "nip it in the bud"??? I am a firm believer that if you witness something illegal and you do not say anything, you are in a sense, CONDONING IT... you are allowing it to take place, and since you didn't say anything to correct the action, who's to say it won't happen again?? The incident or situation that you are referring to, regarding the Captain being removed from their detail, bears no matter to the fact of gender. Do research, in the matter, and you will find that there were actions taking place, that LACKED EVERY BIT of Honor, Respect and Integrity. And as a supervisor, don't we hold each other up to the highest levels of conduct?? Shouldn't we correct illegal actions?? Or should we just brush it aside, with maybe a slap on the wrist or a stern talking to?? There is PLENTY of History, here... and it is a sad day, when our junior firefighters, our up and coming leaders, stand up for what is right and speak the truth, for it will all come out in the end, after the investigation... that we try and crucify them, for doing what we in fact, are teaching them to do... the RIGHT THING.

"Whistle-blowing" and speaking up and saying something, when malicious events are taking place, has been all over the media these days. From Benghazi, to Region-5... the old days, of  "keep your mouth shut, head down and keep working"... are a thing of the Past! Yes, at times, it may be a little frustrating, conforming to the "Kinder, Gentler" world, but in the end, I feel it is for the Better! Treating everyone with Respect, Honoring our fellow human being and having Integrity, especially when entrusted with the Title of Supervisor, is a MUST on all forefronts. It is a privilege, to be trusted with the Title of Supervisor... that being said, it is Imperative, that if a Supervisor is NOT acting accordingly, they need to be looked at... thoroughly.

We EMPOWER our juniors, to do what is RIGHT. Even if it means, speaking up despite their initial fears of being made fun of, being ridiculed or chastised. The "Hard Right, Versus the Easy Wrong". I agree... take a good, long, hard look in the mirror. Ask yourself if you saw something immoral or malicious, taking place... could you or would you speak up and say something to correct it? Or are you the kind of person, that would look the other way, and hope it doesn't happen again? On my District, we once had a sheet of paper, that we all had to read and sign, every year. It was a District wide, Code of Conduct... and for the life of me, I cannot find it anywhere... (coincidence??) But it simply stated that we, as firefighters, are to treat everyone with Respect. We are not to bad mouth or spread rumor, of other individuals and that we are to act with Honor, Respect and Integrity. I am, still to this day, trying to track that piece of paper down... but in the event I cannot find it... I think I will write up a new one... one that covers the basic fundamentals of Honor, Respect and Integrity, and that covers how we are to act, towards one another, especially while on Duty...

I am PROUD to wear this uniform... PROUD to call myself a FIREFIGHTER... and PROUD to work for this Agency... but it breaks my heart, when people are criticized for doing what's right and standing up for themselves... for as an adolescent, I was taught to do what's right and to stand up for what I believe in. I am PROUD to work with other Firefighters who must have been brought up the same way as I was. Tough as it may be, if you feel, in your heart of hearts, that you are doing a righteous deed, and standing up for what is JUST... then have at it...!! I just hope you have other fellow Firefighters who will have your back, instead of stabbing you in it! It is often hard, to do the Right thing, especially when it feels like you're all alone on the matter... but you mustn't lose sight of the Greater Good...

I have FAITH in Today's Society, and I might even be alone on this one... but I think we are indeed, creating and modeling Leaders, that will surpass our Great Leaders of yesterday.

Respectfully,

"Proud to work with Righteous Individuals"

You are one of many who have finally showed to me you are “Sick and tired of being sick and tired.” You have finally brought forth the truth. “Truth is word no longer espoused in the management of the top tier of the US Forest Service. Now the buzz words are “Get it done, regardless of the costs!” We no longer see professional foresters and wild land firefighters. Now we get to see political hacks at work dismantling what they are led to believe is a “money waster.” WHAT? An organization of their making now failing? The personal payoffs under the table must be immense. Think about the results of s decision to abandon a team your group built? An open display of Bi-Polar Disorder or simple political expediency at one’s own personal gain. I admire your courage! The Tom’s must be laughing all the way to the bank. This just shows all of us in this esteemed fraternity what the real meaning on the word “Abandonment” means. Political expediency knows no bounds.

Normbc9

Just wanted to say that if the allegations are true and you feel that management did a poor job on investigating the allegations then the Capt. needs to report it. Here are two numbers to try, it's the Whistleblower Disclosure Hotline: (800) 572-2249 or (202) 254-3640. We've had to use these numbers a couple of times where I'm at and they actually do their job and look hard into issues. For quickest results, leave your name and they will give you updates into what's going on. But don't waste their time if you're just venting because of a perceived injustice. Tell your Capt. this kind of behavior has been going on with white males for years, welcome to the club.

PYG

Congrats...

-MJ

Really!... Bro???... You had to put that out there for all of our fellow firefighting boys & girls to witness?... I thought everyone asked me about that incident before for the past 30-years... GREAT!!!...

Thank you Joel, I'll never forget all of our Wild land Firefighting over the years together, both, on the ground & in the air!... Thank you bro for the last couple of weeks of the career!!!...

& GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU OUT THERE!!!... Please be careful out there this season!... It's going to be a "barn-burner!"... It already has been!!!... Always have your Escape Routes & Safety Zones with you every step of the way!!! + 10 & 18 + LCES & 9 Downhills!... ("Look everywhere!")

JOEL, I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER MAN!!!... GOD BLESS YOU BROTHER!!!... & ALL OF MY FIREFIGHTING BROTHERS & SISTERS!!!... LOVE YA!!!...

In response to this posting, The one who kicked the hornets’ nest it right on point. We have a similar situation on our Forest, also in R5. A supervisor trying to do his job is called before the forest management because of a complainant filed by an employee he supervises. This employee, who really doesn’t know all of the ins and outs of the system is getting guidance from someone who has worked the system and won. The remainder of us employees are extremely unhappy and our morale is getting worse. Again, as in Hornets’ post only a few people were questioned, handpicked apparently, because none of the other employees supervised by this supervisor were questioned.

It just goes to show the sad state of affairs in our local forests and the lack of good leadership that’s not afraid to buck both the union and HR when it is appropriate to do so. There are always hidden agendas and it’s unfortunate when you guess at what they might be and they actually happen.

Signed,

Disheartened and disgusted.

A recent chain of events on my local unit in region 5 has absolutely sickened me! From the time it was brought to my attention until now, I have experienced a wide array of emotions on the matter, ranging from different degrees of anger to downright disgust. It made me really sit back and think where did we go wrong as a forest, an agency, and even as human beings. Some of you will instantly know what I’m on about, and some won’t. But you will, I promise you that. I understand that this forum is about the what and not the who, so as much as I would like to publicly oust those involved, I will refrain. Lately it seems we have all but lost the very core values that the fire service stands for. I’m talking about “Honor, Respect, and Integrity”, to name a few. At some point in all of our careers there has been much dialog about what each of these words mean. The key word here is Integrity. So lets break it down for those of us who have forgotten along the way or for those of us who never learned in the first place.

Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions. Integrity can be regarded as the opposite of hypocrisy in that integrity regards internal consistency as a virtue, and suggests that parties holding apparently conflicting values should account for the discrepancy or alter their beliefs.

So there it is. Got It? Sure anyone can go and Google what it means, but what does it really mean? Is it taking the hard right over the easy wrong? Is Integrity what you do and how you act when you think nobody is watching? And believe me people are always watching. Integrity is the fiercely rigorous moral code that I hold myself to as well as those around me. Is it naive of me to expect that of others? Maybe? Maybe not? Integrity involves the three R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; and most importantly Responsibility for ALL your actions. I truly believe that some people need to be reminded why we chose this profession in the first place and what it really means to be a firefighter. I think I can speak for most of us when I say we are ultimately “public servants” here to provide a service to the general public. To ask “what can I do for you” or “how can I help you?” Not “what can you do for me” or “how can you help me”? We don’t become firefighters to fulfill any kind of selfish endeavors. Most of us never pursue this career to get rich, rather for piece of mind, knowing that what we do has made or will make a difference.

With the ever-broadening term “political correctness” looming overhead, it has slowly taken much of the power away from those in supervisory roles and placed in the hands of subordinates. In a perfect world this wouldn’t pose such a huge problem. However when you get a handful of misguided employees with an overwhelming sense of entitlement, armed with a few HR buzzwords (that they don’t know the meaning of), an HR backed warpath is the result. Mainly due to the fact that supervisors cannot appropriately discipline their people for fear of being slapped with erroneous grievances such as; “Hostile Work Environment, Reprisal or Harassment” (in one form or another) just to name a few, thus enabling a chain reaction of unacceptable behavior. All the while, these “supervisors” are just trying to do their job, which is after all to supervise, to correct poor behavior and to develop their employees. At this stage in the game it should not be anybody’s job to teach an “adult” what’s right from wrong. That is basic knowledge that should have been learned in adolescence. This has now snowballed to the point where any individual who is dissatisfied with their current position can manipulate the system in an effort to try and eliminate their competition or their superiors by way of filing a formal complaint. How could something like this happen? Well, when you live in a “moral grey area” or have a severely skewed “moral compass” as a select few of our so-called “brothers” and “sisters” in fire do these days, the sky is the limit. An old adage comes to mind; “if you want something bad enough, work for it and you will eventually get it” has slowly morphed into “if you want something bad enough you can take it from someone who earned it”. Truth be told people can go out and make wild baseless accusations with no recourse for their appalling behavior.

Case in point, it is now common knowledge that a situation much like the one described above has just happened on my home unit to a very well known, more than qualified Captain that just so happens to be female. Then without due process this person was removed from her position, taken out of contention for a detail that was soon to be flown, by recommendation of our forest supervisor. Much to the delight of the complainant(s), might I add? In a situation that carries as much weight as this, not to mention a laundry list of legal ramifications that could possibly follow, one might think that a “thorough” (now pay attention, I just said another key word there. Did you catch it? I said thorough) investigation of sorts, with any and all persons that may have born witness to the events leading up to said complaint(s) would be interviewed. Well one would be very wrong, because it seems that only a few “hand picked” persons were ever asked to give any kind of statements. By whom were these persons hand picked? That’s a very good question… Is it me or does this sound like it might be just a tiny little bit biased? In any case I for one, will be very interested to see how this all pans out, once all of the “real” facts have surfaced.

It really is disheartening to hear of those who have worked so hard for so long to make a name for themselves only to have their good name dragged through the mud, by those they brought up through the ranks. Not to mention the countless other “honest” hard working firefighters whose lives will be affected by the selfish pursuits of a few bad apples trying to manipulate the system to get ahead.

All I ask is that you take a good long look in the mirror, (you know who you are). Do you like what you see? Do you like what you’ve become? I truly hope not. Because you’re disgracing the uniform that the rest of us, so proudly wear. I’m not on here to tell people what to think or how to behave, I’m just here to shed a little bit of light on a very shady situation. You be the judge.

Sincerely,

The One Who Kicked The Hornets Nest

Today will mark the last day of work for Lance Winerich, AKA - Wino, AA-01, Shower Buddy, and many other names that probably not make this post. Lance spent the majority of his career on the ANF in R-5 with his last post as the Forest Aviation Officer on the Angeles. I first met Lance while he was serving as squad boss on the Chilao Hotshots in 1983, that first meeting was epic and I will always remember how you looked that day.

You will be missed my friend and thank you for your example in Leadership and above all, your ability to stay positive into the end. Love ya man.

Joel A Lane

New virus called ‘threat to the entire world’

The Lookout

The first death in France from a new SARS-like coronavirus brings the worldwide total for the disease to 27 deaths and 49 infections, CNN reports.

The 65-year-old Frenchman was diagnosed after returning from a stay in Dubai. According to CNN, the World Health Organization has said the disease was first seen in Saudi Arabia last year. The virus is "a threat to the entire world," Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO's general director, told the network.

The Centers for Disease Control explains that coronaviruses can affect people or animals and, in worst-case scenarios, cause SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). And it notes there's currently no vaccine to protect against human coronavirus infection. The disease acts like a cold and causes upper respiratory system problems. Symptoms include fever and cough and can lead to kidney failure and pneumonia.

The WHO has not learned how the new virus spreads, making it difficult to prevent infections. The organization has named it, though: Middle East respiratory symptom coronavirus, or MERS-CoV, according to CNN.

Fair Use Disclaimer

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Stay Safe!

Chad A. Christensen
Vice President
Fol-Da-Tank Co.

Abs – powerful 32-minute video. A “must watch” for wildland firefighters, and the broader circle of our families and friends. ‘Nuff said.

STUMPIE

everyonegoeshome.com

ALL:

The link below is to the Wildland Fire video produced by the NFFF illustrating our work.
Although it focuses on South Canyon story-telling - please keep in mind that 34 wildland firefighters died that year.
Thanks to those on the RMC and those from LLC, and the Prineville folks for making this happen.

The video is a tool to be used in many ways - introduction to CISM and Peer Support, FML, and Family as well as Safety Journey meetings.
It can also be used to segue into risk management.

And a special thanks to Vicki Minor and Burke Minor for hosting the video production at the WILDLAND FIREFIGHTER FOUNDATION.

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has released the Wildland Firefighting: Everyone Goes Home video showcasing South Canyon. We are a learning organization, please share throughout your networks.

everyonegoeshome.com/news/2013/wildland_053013.html

Thanks to all those who made this video possible.

Michael G. Apicello
NIFC - FS - Risk Management

For the past few years I have been talking with Tom Shepard about giving a presentation to my crew about South Canyon. Tom had never spoken publicly about South Canyon and the aftermath of the fire. Well this spring Tom agreed to talk with Union/La Grande Hotshots. Tom spoke for about five hours and let me just say it was the best, most intense presentation I have ever been through. When he was speaking about the fateful events it was as if he was back up on the mountain. For most of the presentation I was on the edge of my chair and I am not afraid to admit I even shed some tears.

As the years pass more and more of our young firefighters have little to no understanding about how important of a fire South Canyon is to our history. It was such an honor for Union/La Grande to go through this process with Tom.

What struck me the most was after all these years this is still a daily event in Tom’s life. When I put myself in Tom’s shoes I wonder how I would survive and go on with my life. I still do not have the answer, I just pray I never find out. This presentation took a lot out of Tom and at this time he is not ready to do again for some time. Tom told me he hopes someday to be able to talk again as it is part of the healing process.

Jody Prummer
Union Hotshots

(Tom Shepard approved this message.)

Injured my C6 and C7 vertebrae, both shoulders, and upper back....yuck. I was broadsided by a civilian and yes we did settle, but not for much. Doctor found evidence of previous neck injury. Not sure what it was but there were bone spurs developing.

I still have issues with all of the above but I have to either wither and die or move on. I sorta have developed a tolerance for pain and thus I still can function a bit.

Long story short , most supervisors do not have a clue on what to do if you are injured. Your claim representative will change frequently, your claims for treatment will be denied, and do not expect the agency to support you if you are pursuing legal remedy.

I have lost faith in the Forest Service and what it represents but still continue to fight fire because that is what I do.

Timex Firefighter.

AB, through out the years I have been following they said and remain in the shadows.

To my fellow firefighters out there I am ashamed by some of the response I see on they said.

I understand things are broken and some things do need to be changed. I understand there are people who should not be in the position they are in. Remember it is hard to get someone removed from their position and management will do whatever they want. I have had to learned this the hard way.

AB, thank you for all you have done to represent the wildland fire community.

To the firefighters, be thankful we still have jobs and yes some of us did not get hired or get rehired due to hiring processes. I too have lost good firefighters that I could not hire back because of the new hiring system or managers trying to meet some magical number that can not be quantified. I have or should I say had the diverse employees the agency is trying to hire and the new hiring system failed them and us.

This is the hand we are dealt, every year we adapt and overcome, we will move forward.

I am not giving up nor given in to what is going on with the agency these days. We need to be tactical in the ways we deal with things. I know we have good managers in the organization and some with no fire experience that need to be brought along just like we all did with the first year firefighter. This is the only way they can truly understand the job we do and if all they hear is the bad, they will think there is nothing they can do to please us. Remember it was not to long ago that engine captains were GS-5 1039 employees. We have made progress and things will get better.

Soon to be old timer
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

I am beyond frustrated with the hiring process of my local forest. Is this happening to just me or is anyone else getting multiple start dates that change every two weeks?? I really can't get any info other than being told to remain patient.

Sent from my iPhone

The FWFSA is finally getting on Facebook. I'm the first to admit my social media skills are antiquated at best so thanks to one of our members in Michigan...yes, we have members in Michigan and 29 other states. The page is still being developed but we'd appreciate it if you visited and offered a comment.

We are also working on making our web site a bit more friendly and interactive. The blame for the oft-delayed effort lands squarely on my desk as it has taken a significant amount of time working with key members of Congress to come up with our final recommended language for legislation to be introduced in late Spring or early Summer.

We will have the language up in the FWFSA's web site Members' area in a couple of days and then sometime in the near future here on TheySaid. In the meantime, my sincerest wishes for a safe season.

Casey Judd
President
Federal Wildland Fire Service Association

Thanks, Casey. Ab.

54 min youtube of the webinar (It's not just a lecture. The Powerpoint shows up about 4 minutes into it.)

For those who missed it, the broadcast can be viewed here.

Tom Patterson

I’m an old guy and had my fair share of experiences with wild fires. BUT… in my career the only other season that could compare with the start of this one was in 1977. Remember, that August with the multiple lightning fires throughout this state and the outcome? Marble Cone and other fires? Almost all at the same time. Look ahead and think about how to pace yourself to stay alert, safe and aware. This right now sends signals we all should be listening too.

Normbc9

MG,

I suffered the same injury 7/1/2001on a fire in Alaska when I stumbled stepping off of a curb and my 100 pounds of gear slammed down on my shoulders. Within a month the pain down my right arm was excruciating and my right hand was numb and tingling. After a month of trying to get OWCP to accept my case, I called Blue Shield and let them know I was about to eat a bullet. I hadn't slept in nine days. They agreed to pay for my surgery and I had it done 8/9/2001. If they hadn't I wouldn't be here today as OWCP didn't accept it until 10/16/2001.

I hope your doctor told you that this is just the beginning, as when they fuse your vertebrae, most times it causes the one above or below to start sliding and you'll need more surgery in the future. You don't know how many friends you have until you let people know that you need to have your throat cut. They came out of the woodwork and volunteered to do it for me. Ha Ha!

Good luck and I hope the wait doesn't cause any problems. Because mine happened over time, it caused my nerves to my hand to be messed up and half of my hand is numb and tingling and will be for the rest of my life. I sat at work messed up on Demerol trying to get a hold of OWCP for days and nobody from the agency would help.

KA

Good luck gentleman and ladies.

Sent from my iPhone

I noticed your file only has the first page. It may have been intentional? Just so there isn’t any guessing on how it’s done I’ve attached the whole file. Either way if it ends up in the air (daisy chain) or not, let’s do it right!

Hotshots N Helicopters

Thanks hotshot. Not intentional. I got the full docx from Bill, but it was so large that only the first page went through and I did not notice. It's a huge download for only 5 pages. HERE's the full document in pdf format. (6,126 K pdf; not all readers have docx, so it's in pdf) The last page is intentionally blank as was the original. (I also updated the link in the original post (5/12) from Bill. Ab.

Ab note: Webinar registration 3 posts below. Gotomeeting.com... Webinar today at 2 PM PDT (3 PM MDT)

I just talked to Josh McDaniel from the Lessons Learned Center. There are a lot of folks registered for the webinar and they still have the bandwidth to accept more. I encourage everyone to listen to Mark's presentation. I'm leaving now for the airport but here are my thoughts for incorporating real-time mobile mapping into wildland fire management in this country. There are three barriers to progress that inhibits the implementation of geospatial technologies on the fireline; tradition, policy and perceptions.

Tradition - For this to work in the manner that Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) uses it, we have to get away from the 12-hour planning cycle mentality that has been drilled into us from our very first ICS training course. I've been on incidents in which Division Supervisors will not deviate from the IAP assignment even though it was obvious that things have changed since it was written the night before. QFRS is so effective because they have the means to adapt immediately and change priorities based on the current situation.

Policy - this can be a HUGE hindrance. Ever since the Cobell lawsuit in 2000, security concerns have reached a high state of paranoia. Federal agency personnel are not given admin rights to their own Gov't issued work computers and cannot interface with cooperator networks during joint operations. To work within the policy restrictions, I convinced the BLM CA State Director of Fire and Aviation to allow me to purchase Panasonic ToughBook laptops for all command vehicles, engines and helitack vehicles. They not only withstood the harsh CA desert temperature extremes, but the swappable hard drives permitted the crews to have one hard drive they use to perform real-world duties and another hard drive for use in the station to log onto DOI Net to check their e-mail. The IT managers were happy with this as long as the non BLM-configured hard drive never touched "THEIR" network.

Perceptions - There are many myths about the use of GIS by firefighters in the field. "It's too difficult to learn." "It's too costly." "You have to have a masters degree in geography and an $18,000 plotter to make it work." We'll, the QFRS firefighters have dispelled all those misperceptions and the use of geospatial technologies have been part of their SOPs for many years. ArcGIS Online now makes it possible to keep decision makers in the ICP appraised of current conditions on the fireline without the need for a large enterprise GIS system.

But here is the part that should concern you as an American taxpayer. All the Federal land management agencies and many state organizations already own ArcGIS Servers. They are not being utilized to their fullest during disaster situations to share information when there is so much at stake. Cost is no longer an issue, we now have the capability to map 40,000 acre wildfires on a cell-phone. In wilderness areas where there are no cell towers, the device will cache fire perimeter data and transmit it as soon as you enter coverage. The use of Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) terminals like the one QFRS uses, enables field personnel the capability to stay connected anywhere in the world.

Real time GIS fire mapping info now possible anywhere (hotlist discussion tread)

Queensland Fire and Rescue Service is the model that all emergency service agencies should emulate.

Fire Geek

On 9/11/01 I suffered a back injury on a fire in Northern California. I walked into a stump/hole ash pit that I didn't see. I had on my line gear and a portable gas-powered pump and 5 gallons of fuel. The hole was only 8-12 inches deep.

It was what appeared to be minor. I went to the doctors, dealt with OWCP and they treated it as a first aid. I did not get X-rays or an MRI. Was just given some painkillers and returned to work.

I have had a few flare-ups over the years that have kept me down for a week or so.

I worked several more years in fire with the injury. What you can't see or feel may still be lurking. Opening day of salmon season 2013, I went to set the hook in a fish and I knew instantly that the injury was back... stupidity of me I went back out on the boat the next day in moderate pain to score more fish.

Tomorrow I have my throat cut open to have a disc removed, replaced with cadaver bone and to have vertebrae fused. It's finally going to be over, thank god.

The pain I have been in the past six weeks has been absolutely unreal. Morphine has not even touched it. Nerve pain is something you NEVER want to deal with, it's something you can't even describe. The only thing that's kept me going is my daughter. While the injury is in my neck, the pain is all in my right arm and hand, with some numbness. The other good thing is that I won't have any serious issues coming off the 7 different pains killers I'm on.

I am writing this to make sure you guys take extremely good care of yourselves on the fire and off the line. While injuries happen, they are preventable.

My surgery is 100% covered etc, however OWCP won't even touch it, as it's such an old injury. I get that and luckily, seriously, I don't need any help from them.

My recommendations:

• Document your injury to the best of your ability.
• Get a second opinion, even if it's out of your own pocket. It'll be worth it in the long run.
• Rest as much as YOU feel you need to.
• Take extremely good care of yourself post injury.
• If you feel you have not gotten your point across to a doctor, ask for another one.

You are not invincible, I was in my 20's when this happened and I felt I was invincible. It catches up with you. I am very thankful that this will all be over tomorrow.

MG

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, MG! Ab.

A reminder to all fire stations throughout America. Thanks for adherence to Title 4, USC Chapter - The Flag.

As required on Memorial Day, all US Flags are to be flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon. At which time the US Flag shall be raised to the highest point on the staff (full-staff) for the remainder of the day.

Full-staff shows that life goes on, the nation lives, for our flag is the symbol of the living nation.

http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/04C1.txt

Thank you........... ms

"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost" - Arthur Ashe

Please join us for a webinar titled “Mobile Technology, Situational Awareness, and Emergency Response: An Example from Queensland, Australia," presented by Tom Patterson and Mark Wallace, on

Tuesday, May 28th at

3pm MDT. (2 PM PDT)

To register go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/487776872.

Thanks and Take Care,

Brenna

Brenna MacDowell – Communications Specialist
Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

Tom Patterson posts to the hotlist as Fire Geek. Great fellow, excellent friend, former FMO retired, enjoyable storyteller and holder of the firefighter history. I added it to the Hotlist Calendar.

Message from Tom Patterson On the HOTLIST THREAD. Ab.

If you are offered AD, I would take it.

If you are just working base hours for the first couple of weeks, you will make more $.

In the long run you rather be a GS, but being an AD is better than sitting at home on unemployment.

Get your refresher done, and critical 80 hours done.

Remember overtime is never guaranteed. And the AD rate for a FFT2 is $17.40 an hour.

AD Pay Plan: 5109.34.pdf

Sent from my iPad

CF: My guess is the local units are getting creative because the hiring process has been so fouled up. "Fire season is starting and we've got to get people hired somehow."

However, ADs are hired in certain specific situations and, if memory serves me correctly, can't be used in place of regular employees. At the very least, you won't be paid base 8 unless you are assigned, perhaps on standby.

If you want to see if this makes sense money-wise, find out what your AD rate would be, and plug it into a "normal" fire day for you. It might come out close to the same if you are on an assignment -- higher during your base hours, lower than overtime and HD.

Still out there as an AD

To All,

Thanks for the posts to TheySaid and personal emails to me about the proposed legislation that would change OT/comp time rules. I perhaps second-guessed posting the question in the first place, absent sufficient information to determine if the proposed legislation would even affect the federal workforce. If more comes out of DC that warrants a post I'll do so.

"S" I can't speak to the specific hiring issue on the LP but referencing the term "LPF" in conversations with its firefighters conjurs up strong emotions. There are some Forest Supervisors in Southern California, that, in my personal opinion, have no business managing the Fire Program and sadly that's one of them. Given the complaints to the RO over the years regarding business practices whether it related to actual fire management or the housing issue, the common denominator was, and still is the Forest Supervisor.

What goes on at the LP is a microcosm of why firefighters believe the Agency, through the RO, continues to try to "reign in" FIRE treating our firefighters like some renegade, belligerent, teenaged step-child. Sad that well into the 21st century we still see that...a total lack of respect for the firefighters.

Anyway the Union has a presence on the LP. Let them know what's going on. The fact remains, when a Forest Supt. screws up in a SoCal Forest, history shows us they simply punish firefighters on another adjoining Forest by sending the Forest Supervisor to a neighboring Forest. The relationships between Line and firefighters is precisely why the Forest Service continues to rank so poorly in places to work in the federal govt.

On an unrelated note, USDA Secretary Vilsack recently did his duty, (The Administration taking shots at Congress for the sequester) through a recent press conference and commentary describing the impending doom of this session as a result of sequester cuts. Some of these comments ended up in the Washington Post. I have received a number of press calls this week on the subject matter and the Press quickly realizes that the management of the federal land management agency fire programs is far more complex than they thought. But, it is an opportunity to educate them on the issues facing our firefighters and how those issues also ultimately impact our Nation's taxpayers.

Sadly the federal wildfire response has become politicized to the point that sometimes its hard to determine where decisions come from.

Respectfully,

Casey

Perhaps instead of using a large FOLD-A-TANK, a collapsible style should be considered when needing to "fly" a tank in. Such as one like the Husky Aqua-Tank ( http://www.huskyportable.com/aqua-tanks_id123.html ). You just fly it out in a bag.

Robert

Ok....... I just can't pass up this Fold-a-Tank thing going on. Wings or full of water, sounds to me like whom ever is asking the question or making the suggestion hasn't spent endless hours at night mopping with a fold-a-tank much less any time at all setting one up. Can you imagine someone actually trying hook the four corners of a fold-a-tank with water in it and fly it. Think you'd have a mess of bent pipe and torn rubber on your hands.

If you really want to fly a portable rigid tank....... or see one fly go to this link youtube.com

It looks similar to a fold-a-tank and works very much the same, but it's also has hose, fittings and pump on board. It's called a Klump Pump and it's made to fly.... made by a friend Jim Klump and for hire!

They fly those fold-a-tanks all the time.... they just don't try putting them together, filling them with water and then flying them to ovoid "THE WING EFFECT".

If you want to fly a whole assembled tank then check out uni-engine.com which is Jim Klump's portable tank. The page will tell you all about the Uni-Engine as it is called and show you the design and engineering that went into it to also make it flyable.

Pathfinder

So it sounds like they are trying to bring seasonals on and pay us AD, no OT or Hazard pay.  I was offered to start tomorrow as a AD?  I was told I will start on the 2nd but was told three different dates.  Wanted to get opinions if this is a good idea or should I wait for my promised GS?

CF

Ah, life changes. I've been out of the fire business since 2006 and at age 61 couldn't jump back in now if I wanted to. In 2009, I started a work of fiction based on fire camp experiences and wrote 62,000 words before I realized I had no idea how to write good fiction. I've learned much since then and still hope to get the book out this year (and last year and the year before).

I've been spurred on to write here because I just edited an interesting abstract on wildfire in a province in northeastern China. The paper will be in Chinese, but I'm improving the English in an English abstract for the authors. Since it is unpublished research I don't want to provide details. But I do want to bring wildland fire fighter's attention to the changes in China where the Army does most of the fire fighting.

I now work as a freelance writer and editor and edit a wide variety of research papers from China, Japan, and worldwide. Some papers relate to fire and compare with other papers I've seen on many other subjects. My point? China is moving into the 21st century more rapidly than most people realize, and much faster than some other countries with a growth rate of 8-10% per year in the economy for the past 15 years. "20 years ago Shanghai had no buildings over 6 stories tall," a professor told me in 2006. Look at it now on the internet. That change is reflected in their approach to science.

I'd encourage folks to contact Chinese fire fighters to signing up to "China's facebook and MSN" combined as "QQ." Sign up free at www.imqq.com and you'll find thousands of Chinese people wanting to talk to you (they will then lead you to firefighters). Everyone in China under 30 has studied English since the 4th or 6th grade and as college students and young business professionals are dying to practice their English on you, so you don't have to learn Chinese!

I also chat in Chinese daily from my home in Arkansas using Lang-8. I have a group there for ecologists, Lang-8 for Ecologists, and am trying to general a global discussion on ecology, including fire. The group has about 60 members mostly from China, Europe, and western Asia, but worldwide (poor representation from the Americas currently, but mostly in English). If your interests match (ecology, fire, language) you might find it interesting.

China's moving forward and studying the role of fire, as well as other scientific topics. For example, they plan to get 25% of the energy from wind by 2050 and had to shut down a turbine installation last year because the infrastructure could not deal with all their generation capacity!

My point? Contact folks in China by whatever method and talk fire!

ARR,

Saw your suggestion, but I have to say I question the wisdom here. Folding tanks to my knowledge are designed to sit on a solid surface, with lateral containment provided by the portable siding. To partially assemble and sling the folding tank with water aboard (even a small amount) would seem to put stress on the material and seams themselves, which were not meant for this type of loading. I understand your thoughts here, and logically it would work, but I would guess this type of use would void any warrantees and pose problems. Take a look at how a bucket is constructed vs. the folding tank material. As a “recovering SOFR” this would give me the willies to see it happen!

Exjefe

There is really only one place to look when regarding the hiring situation on the LP. The Forest Supervisor. Selections for the seasonal positions were submitted to ASC three months after the hiring process began. This entirely due to a micromanaging approach taken by the Forest Supervisor, of which much of the legality would be questionable at best (separating applicants into piles by gender as one example of many). By the time selections were submitted to Albuquerque the one staff member tasked with processing the paperwork was already swamped. ASC is overloaded by the new E-recruit system and the conduct of the LP Forest Supervisor only compounded the problem. Currently there is a 4000+ acre fire on the LP and it's hard to find a LP seasonal employee anywhere.

Anonymous

I am on my 6th season recently had a kid and quit my last job because I was promised my job with my previous unit. I have been told three different start dates and now maybe a fourth? I'm not sure if anyone cares or what my options are. I am trying to get my old job back since it is better pay but not looking good. I will miss the forest circus but I can't take this BS.

CF

FMOs,

Attached is the CAL FIRE Safety Communication 2013-02 that rescinds the CAL FIRE Safety Communication 2013-01. As I briefed this morning on BoD call, CAL FIRE WILL NOT BE tone protecting CAL FIRE Air/Ground or AIRTACs 21 frequencies on initial attacks response.

Please give out wide-distribution. If you have any questions, please call me. ~Yo

Yolanda R. Saldana
Pacific Southwest Region
Aviation Safety Manager

~~~~~

Effective immediately, CAL FIRE is rescinding CAL FIRE Safety Communication 2013-01 and replacing it with CALF FIRE Safety Communication 2013-02.

Attached is CAL FIRE Safety Communication 2013-02. Please provide appropriate documentation on an IIPP6 at the local unit level.

Respectfully,

Brent Stangeland
Department Safety Officer
CAL FIRE

General Safety Communication 2013-2 (239 K)

It is a very simple fix to fly in a fold a tank and avoid turning it into a Flying wing...simply fly it with a little water in it as you would a bucket.

arr

Video about CHIPS THE BOBCAT

ms

In response to many inquiries regarding donations, Daniel’s family has provided the following information:

1st National Bank,
Cloudcroft Branch
PO Box 168
Cloudcroft, NM 88317

“Daniel A. Davidson Memorial Account”

Respectfully,

Loretta Benavidez
Lincoln National Forest
Public Affairs Officer

Nice memorial flyer from the Lincoln National Forest for Dan (pdf) from his friends and the wildlandfire community here and on the Lincoln National Forest... Ab.

Hi Ab,

Not sure how to send this, but wanted to let anyone in the wildland firefighter community who may have known TR Hilton, about his passing.

TR Hilton was the paramedic advisor for the Region -6 IMS (Incident Medical Specialist) program. TR has been involved in the Region - 6 IMS program and wildland firefighter community since 1994.

TR passed away May 9th 2013 after being on life support. TR was on a bicycle ride the weekend before, riding from John Day to Mount Vernon, Oregon and back, and was less then a 1/4 mile away from home when he went down unwitnessed with what was determined to be a sudden cardiac fatal arrhythmia. He was transported to the Blue Mountain hospital in John Day, Oregon then to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend by Air Link Helicopter, where he remained in ICU.

A memorial service for TR will be held Friday May 24th 2013 at Grant Union High School in John Day, Oregon.

Shelby Gales BLM Safety Manager - Fire Operations, will be speaking at the memorial service.

An account has been set up in his name at Old West Federal Credit Union, and contributions to support his family can be sent by mail to the following address:

Old West FCU
650 West Main St.
John Day, OR 97845

TR was also the EMS Coordinator for Grant County and Blue Mountain Hospital Ambulance, as well as Paramedic/EMT instructor for many other agencies in Eastern Oregon and beyond. He will be missed greatly.

Thank You,

Lee Teague
Friend/Pastor of TR and also an EMT with Region 6 IMS.

Condolences. Ab.

I'm not sure why nobody is discussing the horrible hiring practices that have been taking place. I am no longer in CA but I have heard some bad stories from past employees on how they are being treated this season. People have been guaranteed jobs then they've been taken away. Moved from out of state for a certain start date then given three more start dates while living on their own money. I'm not sure what they can do now but maybe talk to a lawyer? These are great workers who deserve better. Get it together paper pushers.

S

JHN,

I understand your point of view but I must correct/educate you on a few details.

* First- to earn comp on an incident YOU as the employee have to approve it after discussing it with your supervisor.

* Second- the incident DOES pay for it, when you code COMP earned which is TC 32 I believe it goes to the P-code of the incident, when you USE the comp time you with TC- 64, you use the P-code from the incident once again. Even though the employee only gets 1 for one on hours, it makes up for it with retirement/time and grade ext. by keeping them "on the books longer". This works as long as your not a 26/0. Although even for 26/0's there are still a lot of benefits for some extra time off in the winter months.

Hope this clarifies a few things

Norcal AFEO

There are two kinds of comp time, comp for travel which if you don't use by the end of PP26 (pay period 26) you lose, and regular comp time which if you don't use by the end of PP 26 you get paid time and a half for. At least this is how it works in the FS.

So AD you just worked until it was done, like in the private sector? You didn't worry about it. As a professional I always demanded that they pay me for any work I did if it was for the FS or in the private sector. I had bills and five kids to feed, but I'm sure the agency would take any free work that I would do for them.

KA

It is technically against policy for a federal firefighter to earn comp time on an incident. The reason behind this is to protect the employee - fair labor standards requiring paying an employee time and a half for work performed after 40 hrs. When Comp. Time is earned it is hour for hour, not time and a half.

But....that does not mean it doesn't happen. I know of many career seasonal federal firefighters that claim nothing but comp time all summer. They do this so that they can 'cash' in their time throughout the winter. This not only bank rolls them with 80 hour pay periods through out their time off, but allows them to earn: sick leave, annual leave, paid holidays off, time in grade towards additional steps, etc. This costs the agency a lot of money because the fire/incident is not paying for these benefits. Additionally I believe there are some ethical issues regarding earning time in grade, holiday pay etc. when the employee is on furlough. Continuing on the ethical discussion - most of these employees claim unemployment since the government isn't offering them a job until next spring and they are merely getting paid for work already performed. The best of both, or all three worlds for these employees as long as they are allowed to do it.

JHN

Records maintained by the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) and NASA both indicate that 2012 was an extraordinary year for wildfires in the United States.

Here's a terrific map showing vegetation and fire intensity based on Modis satellite imagery, and a brief but informative article from NASA's Earth Observatory. Thanks to NIFC (NIFC year to date stats) and wildland firefighters.

US Fires 2012

Mellie

OK, this goes back a ways, but at one point comp time was available instead of overtime, at least for PFTs. You'd think this would be budget-neutral, but somehow up the food chain, the local unit got dinged for comp time hours, so line offers were very reluctant to agree to its use.

For the most part, everyone's attitude went along the lines of: you work until the job is done whether it takes you 40 hours this week or 60. Since our counterparts in the private sector did much the same thing, we didn't worry about it. What was irksome was when meetings were scheduled where you'd pretty much have to travel on nights or weekends and you had no way of recovering that time (day really if you were going between coasts).

Still out there as an AD

I guess I am confused or missing something. As a USFS employee I already have the ability to choose between comp time and OT. We sign an OT/Comp auth at he beginning of every season and pick whether we want to earn comp, OT or both. This is for our hard dollar fire accounts (WFHF, WFPR, etc). This allows the employee to make the decision whether they want the extra cash or the extra time off. Being a 26/0 with kids and not enough leave built up to be the use or lose category, I often take comp time so I have more vacation days.

I know you really can't take comp on a P-code due to the p-code getting shut down after so many days after the fire closes, or how ever exactly it works, but we have always been able to choose between the 2 on our normal accounts.

R9 Engine Captain

oldlpf,

I also remember the Coyote fire of 1964.. I was 11 years old and lived on Alisos Street just off DeLa Guerra on the lower east side. Some called it the "lower Riviera", lol..

Anyways a couple of things about that fire. The Coyote Fire ended up at 67,000 acres not 35,000. That fire was my first introduction to wildland fire .. When it was rolling into town, my dad had me up on the roof of the house with the garden hose wetting things down. I still remember the embers, smoke and "devil" wind!

I remember watching the local news on our old black and white TV set and seeing stakesides and military deuce and a half's trucking crews to and from the fire. The Native Crews from New Mexico and Arizona received quite the coverage. My dad also worked for the Feds.. he was a letter carrier here in town, a job he had held since his return home to Santa Barbara from Europe in 1946 after WW II ended.

I remember him telling me " whatever you do when you grow up, DO NOT work for the Forest Service!! That is the only lower paying job than the Post Office!!" Well fast forward to 1974... and where to I land a job after my 4 years in the military?? Yep... the Los Prietos (aka Los Padres) Hotshots.. What a great career I had with the crew and the fire service...

yactak

The state of Florida has had this for a long time. Back in the day we would bank our time (at time and a half) and then use it when we came out west on assignments. Our bank closes out twice a year, in August (?) and in February. So when our season gets going March/April we were happy to bank time since we had a good use for it. It paid us much better to use the leave, and then come AD and make good Federal money than to take assignments that let us stay on state-time at our normal pay rate.

But the problem started when some of the guys were on OT for pay, and some were on OT for Comp. The supervisors would let the Comp guys make time, since it didn't cost them anything. The Pay guys got mad since they weren't allowed to bank any pay for cash, and in fact during times that we traditionally made overtime, the supervisors would twist schedules around just to use the comp guys. So the pay guys didn't just "not benefit", they had less chances to make Overtime.

This friction caused the state to make a rule that the supervisor wasn't supposed to know who was on which program. Of course that meant that the supervisors had to restrict everyone from earning any time that they couldn't justify as OT, and so everyone was back where they started, having to justify any extra hours earned.

So I guess my point is that it really doesn't benefit you to have this comp bank option. The argument will be that you will be allowed to earn more time since it will be offset and won't cost the paymasters any money, but eventually it will be just as restrictive.

The only real benefit will be folks who like long vacations or work a second "seasonal" job like running snowplows. For these guys they will be able to draw from another pool and not risk going leave-without pay. And this will only work out in their favor IF the timing of the bank "closing out" is good for them.

I do think the bank will "close-out" once a year at least, since if it didn't then someone could build a huge nest-egg of banked time, and when they leave or retire they would have to be paid for this as "earned time". Expect caps, and close-out days.

Good Luck with it.

Flash-in-Florida

As some may have heard, there is a proposal for a bill being considered by Republicans in Congress to offer those who exceed their assigned 40 hr workweek the option of comp time versus OT pay. Needless to say, compensation for federal wildland firefighters as it relates to their assigned workweek is akin to trying to put a round peg in a square hole. Such a change to OT rules could be impractical for occupations such as law enforcement and firefighting. it is unclear whether the law would extend to the federal employee workforce.

I'd like to hear from anyone who has any thoughts as to the consequences, intended or otherwise of such a law and how it could impact federal wildland firefighters. Obviously we'll be in touch with NFFE who I'm sure will have a thought or two. I can be reached at cjudd@fwfsa.org.

Thanks,

Casey Judd
President
Federal Wildland Fire Service Association
208-775-4577

Santa Barbara Burning

I remember this fire well. When I was told it was at Mt Drive and Coyote Rd, I said it will never go far. The FS station is less than a 1/4 mile away. Three hours later I was there and changed my mind.

oldlpf

D

Bill Arsenault

JD

Track down the Alpine IHC Superintendent , He can assist with your request.
Thanks

JR

May 8, 2013 - FEHB for Temp Seasonal, Firefighters, Fire Support Personnel

Union Officials,

Employees should send any questions or comments they may have on this to the NFFE FSC Communications mailbox (NFFE_FSC_Communications@ nospam fs.fed.us).

FS FEHB Fact Sheet for Temps - Final.doc
FS FEHB Interim Guidance - Final.doc
FS FEHB Identification and Certification Form - Final.doc
FS FEHB Sample Letter to Employee - Final.doc

Does anyone have any JHAs and gear lists for Low Angle Rope Operations geared toward wildland fire operations? Our crew is starting a program to enhance our fireline medical evacuations (carry outs on slopes, etc). During our refresher we will be going through a 24-hour basic course, but wanted some JHAs to base ours off.

Ab's has my email or maybe you can post on theysaid.

Thanks,

JD

I worked at Oak Flat back in the days of the Templin Highway and the Red fire engine. The LPF never had any engines stationed in the ANF but that was before the days of air tankers and copters.

Normbc9

The Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center’s website server went down leaving wildfirelessons.net and myfirecommunity.net inoperable for three days this week—Monday through Wednesday.

We apologize for any inconvenience that this gap in our website service may have caused you.

We’re happy to announce that we’re back up and running—though not at 100 percent capability, we will be soon. Throughout today, we will be making any additional necessary repairs. If you have any questions please let me know.

Thank You for your patience!

Brenna MacDowell
Communications Specialist

Thanks, Brenda, glad you're back up! We did get some enquiries from firefighters, but had heard of the USDA Agency-wide slow, intermittent, to no internet/intranet network access. Simultaneously there was an attack on large banks... We live in a new world! Ab.

Hotlist: Next Generation Fire Shelters, Bag degradation, costs, carrying

Services will be held in Martin TN on Saturday. Links to locations are at the bottom of the Always Remember page.

Dan has a son Tyler Davidson. His fiancé Terrah Eads of Martin TN is expecting their daughter about July 4. If anyone wishes to contribute to help with Terrah's expenses, donations can be sent to

Savings Account 504-08453
or
Routing # 084304243

Checks can be sent snail mail:
First State Bank (attn Nancy Varner for Terrah Eads)
126 University Plaza
Martin, TN

Thanks, Ab.

There are several reasons radios need Annual Maintenance; All the King radios coming from the factory or back from repair have the transmit audio set too low (TX audio will be too quiet) and need to be adjusted before issuing. There are changes in the Frequencies almost every year. Wear and tear from being used, being dropped and vibration are killers. Some radios just have common problems that need to be checked. In the Forest Service Handbood or Manual there is a regulation that states that every radio requires Yearly Preventative Maintenance to make sure it is working before Field Season. (FS Rules have been made to prevent accidents with some Written in Blood).

I'd make sure the radios have been checked. Recent budgets and manpower shortages should not affect Safety. Get your yearly check-up, you never know when your Life might depend on that radio.

FYI EPH/EMH radios are BANNED from Federal Fires for 2013!

COMT

Normbc9

Few corrections to your post... Yes Smokey Bear rd is off the I-5 but it does not house the Piru engine. It is a joint station with the ANF and the LP... LPF E-74 Los Alamos from Mt Pinos rd resides there... I forget the ANF engine # . Additionally the Temescal fire station next to Piru lake is Engine 53 it is the most eastern Engine on the Ojai Ranger District. Also LPF Engine 54 Sespe, Is in fact housed by VNC at station 27.

Just thought if clear the air of any confusion

FISH

I'm working at trying to understand what may be a mistake or an injustice.

Mellie

I am pretty sure it's on the LP, not ANF

In Frazier Park, CA

Mt Pinos RD

Sent from my iPad

For Mellie,

I did some sleuthing. The Smokey Bear Rd is the I-5 off ramp into the Oak Flat office and GS of the ANF. BUT… it now houses the Piru Canyon (LPF) engine and also an address for this facility. The mail address is Castaic, CA and both Forests are sharing the office. I hope this may help to answer her question. The LPF engine was moved from the Ventura County station at Fillmore due to increased space needs by VNC.

Normbc9

I believe you are going to find it on the LPF web site. Not sure with all the new ranger districts names, but Mt. Pinos was up by Frazier Park back in the day, and I'm not sure if they changed the name, but it was Chuchupate (sp?) Ranger Station by Lake of the Woods and Lockwood Valley Road.

DDD

Mt. Pinos Ranger District
34580 Lockwood Valley Rd.
Frazier Park, CA 93225
Phone: (661) 245-3731

Been a long time since I worked for the FS, but I was stationed on the Mt. Pinos RD which was (is) part of the Los Padres NF, not the Angeles NF.

www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf/

However, I see there have been significant infrastructure improvements recently…

www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=29513
www.fs.usda.gov/photogallery/lpnf/home/gallery/?cid=3597&position=Feature.Art_PGLnk

Guess I need to take a trip and revisit the old stomping grounds.

DM

Look on LPF site for the Mt. Pinos RD

R

The Mt Pinos RD is on the LP. The office # is (661) 245-3731

Couldn't find the address in my contact list. Hope this helps.

Fish

RE: Mt. Pinos RD

Mellie;

The address given on the LPF map is 34580 Lockwood Valley Rd., Frazier Park, CA 93225 (about 5 miles west of Frazier Park).   That’s on the 2008 map.

EC

Are you looking for Los Padres, Mt Pinos Ranger Station? Chuchpate Helibase is at the station and lat long is 34 47 00 119 01 12 , with and address of 34580 Lockwood Valley Rd Frazier CA. Hope that helps.

S

I'm actually trying to find a lat/lon, but google earth doesn't know how to find Hwy 138 and 110th W, Angeles National Forest or Interstate 5 and Smokey Bear Road, SoCal at least not that I can help it find. Am I missing some LA bedroom community? I don't have a clue!

Any help would be appreciated.

Mellie

STATUS 05/07/2013 08:00

· Multiple Agencies & Users are still reporting “Web Page Not Found” errors.
· Duty Officer reported that all Internet/DNS traffic has been redirected to San Francisco TIC
· The UTN team is currently working a Sev1 Critical outage with AT&T

Abercrombie –

Text from official USFS news release on Next Generation Airtankers, from USFS website. As an old, (I mean long-time) militia (I mean not primary fire), USFS groundpounder, guess I can’t quite cipher how the BAe-146 can be both a “NextGen” aircraft and a “Legacy” aircraft….. but then, much stranger things have surely happened and continue to happen every day …..

And Abs, as always, THANK YOU and all involved, for TheySaid, and Wildlandfire.com.

Best - STUMPIE

Thank YOU Stumpie! Ab.

~~~~~

NEWS RELEASE
USDA Forest Service
Washington, D.C.

USDA Forest Service badge

Contact: Contact: (202) 205-1005; Twitter: @forestservice

U.S. Forest Service issues notice of intent to award “Next Generation” airtanker contracts

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2013 -- U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell announced today that the Forest Service has issued a notice of intent to award contracts to five companies to provide a total of seven Next Generation airtankers for wildfire suppression.

“We are moving ahead to modernize our fleet as part of our overall strategy to secure the best, safest airtankers available for fighting wildfires across the country in the years to come,” said Tidwell. “It is critical that we complete the Next Generation airtanker contracting effort as quickly as possible as we face the prospect of another challenging wildfire season with a dwindling legacy airtanker fleet.”

The U.S. Forest Service intends to award exclusive use contracts for Next Generation airtankers to:

Minden Air Corporation; Minden, Nev., for 1 BAe-146
Aero Air, LLC; Hillsboro, Ore., for 2 MD87s
Aero Flite, Inc.; Kingman, Ariz., for 2 Avro RJ85s
Coulson Aircrane (USA), Inc.; Portland, Ore., for 1 C130Q
10 Tanker Air Carrier, LLC; Adelanto, Calif., for 1 DC-10

These companies were selected because their proposals were determined to offer the best value to the government based on a technical evaluation of their airtanker concept, organizational experience and past performance, combined with pricing. The contracts are for a base period of five years with five one-year options (a total of 10 years if all contract options are exercised).

The Forest Service is transitioning to the Next Generation airtankers to replace its aging airtanker fleet. “Legacy” aircraft are those that have been used as part of the Forest Service aviation program for years, and in some cases, decades. All of the Next Generation airtankers are turbine powered, can carry a minimum of 3,000 gallons of retardant and have a cruise speed of at least 300 knots when fully loaded. The companies that are providing them are required to comply with stringent safety requirements in their contracts.

The agency is working to bring all seven Next Generation airtankers into service over the next year. The contracts allow these companies to provide additional Next Generation airtankers in future years, contingent on funding and other circumstances, to reach the total of 18 to 28 recommended in the Large Airtanker Modernization Strategy that the Forest Service submitted to Congress in February 2012.

The Forest Service issued an initial notice of intent to award contracts for Next Generation airtankers in June 2012. However, protests that challenged the announced awards were filed with the Government Accountability Office and consequently those contracts were not awarded. The list of intended awardees announced today differs from last year’s intended awardees because each company was given the opportunity to submit revised proposals, and the Forest Service based its “best value” determination on those revised proposals.

Large airtankers acquired through legacy exclusive-use contracts will continue to be part of the Forest Service’s strategy to maintain capability and response until there are adequate numbers of Next Generation large airtankers. The agency recently awarded legacy exclusive-use contracts for airtankers to Minden Air Corporation for one P2V and to Neptune Aviation Services, Inc., of Missoula, Mont., for six P2Vs and one BAe-146.

In 2013, the Forest Service expects to have available for wildfire suppression up to 26 airtankers, including seven Next Generation airtankers, eight Legacy aircraft, up to three Very Large Airtankers through contracts and eight airtankers through an agreement with the Department of Defense. The agency will also have up to three water scoopers, dozens of single-engine airtankers and hundreds of helicopters.

Fire activity during the 2012 wildfire season resulted in about 9.3 million acres of private, state and federal land burned nationwide, the third highest amount since at least 1960, the earliest date with reliable records. Significant fire potential is predicted to be above normal in 2013 in much of the West, including almost all of Arizona, New Mexico, California, Oregon and Idaho, as well as parts of Colorado, Utah and Washington.

From: Jeanne M Higgins -FS
Sent: Monday, May 06, 2013 12:52 PM
To: FS-pdl r3 all employees
Cc: DeCoster, Tim -FS; Tidwell, Tom -FS; Wagner, Mary -FS; Hubbard, James E -FS; Harbour, Tom -FS; Weldon, Leslie -FS
Subject: Fallen Wildland Firefighter Daniel Davidson

It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we share the tragic news of the death of Fallen Wildland Firefighter, Daniel Davidson.

Davidson, age 26, was working on project work near Mayhill, NM, on Sunday afternoon with two other engine crew members, when he collapsed. CPR was administered immediately, however when emergency personnel responded with the Life Flight helicopter, Davidson was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The cause of Daniel Davidson’s death is under investigation.

Davidson, a U.S. Army veteran had served two tours in Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Infantry Division.

Following his tour in the Army, Davidson became a crew member of Engine 621 on the Sacramento Ranger District of the Lincoln National Forest.

Our sincerest condolences and heartfelt sympathy goes out to the family of Daniel.

Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

Jeanne Higgins
Deputy Regional Forester
Southwestern Region

Condolences. Ab.

From: "Schuler, Nick@CALFIRE"
Date: May 3, 2013, 10:13:06 PM PDT
Subject: Vehicle accident on Springs Fire

Tonight strike team 6634C (leader) from AZ-TNF was involved in a moderate traffic collision while coming off the line. The collision resulted in injury to the strike team leader and one civilian both transported to pleasant valley hospital.

SOF Rick Griggs will be responsible for the IWI and Rick does not believe a SART is needed.

Nick Schuler

Ab,

I know it was early but none of us were caught by the Red Flag appearances so early. BUT… we all had a chance to see the best out there doing what they were trained to do. Being safe, being aggressive, knowing what the fire is doing at all times and most of all watching the weather signals constantly. A well earned break just arrived but remember. This isn’t even the middle of May yet! We really haven’t even got started yet! My prayer (yep, I pray every day) is that all of our wild land firefighters will come home safe after every assignment. But doing that this season is going to be a difficult task. My kudos those who kept many communities safe in this first blast. More to come. Stay tuned.

Normbc9

Vaisala Lightning Explorer

Other lightning trackers... on the Links Page

With regard to I Zone (now WUI). Firescope has adopted the new CAL FIRE Wildland Urban Interface guidelines. Most agencies in California will be adopting across the board. I'm unsure what mutual aide issues you are attempting to address. We have the most robust M.A. system in the world. The Summit (Banning) and Springs (Ventura) fires we experienced last week can attest to that.

With regard to the Esperanza tragedy. There were many challenges everyone from the IC to the FF1 on the ground experienced that day. Jurisdictional authority (who's chunk of dirt did it belong too) would have many absolutely no difference in the outcome.

We are seeing fire season 2013 showing its hand, and it looks like a stacked deck against us. We need add an extra measure of safety and make decisions with the intent of survival in a worst case scenario. Deceased Firefighters don't come back. Real Estate signs and newly framed homes always do. Remember this when setting up for Structure Defense on a residence.

As a Chief Officer or Company Officer, if the residence you're setting up on has a great view, this should shout watch out!! Lastly, no matter who has jurisdiction, no matter what agency gives you an assignment, you always have the right to refuse an order if you feel it is unsafe. How to do this is clearly outlined in the IRPG. It is everyone's responsibility (IC to FF1) to see that we all come home to our families.

CAL FIRE Jake

Don't mess with the Forest Service

M @2X4

Haw Haw Haw! and good job, National Association of Forest Service Retirees! Ab.

Here are the BIs and ERCs for the last 20 years (average) compared to this year alone.  As if we couldn’t tell already.  Anyways, share with your folks if you like.  This e-mail is for area 170 (front country). Daly (fuels planner)

Energy Release Component

Burning Index

Lightning Forecast for norcal

As our thoughts and prayers are with all of you on the fires lines of fires typically seen in October, we want all of you to know that despite the dysfunction in Washington, there are those preparing to demonstrate their respect for you and pride in you and what you do.

Likely by early summer, a comprehensive wildland firefighter bill will once again be introduced in Congress in an effort to reform archaic pay & personnel policies and provide our Nation's federal wildland firefighters with recognition, pay & working conditions they have deserved for far too long while at the same time providing our Nation's taxpayers with a more effective and efficient federal wildfire response.

The FWFSA and members of Congress are currently crafting the final language. Additionally, with the many new faces in Congress, our new partner and former Congressman and former Chair of the Natural Resources Committee and his firm are working not only on a schedule of visits with key Congressional members for us once the bill is introduced but they also continue to work with OPM and the Agencies to find administrative solutions.

All of this takes an immense amount of time, effort and money. That said we must continue to build our membership and convince those considering membership that it is a great investment in their future; that they do in fact have a say in the future of their career and they can in fact participate in an endeavor that will make their careers a more prosperous and rewarding one.

There are still some in Washington who have arbitrarily placed a target on the backs of the federal workforce. One such Senator has recently complained about standby time and other activities surrounding federal employees that he obviously is ignorant of and must be educated. Educating these members of Congress requires a geographically diverse membership. So if you are a valued member, please share with your coworkers what we are trying to do on their behalf and encourage them to participate. If you have questions about joining or what specific reforms we are pursuing, please feel free to contact me any time either by email directly at cjudd@fwfsa.org or by phone at 208-775-4577. I offer this with the caveat that most of our members are aware of...I don't have an "off" button when it comes to federal wildland firefighter issues and what I think they deserve.

I also want to thank those who participated in the Wildland Firefighter Foundation's fundraiser at McClellan last week for their warm welcome of the former Congressman. Stay safe and please know that there are those busting their tails on your behalf as you bust yours on the fire lines. God Bless you All.

Casey Judd
President
Federal Wildland Fire Service Association
208-775-4577

Mb,

Many don't know that the USFS is behind BLM and DOI agencies in the use of social media. FS only just allowed Forests and Districts to use Twitter for official use, and Facebook is NOT allowed for official use. People have gotten in trouble for trying to use it that way. The Honor Guard had to get W.O. Permission from the Chief of the FS to have a Facebook page. I agree it is time to get inboard with social media, but for now, be very careful unless you have been authorized by Washington Office level for this kind of use.

-MJ

Thanks to all Wildland Firefighters, Incident Management Teams, Dispatchers, Public Information Officers, and other support staff -- on forests and state ranger units and in local firefighting communities -- for the good work you're doing. If you've come to help from out of the region, thank you. Please be safe!

Carry on -- safely --. Ab.

mb: if you are not already using an established public notification system, your best bet is to ask people how they want to receive info. You are likely to find a pretty big age divide between those who would love to receive messages via Twitter versus those who'd rather get an email. A small percentage won't want any electronic communication, and I can almost guarantee that's where your complaints will come from: "We had no idea they were going to fire this thing off!" You could reduce the work load by using a platform that lets you hit multiple methods at once, say a blog that automatically feeds out to Facebook and Twitter. Then you can use a more traditional method to hit those who'd rather a call or letter. Just make sure the message is exactly the same. You might also check on legal requirements for notifications.

Smokey307: thanks for your perspective on Esperanza. I think you are right, especially about the interface issues.

Still Out there as an AD

Energy Release Component

1000 hr Fuel Moisture

Burning Index

We had fires in Willow Creek (Hwy 299, Humboldt Co), Pecuan (Hwy 96, n of Hoopa) and there was a fire inland near Stringtown (near Redding CA) in the last 3 days.

It's not just socal that has the early season. All you new firefighters who have been hired, be safe!

Mellie

I wanted to share what was done here at Dalton to memorialize Paul Gleason. This project was spearheaded by Branden Davis and was dedicated on our 60th anniversary. We are proud of our rich history, and we have had many great leaders contributing, and Paul is one of them. There were many many stories shared and many were about Paul.

Training is something we have taken very seriously. Which is why we dedicated our training room to Paul Gleason.

training room plaque || close up of the text

Have a safe season,

Scott Gorman

Thanks, Scott. Ab.

There have been a lot of significant fires over the last 10 years but I think the most defining fire has to be the Esperanza Fire. An entire engine company was lost.

• We need to learn how to handle fires in the I-zone more safely.
• We need to address mutual aid issues and responsibilities.
• Fire managers have to be very clear what they want. For example, did the Bat Chief ask or tell E-57 to move from the Octagon House? Who had responsibility for the fire when E-57 burned? I believe it was CALFire. I think we are just beginning to understand the lessons from the Esperanza Fire.

I think significant fires are those where lives were lost such as Loop, South Canyon, Cramer, 30 Mile, and others that don’t come immediately to mind. Others would be significant loss of watershed such as the Station Fire and loss of property such as the Oakland Hills Fire.

Smokey307

All,

I'm curious as to how parks, forests and individual districts may be using social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) to keep their neighbors informed of prescribed fires and wildfire events.

Also, is anyone using any mass notification systems like Nixle or Send Word Now?

AND, is anyone also sending notifications for contractors or neighboring agencies that don't have the means to spread the word themselves?

Looking at possibly establishing a "clearing house" for prescribed fire info in an area that doesn't have lots of wildfire, but does have lots of smaller prescribed fires.

Thanks,
mb

Yesterday we experienced a high level of activity in Region 5. As most of you are aware, Wildlandfire.com is in the process of building a new website and moving all servers to more of an Enterprise solution, so yesterday's slowdown will not occur.

This is all part of Wildlandfire.com transition of ownership. To dispel any rumors, the website is not going to change drastically, or even have sections removed. The main difference you will notice is speed, function, tools, and a much more positive user interface.

Fire Season hit unexpectedly, and as I am sure most of you are in the same boat, we are ramping up on our efforts to support the Fire Service. On a side note, I am sitting at the So Cal Fire Warden and Foresters 83rd Annual Safety Conference, and the winds are blowing like it is October.

Please, stay safe out there!

Sam-MtEddy!

Please share/forward to your contacts and help us promote this today only.

Help us make Idaho aware that the Wildland Firefighter Foundation is based here through Idaho Gives TODAY ONLY. On this one day, Idahoans come together for a day of giving to support the nonprofits in communities across our state. From midnight -11:59pm a share of every dollar raised by Idaho nonprofits will be matched with funds from the Idaho Gives award pool. In addition, the top five organizations with the most unique donors (nonprofits are divided by size) will receive bonus grants of $3,000, $1,000, $500, $250, and $250 respectively.

The homepage is idahogives.razoo.com/giving_events/id13/home

The Wildland Firefighter Foundation giving page is idahogives.razoo.com/story/Wildland-Firefighter-Foundation

Please share and promote this today. And support the WFF, giving levels for all income brackets available. Everything helps. Thank you!
--
Amanda DeShazo
Executive Assistant
Wildland Firefighter Foundation

The Spring 2013 Issue of Two More Chains has arrived! We hope you enjoy.

Two More Chains - Spring 2013 (pdf download)

Take care, Brenna

Previous issues of Two More Chains at wildfirelessons.net archives

Brenna MacDowell – Communications Specialist
Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

The Sacramento Valley is blowing like none other right now. And smoke fills the air breaks like the season is upon us...

Nice, be safe!

Ab.

Great Video! Never seen firewhirls like this shows.

ftp://ftp2.fs.fed.us/incoming/wo_fam/PDoyle/firewhirl_Johnson_Fire_2002_Fishlake_NF_UT.zip

Bill Riggles

Many thanks, Bill. Ab.

Sent you the contact info for the video of the Johnson Fire, UT taken in 2002.

Thanks, All.

Maybe the video could get shared with the Lessons Learned Center as well.

Ab.

Obituary: Anthony Ricci

Story about deployment (with photo) and surfing

His funeral is on Friday in San Jose, CA.

Condolences to his family, his crew, his girlfriend and all in the wildland fire community who knew and loved him.. Ab.

I'm not surprised Paul has lots of Hot Shot friends. I'm one of his Not So Hot Shot friends.

I found this site today, and found I had lost a friend. I lost touch with him in the mid eighties. I never had to go through the Flaming Jaws of Hell of a wildfire. I would follow Paul in.

I was one of his off season climbing buddies in Southern California and later in Oregon. I saw a lot of a side of him when we were just plain having fun. One stint, we went climbing or bouldering almost every afternoon together for three months. Then working on one arm, one finger front levers on his rings. He was a deep guy. Paul and Phil, his hard climbing Yang brother, talked about removing all ego from rock climbing. Not naming climbs, not rating them for hardness, not telling people what you knew. Not putting your name on it. Very Zen sometimes. Paul was, oh, so good a climber. In the truly elite of bouldering for a few years when I knew him. Hunkered down in the wind, smoking, arguing cosmology, mathematics, and Calabi-Yau manifolds. He saved my butt more than once. Deep guy.

I'd bet it was summer of 1969 when we talked about the Forest Service project he was doing incorporating thoughts from the Sun Tzu work "The Art of War". He crawled on the dirt explaining with a stick and drew a big chunk of it out right there in the dirt. He was fired up to work on the project, something he saw as revolutionary, while being anxious of the very conventional environment. I laughed like hell with him when he told me how well it was finally received.

Cro-Magnon strength in a Guru Hot Shot. He had an unforgettable chuckle. Like I said, (outside of what to do when we left a bar) I'd trust my life on his decisions, skill, and strength. You knew, and lost, the same guy. He lived, fully lived. He truly left me with a better life for knowing him. No sorrow.

I hear you laughin' Paul, I'll be right over...

dhunter.

Hotlist

NWS LA/OXN just issued Red Flag for Wed 5am to Thur 5pm

If it is the fire i'am thinking of, the fire was named Toms Tornado (well thats what my tshirts say), Suwyns IMT2 team was on that fire, as was I. i filled an order as a strike team ldr. an went to that fire, the whole hill side had alot of understory an there was lil smokes everywhere we decided to light it off with a ping pong machine and... ummm ya as u saw in the video it lit off nicely... lol i had purchased two shirts from that fire an still have them today, i believe that fire was in 2004 an yes it was on fishlakeNF. The firewhirl came off the ridge an we could see trees being ripped out of the ground, an the resources i had chased smokes from the fire whirl on that flat for three days. it was actually an awesome fire, an if i remember correctly we had to sanitize every resource on that DIV an the end of every shift cuz of the fish disease that was in the creek, there was a large air show as well on that DIV.

another engine slug

well here is the first correction...l ol sorry ppl i did a little internet digging an went through some old files an found my taskbook,  the fires actual name was the Johnson Fire an it was in 2002.

The CAL FIRE Firefighter Matt Will Memorial sign that was destroyed in a traffic accident recently has been replaced at the same location on Hwy. 156, San Benito County, Calif.

In response to the inquiry about the extreme fire behavior video, this was a fire on the Fish Lake NF in September, maybe 2006? The name of the fire escapes me, and I am not sure if the footage is available online. It was a late season fire, and the extreme behavior belies the fact that temperatures and humidity were moderate.

JK

Ab added the link to the Fish Lake NF website.

Thought this might interest you: Reservists ready for wildland fire season

-S

Thanks, -S. Ab.

Rescued bobcat Chips returns to natural habitat

GA Peach

We hired 6 vets on our district alone doing a VRA hire. It is easy and simple. For temps it was a no brainer. All that was needed was a DD-214 and a resume. Cut a 52 and viola, you have your new temp! I did look at their resumes to see what kind of experience they had so we knew whether to hire them as a 3 or a 4. After the debacle of the Pathways program (we finally got 4 of them approved, but 3 of them had accepted other positions because it took so long), the VRA hiring was a breath of fresh air.

Thank you to all our veterans who have served our country. I am glad that we were able to pay you back! I'm looking forward to meeting all of you.

Lori Greeno
Sent from my iPad

Ab,

My name is Rush Alexander. NorCal2 DMOB. retired 06. LG CA-SAC. Just converted tapes to CDs. Have a CD of the Star Fire memorial for 9/11. Love to share it with the world. My videos are unedited. They are bad. But this is FS history. I would like to share w/ everyone. No copyright. Just share w/ the world. Send me your mail address. I'll send you a copy. & please share w/ Mellie.

Forget PC. God Bless America. Out.

R
Sent from my iPhone

Thanks, Rush. I'd like to see it. Go NorCal2! Amazing days you had in that Hells Hole area! Ab./Mellie

This was just published in Wildfire and Fire Chief magazines:

Information Technology and Work Managing Fires

My only comment is the transceiver being used to transmit data by Philip Kacerik is HUGE! We started a thread on the hotlist years ago describing the Inmarsat BGAN terminal which has been in use worldwide on many disasters where there is no Internet connectivity or cell towers. The one I’ve used during the Queensland floods, Australia and Deepwater Horizon Incident in the Gulf of Mexico permits a dozen computers, cell-phones or PDAs to connect to the Internet through Wi-FI and not only does it transmit/receive data but also serves as a SatPhone for voice communications. They also make a smaller unit that can be carried in a fire pack that can be used with a single device. The attached photos shows how we were able to provide near real-time mapping from literally IN the Gulf of Mexico. These portable units are easy to set up just point it south… unless you’re on an Australia bushfire, then point it north… it even has a built in compass and emits a loud audio tone when you have the greatest signal strength I believe I was sending updates to Ab in one of the attached pics.

Tom Patterson | Wildland Fire Specialist | Esri

I added them to the Equipment 19 photo page. Thanks, Tom. I always knew where you were! Ab.

I've been searching for an app that will keep me informed of fires in my area (Santee). Can you recommend one?

Thank you,

Sandy

One is being developed as I type... It will be awesome! Ab.

I'm looking for a piece of footage of extreme fire behavior that was shown to my crew last season during our spring S-290 training. It lasted about ten minutes; it seemed to have been filmed in Utah or a similar area, I believe by a Hotshot crewmember. It's shot from a road looking across a long field of sagebrush into hillsides filled with conifers. I can't remember much about the fire behavior pictured, other than that it was truly extreme -- amazing firewhirls, intense spotting, the wind throwing entire trees as firebrands, and otherwise a great example of what fire can do under the right conditions. I also remember that at one point a moose emerges from the woods and is running full-speed across the sage, and the videographer is conflicted about whether to film the animal or the fire.

Anyone know what I'm talking about? Anyone know if this video is publicly available online? Much appreciated!

sk489

Ab,

Here's a fire center research document on T cards from 1977 (403 K pdf)

Pathfinder

Later to Rick Cowell... an icon in Region 5.....There is a lot to complain about with the Forest Service in California, But Cowboy makes up for all its faults single handed. ...I never worked for him, but always saw his impact on every fire that we were on together.... Every time my hotshot crew was working around Hobart we'd work a little harder just because they'd raise the bar so much.... Rick you're the man, probably one of the best Hotshot Supts ever. We're all going to have to pick up a little more of the slack with you not around this summer... Have a good retirement thanks for all you've contributed over the years.

JW

What a great party. It took two days and 250 people to send Rick out in true Hotshot style. Numerous past and present Supt's were in attendance from crews all over California. Old friends, Lot's of laughs, memories, and story telling over campfires. Great BBQ food, cold beer, and one happy Rick Cowell. He introduced his large family and claimed the Klamath River is the center of the earth. Who can argue that!!

What a ride, Cowboy!! Thank you.

GP

RH

I just used the VRA authority to hire someone and it was easier than any other hiring I've ever done. It did take finding the right HR person to get me the straight scoop on it. Resume and DD 215, a vacant position, and a SF-52 initiated by the employer was all it took. Good luck.

Shortterm

Today, 4/27/13 is Rick Cowell's retirement party at Bullards Bar. Starts at 1100 with a 3 mile run, then festivities at 1300 to whoknowswhen. 27 years on the Tahoe (Hobart) Hotshots. Another legend, finishing a tremendous career.

GP

Congrats to Rick! Ab.

I was just notified that a lot of Military Veterans didnt even show up on Referral Lists this Fire Hire, I was just told that it was a bug in the new system. I was told that once the investigation is done (if they even conduct one) that someone is going to be in a lot of trouble. Thats great and all, but what about us Military Veterans that didnt get a job offer because of this?

I have VRA eligibility and called some Forests and was told that they didnt want to hire VRA because of the hassle or were told not to hire VRA candidates and just fly the announcement. Isnt that illegal? What I really thought was funny is one of my apps did get through and ASC said I was unqualified, but the funny thing is that it was for the grade and position I last held. Maybe this is a sign.

RH

There were also a number of non-vets that had the same problems with not showing up on the referral lists. We'll see what the outcome is. I haven't heard of an investigation. It is a new system for the FS but already used by the DOI. Anyone know the full story? Ab.

Good afternoon,

Saw this page on the web Inquiring Minds Wan to Know (IMWTK)  and thought I'd try submitting a question. I'm preparing training for our Bureau in the use of ICS 219 Resource (T) Cards. Can you advise the history of the use of T card use in wildland firefighting? I've found some history on the use of T-cards for logistics and transportation efforts in the military in WW II and Korea, but no mention of when the use of T-cards started in the fire service. I'm retired from the fire service (urban and suburban 25+ yrs) but do not know the historical beginnings of the use of T-cards.

Thank you.

John D

Readers? Ab.

Mellie,

The fella standing on the stump is CAL FIRE SKU Fire Captain Pat Bailey. Hell of a fireman and a good cutter.

Lane

Thanks for the confirmation. Be safe out there. Ab.

Greetings,

On Tuesday, April 30, 2013, Pete Robichaud will be presenting a webinar titled “After the Smoke Clears: The Use of Wood Mulch to Reduce Post-fire Erosion Risk” at 1pm MDT. To sign up to attend go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/423889032.

Thanks and Take Care!

Brenna MacDowell – Communications Specialist
Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

Hey Ab and all,

I was able to find the episodes with Riggles' and Ab's help.

Combat Survival... episode #1 (youtube)
Rebuilding those lives... episode #2 (youtube)

You NEED to watch these...You NEED to push leadership to get on board with current medical practices.

Until next time....stay safe

Bill Arsenault
Wildland Firefighter/Paramedic
Risk Management is Self-Preservation and, It Starts With You...

Thanks, Bill R and Bill A. Crowd sourcing. Ab.

The West VFD lost a considerable amount of their equipment in the explosion, and the Texas A&M Forest Service is coordinating with outside agencies that want to help. Equipment of all kinds (from engines down to SCBAs, hoses, ladders, nozzles and fittings) is being processed through the Helping Hands grant program. Anyone interested in helping this department can contact TFS at helpinghands@tfs.tamu.edu, or they can call the Emergency Services Grants Division at (979) 458-5540.

-TxFireGuy

Thanks. Ab.

What is going on in region five? I've heard from colleagues that many seasonal returnees are being hired late this season and some have been offered jobs then took them away. I an no longer living in CA but we need to take care of these boys, what's going on?

Sloppy

Hello everyone,

As you all begin to prepare for Fire Season 2013, I would like you to ask yourself, "Am I prepared to care for myself and my coworkers if something goes wrong?"

If you are relying on someone else on the crew to be your medical provider, what happens if they are the one injured by a tree, cut by a saw or Pulaski, or become incapacitated because of illness. Do you know what to do, how to do it, and where to find the appropriate medical equipment and supplies to care for your crew's medical provider?

I have attached an absolutely awesome web-link to a documentary done by Dr. Michael Mosley. He is a physician out of the UK who went to Afghanistan and followed the boots on the ground regarding the medical care that has been provided to soldiers in combat. Unfortunately, I cannot get it to open the video link, however there is also other great stuff from his postings that I have also attached including how they (the Brits) make sure for every 4 people in a team one of them is trained to do moderate medical care (EMT/Combat Medic style). He also talks about some amazing ideas out there regarding the "Platinum 10" vs the old Golden Hour" as well as using Progesterone for Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI).

PBS-BBC Frontline Medicine

Platinum 10 minutes of care

Progesterone for TBI

I hope this helps provide you all some more information in regards to Caring for Our Own.

On a more personal note:

Folks, this will be the first time in a long time that I do not go out on large wildland fires to fight fire or provide medical care to you all (since 1994). No, I am not deploying to some far away land.

I have decided to accept a Senior Paramedic position with an EMS agency in the local area that has also decided to work on a consolidation of EMS and Fire services for their community. I could not be more excited about this awesome opportunity and the big picture plan that it offers its citizens as well as my own professional future growth. I could not be more excited to work with the Fire Chief/EMS Agency Administrator and have enjoyed the conversations he and I have had to make this goal become a reality. The people of the EMS, Fire, and Law Enforcement community in that county could not be more exited to work with me and I could not be more excited to work with them. Some of them are former EMT students that I taught over ten years ago.

Often times over the last several years I have wondered, questioned, and been bewildered by the fact that I could not seem to secure a more fixed position within the wildland fire community and agencies as a true Wildland Fire EMS Development Specialist. I have talked with buddies of mine that are IHC Supts, district FOSs, FMOs, and other higher level FAM personnel on how to make a go of it with places and people who truly need this. Often I have heard, "something bigger out there for ya Billy". Now I know what that is. While I will miss sleeping on the ground for months on end, living in hotels, eating MREs, sharing a smile and a laugh with my buddies on some remote chunk of line, popping the occasionally knarely blister, or making the medical unit bobsled team... the thing I will miss most is simply meeting and hanging out with you all in some of the most beautiful places on earth.

My family could not be more excited... well maybe. With a wife, two teenage sons who are in every sport possible, two Labs, three chickens, and three acres, I am sure it will be an adjustment for all. Especially the three chickens and two dogs (Molly will now have to sleep on her pad and not my side of the bed.... and the chickens will have to be in the coop more so they stop crapping on my freaking sidewalk and driveway.)

I hope to see you all again in the future as the system I will be working in grows to meet the fire and ems needs of others. I will continue to support you all from the sidelines as best as possible with continued medical article posting and I still have on-going projects with medical care videos for wildland fire, Pulse Check (bimonthly IAWF WILDFIRE magazine), and supporting federal law enforcement as there is still a significant portion of federal land within the county as we also have MOUs with LEO agencies.

Until then, be safe, have a great fire season, and remember... Risk Management is Self-Preservation and, It Starts With You. (I am going to copyright that saying,,, so nobody take it: -)

Bill Arsenault
Wildland Firefighter/Paramedic
"Risk Management is Self-Preservation and, It Starts With You."

Thanks, Bill, glad to hear your good news! Your informative posts here are invaluable in saving lives! Don't be a stranger. Ab.

MP,

Get hold of them directly.

T

West Fire Dept. | City of West

I’m a dispatcher in Calif and keep hearing rumors on the web that the West, TX fire dept lost much equipment and some of the station (not to mention the terrible loss of life) in the fire there this week. Any way you can think of to verify this?

MP

Mellie

Tom B

The photograph of the faller is Fire Captain Pat Bailey. Pat was the Leader of ST9262G with the Deadwood Camp crews and a "C" faller. He told me he cut down a whole bunch of trees on the complex.

HUUFC

The guy in the photo is wearing the old CDF patch on his shoulder. Think it is a Fire Captain from Cal Fire San Diego but cant say for sure. Who knows if he fell the tree or not. Looks like the kind of tree a professional faller would tackle.

RB

I was poking around looking for a photo that shows our norcal extreme mountains terrain and I came across photos from 2006 by the Northern AZ Team on the Klamath NF, Titus Fire (part of the Happy Camp Complex). I know Hwy 96 through Hoopa, Orleans and Happy Camp, so I was recognizing landmark bridges, etc.

I found this photo of a faller: Northern Arizona Team faller photo

Does anyone know if this is Chris Seelye by chance, without his pipe? It's hard for me to tell without a higher resolution photo. Chris used to fell those HUGE hazard trees. Here's a photo of Chris from the Goff fire in 2012 (click the thumbnail under Photo credit Fillmore). This would be 6 years after the Titus Fire, before Chris' death. Chris' daughters grew up here in norcal near me. If it is Chris, I'm sure they'd like to see it.

Thanks for any help,

Mellie

I am pleased to announce that the former Congressman the FWFSA has teamed up with in an effort to navigate the dysfunction in Congress will be attending the WFF's fundraiser next week in Sacramento at McClellan as our guest.

Since he did more for federal wildland firefighters than anyone in Congress to date, this will be a great opportunity for him to learn more about the wildland firefighting community and for some of our members to get to know him as well.

I'm certainly looking forward to a great night for the Foundation.

Casey

McClellan Fundraiser info on the Hotlist Calendar

I know things are changing with WildlandFire.Com. This is just a short note to thank you for all you have done to keep the wildland fire community best informed. There is no other forum, real or virtual, that keeps the community as well informed. Every day, morning and evening, I check your various web pages. I have benefitted from your forum.

What you have provided with your commitment to excellence will never be forgotten or dismissed. We cannot even estimate in numerics how many lives you have saved or how many young, aspiring FF's you have helped find job placement or how many of us old dawgs have been best informed because of your efforts or all of the rest that you have done.

Please understand I cannot in easy words thank you enough. Best wishes. As I frequently tell our FF's, take care, be safe, have fun and live the FF dream...

John R. Hawkins, Unit & Fire Chief
CAL FIRE & Riverside County Fire Department

Thanks, John, and thanks for your help through the years. Carry on.

Ab/Mellie Coriell and Original Ab/Steve Myers.

Over the years, specific, defining fires have contributed to changes in training, practices and wildland fire doctrine. So, over the last 10 years, what do you think was that defining fire? What's the fire that you would really want your crew to know and understand so the same mistakes aren't repeated?

Still Out There as an AD

'We got him!': Boston bombing suspect captured alive

Carry on, Ab.

One MIT police officer was killed as he sat in his cruiser last night. A car jacking of another vehicle occurred.

Re Suspects in the Boston bombing who are brothers.

One suspect is dead, the FBI (police, military SWAT, etc) powers-that-be know where the second suspect is. Boston and 5 communities surrounding it are on shelter-in-place orders. Two more persons from the home where the two suspect brothers live are in custody.

Watch your TV for news.

Ab.

FBI releases photos and video of the 2 bombing suspects, supposedly on fbi.gov but I don't see them there.
I found them

fbi.gov Updates on Investigation into Multiple Explosions in Boston

Here's an article with the photos:

Here Are the Boston Bombing 'Suspects' — Photos and Video, but FBI Needs Help

Video on YouTube: youtube.com

The guy with the black ball cap followed by the guy with the turned-around white ball cap.

Ab.

Southwest Cal: Moderate Santa Ana wind event with low humidity.

also for SW Texas (Austin, San Antonio) with higher humidity.

Midland

Prayers for our West, TX brothers, sisters and citizens.

Condolences to firefighters, families and friends in Texas. Looks pretty bad.

Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Rescuers Searching for Survivors, Missing People

Roadrunner

Heads up about a new avian flu virus: H7N9, that could go pandemic. This virus bears watching as fire season with firecamp approaches. Key is if it is transmitted human to human.

Home page of CIDRAP (Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Prevention)

Article: H7N9 sickens 5 more in China; family cluster suspected

Apr 17, 2013 (CIDRAP News) – The number of people infected with H7N9 influenza in China grew by five today, with Shanghai and Zhejiang province reporting fresh cases, and news reports described an H7N9 family cluster apparently linked to one of the outbreak's first confirmed cases.

The five new cases announced today are all in adults. Three are seniors, two are younger adults, and all are hospitalized, according to official and media sources.

The family cluster of infections is reportedly connected to an 87-year-old man from Shanghai whose illness and death were announced on Mar 31 when China first revealed the detection of the novel virus and the first three known human cases. At the time... (More at the link...)

Last week I sent you a notice that author John Maclean would be on our radio show, FEDtalk, to discuss his new book, The Esperanza Fire: Arson, Murder, and the Agony of Engine 57. The interview with Mr. Maclean has now been posted online, and we hope that you will share it with your networks. The show can be accessed by clicking here.

Thank you, and please let me know if you have any questions or would like additional information.

Jason Briefel
Legislative Assistant
Shaw Bransford & Roth P.C. | Attorneys at Law
1100 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 900
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 463-8400 | Fax: (202) 833-8082
www.shawbransford.com | jbriefel@shawbransford.com

Hi Jason. No email came into the Ab account. Given that this is a mass mailing, it likely went into the spam filter, which can collect more than 200 spams a day, more if it's tax time. That's where I found this message. Next time if you put theysaid in the subject line I might notice it there. Ab.

Best thoughts and prayers for the survivors. Condolences thread on the hotlist if anyone wishes to contribute.

Congrats to all the agencies using the Incident Command System and working together based on Interagency Agreements to streamline and enhance the investigative response. I am very proud of our brothers and sisters who are "doing their jobs". Ab.

12:12 PM

2 Explosions at the end of the Boston Marathon, according to CNN; apparently at least 4 people are down and being given aid by first responder Boston Fire/EMS in view of the CNN producer who is reporting from the scene. Ab.

Many thanks to Chad and Sara Fisher for bringing everyone together in celebration of the 10th Anniversary Lucky Peak Challenge, another successful WFF fundraiser, gathering, and memorial climb in memory of Roger Roth and others who have fallen or been injured fighting wildland fires. I heard it was a chilly/windy one, but plenty of warmth and spirit at the BBQ to make up for it! Wish we could have been there!
--

Thank you to Karen Takai (Sandia Ranger District) and the others that helped organize the New Mexico Interagency Wildfire Awareness Week Fun Run and WFF Fundraiser! Your support will help us continue to: provide immediate travel assistance to get an injured firefighter's family to their firefighter's bedside and assist with expenses for families while their firefighter is recovering, help an injured firefighter meet their financial needs until they receive benefits, or are able to go back to work, and network crews and families with information and support after an injury or fatality. We value our role in being the funnel to pass on financial assistance, ongoing emotional support, and recognition efforts to our fallen and injured wildland firefighters. Our efforts would not be possible without you! Thank you!
--

Amanda DeShazo
Wildland Firefighter Foundation

PS added later: Heartfelt condolences from all of us at the WFF to the people of Boston, families and friends and those who were injured and killed in the bombings.

To view this this Bulletin go to: 24 Hour Merritt Island Complex.pdf   (pdf download from NIFC's Safety Alerts Bulletins).

Got this in the Always Remember email account. I don't know the replacement process, but it seems the driver's insurance should pay for a replacement. Ab/Mellie   Always Remember Matt Will for reference and a photo of the sign before it was hit and destroyed.

Hotlist thread on the replacement

~~~~
Hi Mellie,

I have bum news, the friend that took the photo of Matt’s Memorial sign called me and stated an errant driver took out the sign and posts (destroyed) in an accident. At least the photo was captured. I am trying to find out what the replacement process would be, the sign was paid for with private donations.

Take Care,
Frank

Aetna recently released a report on the success of their Employee Healthy Lifestyle Coaching Program.

Happy Monday everyone. I just had to share this with all of you as you know I have been going through Duke Integrative Medicine processional Health Coaching program along with Bequi Livingston, & Jim Saveland and with my clients it has been truly amazing.

Aetna recently released a report on the success of their Employee Healthy Lifestyle Coaching Program:

They previously worked with Duke to test a Mindfulness-Based, Mind-Body stress-reduction program.

Another affirmation of the value of our Mindfulness-Based IHC training program. Take a look.

Healthy Lifestyle Coaching

Be WELL! Be proactive… it is not just all about learning after, but how we show up, up front and care for our employees and provide the structure for resiliency & optimal health & Well-Being.

Michelle Reugebrink
Pacific Southwest Region Occupational Health & Safety Manager

This past year I was made painfully aware that many people within the federal land management agencies, at the regional levels (and in Public Affairs), have very little knowledge of what actually happens day-in and day-out at the large and very busy air centers and airtanker bases, such as the Grand Junction Interagency Air Center. They only seem to know the results, either good or bad.

And as has been my motto and goal throughout my career as a public school educator, school administrator, wildland firefighter, Fire Prevention Technician, Public Affairs Officer/Information Officer and tour guide in Nepal: Using any available means, reach out to the public and while you have their attention... inform them as best as possible.

And that's my intention with this blog. Find it and follow it at:

airtankerbase perspective

This could be a very interesting season. Be safe.

Stanley

This doesn't surprise me as they always cut from the bottom up. It's popular to rant about cutting government, but nobody says how. Whenever they do across the board cuts, the agency does it from the bottom up. After all, the ones with the power to pick the cuts aren't going to cut themselves or their friends they work with so that leaves the field. We all know that the work that still has to be done can be done by contractors even though studies have shown it costs 2 to 4 times as much.

Years ago when I came from the state to the FS, the first thing I saw when I entered the fire shop was an article on the bulletin board that said Reagan cuts 10,000 federal fire jobs. Since he's their hero we know that this is the approach todays Republicans are going to take, although Obama didn't do us any favors with his budget proposal.

STRANGEL

Please let's refrain from politics unless it's specifically fire-related. We each have our own opinions and preferences. Thanks, Ab.

As a former 5th District VP for the California Professional Firefighters (the 5th district covering all federal firefighters in CA) I think it critical for the Vandenburg crew members to know what, if anything, the current 5th District VP of the CPF and the current 16th District VP of the International Association of Fire Fighters did on their behalf to prevent this cut.

We remain keenly aware that agencies will use the sequester as an excuse for the delay in hiring seasonal wildland firefighters and continue to manipulate FIRE preparedness dollars to fund non-fire positions and projects which in turn will increase the risks to the health & safety of our firefighters and those they protect and ultimately increase the cost of suppression.

Those of you on the LP need to support the Vandenburg crew and communicate to the Congressional representatives that surround Vandenburg and raise the issue with the RO & WO (we will follow up as well) that this is a serious action with serious consequences for the safety of our firefighters and their constituency.

This is not a "Chicken Little" response. It is a clear vicious cycle that occurs each season. Preparedness dollars are misused resulting in a reduction of inherently less expensive federal resources in place pursuant to the National Fire plan to keep fires and less costly. As the season bears down, the Agencies have no alternative but to fill in the missing gaps with expensive non-federal resources that needlessly increase the cost of suppression.

These gaps may, in many instances, continue for some time increasing the risks to the firefighters and Public. While we have gotten the acknowledgement of many in Congress that they understand these dynamics, it is an entirely different matter to get them to do something about it. As is typical, it will take a catastrophic event before they wake up and take some kind of action. In the meantime the Agencies will throw the dice and hope the season isn't a disastrous one that results in Public outcry, Congressional hearings etc.So much for MEL!

Casey

Major Bummer!!! Wonder if the FS is gonna start The "Massacre" again any time soon...Things just keep getting better all the time...(insert sarcasm)

Fish

14 Vandenberg Hot Shot Crew Members To Be Laid Off

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.- Central Coast News has learned 14 Vandenberg Hot Shot crew members will soon by out of a job. According to officials, a full hot shot crew is 21 members and 14 employees will be let go. Last year, crew members were sent to help fight fires in Colorado and Wyoming. Central Coast News reached out to officials from the Vandenberg Air Force Base for comment, but as of Friday evening we have not received a call back.

Fair use disclaimer

Ab,

The IDOPP final report that was completed in January is finally released to the public. While I'm still going through it, the glaring fault I see in the dispatch assessment is the complexity rating of ECCs.

How does anyone who has a clue believe that ANCC (Angeles ECC) and SIFC (Susanville Interagency ECC) are moderate complexity ECCs? How can any third tier ECC in California be assessed as anything but high? Considering the busiest centers as the high-water mark disvalues the complexity of the rest of the ECCs. Maybe those ECCs have a workload that is too heavy? It is a flawed assessment and it undermines the rest the recommendations, which is too bad because some of the recommendations are very good.

I feared this contrived conclusion when I heard a key IDOPP committee member refer to R5's current high complexity ECC assessment as a "Quintinism" in order to undermine the Region's current established decision. This biased assessment also opens up the possibility of downgrades of ECC staff on top of everything else. If this exercise was really about optimization and not consolidation, IDOPP would have evaluated and recommended splitting some of the large centers so they can provide optimal service. Consolidation does not equal optimization no matter how you phrase it.

Forest Service Management Efficiency Assessments

• IDOPP Final Report and Closeout Letter
• IDOPP Final Report
• IDOPP Final Report Appendix
• California Sub Team Executive Summary
• California Sub Team Report
• California Sub Team Appendix
• Southwest Sub Team Report
• Southwest Sub Team Appendix
• Exhibit 2.1.2 Data Call and Survey
• Sample Personnel Spreadsheet
• Sample Personnel Spreadsheet Containing Team Developed Costs
• IDOPP National Toolbox

h

Last day to register for the WFF Memorial Fundraiser is approaching:
The Deadline is April 17th. THAT'S ONLY 3 BUSINESS DAYS AWAY! Event is on April 23rd.

All wishing to attend must pre-pay at: http://store.wffoundation.org/prostores/servlet/-strse-104/Wildland-Firefighter-Memorial-Fundraiser/Detail

If you are a family member of a fallen wildland firefighter and are attending, please let the Foundation know, as we want to insure all families members receive (Hawaiian) leis.

Where? McClellan, CA at Lionsgate Restaurant Club Ballroom. We will be remembering those who lost their lives fighting wildland fires from the air and on the ground.

Cost? Admission is $50.00 per person, includes dinner, non-alcoholic drinks and live entertainment by “Hawaiian Dancers" Aloha Polynesia!

Goodies? There will be a silent auction and you may win great prizes from our raffle contest. You're encouraged to bring an auction item from your company or crew.

Theme? Hawaiian attire or not, wear what you want………

Event starts at 1730 (that's 5:30pm) and goes until....

~~~
Amanda DeShazo
Executive Assistant
Wildland Firefighter Foundation

Ab and Fire Folks,

OK, this horse is being resurrected so we can all beat it once again. Can someone please explain to me what is LEGAL and ILLEGAL in the diversity hiring practices. I have heard that it is LEGAL to hire diversity based on a particular region's demographics. However I have heard that it is ILLEGAL to hire diversity based on the entire country's demographics. For example, and this a real life one to boot, the demographics in Southwest Montana look NOTHING like those say in Southern California--- or even the USA, for that matter. Yet I am hearing that folks in these areas are expected to churn out diversity applicants nonetheless. Some are saying that they have to match their workforce to look like the country--- well sorry but some parts of this country (say Montana) just don't "look" like the rest of the country, so why then are USFS people expected to hire folks who: a.) don't live in the area/region, and b.) would have no real interest in living there even if given the opportunity? Why are local, quality, highly skilled and experienced applicants being pushed aside in order to meet some unrealistic diversity quota? Also, why is it so dam* important that the USFS hire diversity? This is the FOREST SERVICE, an agency that should be made up of PROFESSIONALS, you know people who have experience working and living in the woods, people who have FORESTRY degrees and RESOURCE MANAGEMENT degrees --- its not some government outfit that just exists to give everyone a chance --- give me a break. If candidates who fit this bill also happens to be diversity then great!!! If not, well sorry you don't qualify, come back when you do!!! I think I need to start looking at the private sector; this agency really is spiraling down into a big ball of pc irrelevancy.

Horse Resurrecter

Cheers,

It sounds to me like the referral list you were on expired. Its only good for so many days and if they don't request to extend it, it will expire and they will need to pull a new one and then start the leveling process all over again.

When requesting a referral list, one can select a specific area or town where a particular crews station (district) is and, there is a 50 mile radius, too. On my forest we pulled both! On our district we had over 900 applicants to level. This took five weeks with 1-3 people. We had four vacancies! You don't have to request the 50 mile radius, too, but our forest supervisor does his own thing, and might even be pressured to do so?

I personally want to hire a good veteran. They deserve it! They were told when they signed up and returned home they'd be offered a job. I have some great veterans working for me now and have had some great ones that have moved on. I have had some that couldn't cut it either!

I'm glad you had a spot to go back to!

Hotshots and Helicopters

Cheers,

Get a permanent position. That would help things a lot, not to mention the benefits of intermittent status during the winter and training. That aside, the folks that told you that you had a job made some mistakes, because they must clear the vets off a hiring list before offering anyone else a position. (If your story is true.) It is a big mess this year with the integration of eRecruit, Temp Hiring, Lotus Notes (thought we got rid of that), and USAjobs. You are not the only one, maybe ask the question, "Why did you offer me a job before clearing the Vets?" on second thought, don't ask, if you ever want a chance to work there again. Just shoot for that PSE position

DP

Communication from Randy Moore, Regional Forester (30 K pdf)

White House Budget

h

"A big thanks goes out to Darla Theisen, Anne Connor, Rebecca Metcalf, and others at the AK Division of Forestry, Alaska Fire Service, and USFS in AK who organized another successful fundraiser for the WFF at their 2013 Dispatch Workshop! We appreciate your support! Thank you!"

--
Amanda DeShazo
Executive Assistant
Wildland Firefighter Foundation

Firescribe,

In 1995 I was on the Sunrise Fire on Long Island, New York which utilized 7 Ag Cats and two helicopters (State of NY and Maine) to help fight that fire. The Ag Cats all had reciprocating engines back then and did a great job for us. Given the proximity to wealthy communities and WUI concerns, this fire became political very quickly. President Clinton's office, in addition to FEMA and other state and local officials, were on hand to 'help' with the coordination efforts. You may remember that high level DC officials ordered two C-130's to assist. It quickly became clear that the aircraft we had on site were adequate to contain the fire since the winds that initially pushed the blaze had subsided. Given the politics at work though, the C-130 order stood.

Unfortunately, due to a top level ordering snafu, the aircraft and support personnel were about 24 hours behind schedule. Numerous media outlets were onsite waiting for the airshow. Given the potential political fallout from the President's office, they were directed to drop water (not retardant) on the environmentally sensitive land where the fire was now being mopped up.

It was one of the more interesting fires I've been on politics wise. Here's a link for the Downstown Aero story including info by Walt Darren at airtanker.org:

Downstown Aero, Vineland NJ -- oldest surviving airtanker operator

Yankee

Interesting. Nice piece. Ab.

Do u guys have a link that shows fire history maps for areas u might be going to?

Sent from my iPhone

Not yet, but as I understand it, that feature will be coming. Ab.

Hello,

Good info in the heat illness prevention pocket guide and some interesting recommendations. (Safety Advisory: Heat Illness Prevention Pocket Guide (pdf))

In addition, I have noticed what I perceive to be an increased trend in heat related illness in those with less experience related to energy drink consumption and believe this is an issue worth discussing.

I would be interested to see what the data would show if we tracked energy drinks as a contributing factor to heat related illness in SHIPS for the FS or by other means.

Any nutritionalists out there with facts worth sharing during upcoming refreshers related to energy drink consumption?

Any safety officers out there with thoughts on tracking nutrition/hydration as a contributing factor to heat related illness?

Anyone out there with a lesson learned/near miss experience related to energy drinks to share?

Hydrate

A plan to drop a recognizable logo in this part of the country — the Forest Service’s iconic shield — generated so much outrage among the agency’s retirees that the idea has been dropped. (Read the rest at the link.)

Wow, 4 whole years! Pretty lengthy resignation letter for such a short tenure.

To be fair, that is twice as long as Sarah Palin lasted as Alaska's governor before she resigned.

Harris, we hardly knew ye.

Misery Whip

Subject: Guidance on Forest Service shield

Good morning, colleagues. Per USDA, we are cleared at all levels to provide only the following comment when queried about the FS shield. If we get further guidance, we will let you know.

FYI… this is likely ALL that they will say on the topic at USDA as well.

"The US Forest Service shield is exempted from the One USDA branding directive."

~~~~

Oh and here's another offering mentioned by Sherry that looks interesting:

Green Fire is coming to PBS stations across the nation beginning in April.  Click on greenfiremovie.com to check the listings in your area. Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time

New Jersey - Bi-Plane SEAT! NJ's warming weather prompts caution on wildfires

Click on the link on the Hotlist for the photo and various articles.

Has anyone seen a biplane acting as an airtanker before?

Firescribe

Dear Wildland Fire Community,

The 2nd Annual Trampus Haskvitz Golf Tournament is coming up and I'd like everyone in the wildland community to pause a moment and consider attending this year. The Haskvitz family strength is amazing. Last year, they were able to pick each other up out of the dust and organize the inaugural event only months after the tragic fire that took Trampus' life. We have seen here at the WFF that each family grieves differently, and this family grabbed their grief by the bullhorns and pulled together to remember and honor Trampus with such fierce beauty. Please share with our wildland fire community, and if anyone can make the 2nd Annual Trampus Golf Tourney this year in South Dakota, they should go. Its another great chance to be surrounded by wonderful people as the Haskvitz's. swing4firefighters.com.

In love and light,
Amanda DeShazo
Wildland Firefighter Foundation

This information is also posted on the Hotlist Calendar. Sounds like a wonderful opportunity to gather, to play and to remember Trampus. Ab.

April 8, 2013

Dear Forest Service Family:

I want you to know that today I have tendered to the President my resignation as Under Secretary for Natural Resources & the Environment at USDA. As you know, I am a Westerner at heart and, after four years, I am feeling a strong “tug” from that direction, particularly from my family in Colorado and California. Although this has been a difficult decision for me, I think it is a good time to make a transition. My plan is to remain at USDA until May 8, 2013 to assist in the transition.

I cannot tell you what a rare privilege and honor it has been working with you on so many critical fronts and knowing how much we have accomplished. I marvel that in the face of declining budgets, record fires and temperatures, and challenging forest health conditions, we have achieved so much.

Think about the following successes during the past four years:

--A new National Planning Rule that sets the framework for all future on-the-ground decisions.

--Conservation of vast landscapes and watersheds across our national forests as part of the President’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative.

--Accelerated restoration of millions of acres within national forests to combat bark beetles, invasive species, and address climate variations which in turn will reduce the threat of wildfire.

--New public/private partnerships with water utilities, electric utilities, recreation interests, ski resorts, major corporations, and NGOs to assist in forest and watershed restoration.

--Expanded recreation opportunities across national forests and ski areas.

--Protection of Native American sacred sites and comprehensive consultation with Tribes.

--Creation of the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps to work with partners to connect thousands of young people to the outdoors through targeted internships and career opportunities.

--Collaborative efforts with diverse stakeholders reaching consensus on forest restoration, resulting in fewer appeals and less litigation.

--Streamlining the Forest Service permitting and environmental review systems, thereby reducing costs, eliminating inefficiencies, and improving environmental outcomes.

This is in addition to the great work we do every day to protect communities from catastrophic wildfires, support state and private forest landowners, conduct critical forest research, manage and conserve our natural resources, and connect millions of people to our public lands.

These are only a few of the many milestones reached by the Forest Service — all of which are a testament to why the Forest Service has continued to be critical to the Nation’s future.

While these jobs are about policies, programs, and the good work we are doing in communities, they are also about our relationship to each other within the agency. The Forest Service is a special place: rarely will you see more talented, hardworking people at every level. The Forest Service has a well-deserved, proud reputation. Wherever I have traveled these past four years, I have heard of our good deeds, extra effort, and exceptional results. You have every reason to take pride in your role and contribution to caring for the land and serving people.

While I will miss all of you, I know our public and private forests are in good hands and that you will devote your talents and energies to the work ahead. I wish all of you good fortune, health, and success in the years ahead.

Harris Sherman

Below is the link to access this document:

To view this Advisory go to:
www.nifc.gov/safetyAlerts/Advisories/SA_20130405_HeatIllnessPrevPG.pdf

To view all Advisories go to:
www.nifc.gov/safetyAlerts/advisory.html

Hi,

My name is Ian Hay and I was a fire fighter with La Cima Camp in Julian Ca I was with Crew 3 On the Viejas fire. I was wondering if you had any of those pictures or any videos of the news that day? I was one of the ones that got smoke inhalation and was interviewed by the news. I am looking for some Pictures from that Fire. I took a bunch myself with a disposable but they have all since been lost. I'm hopeful you might be able to point me in the right direction. Thank you for your time have a great day.

Ian

Here's the beginning of the AP article:

~~~~

sfgate.com

GRANGEVILLE, Idaho (AP) — The US Forest Service is contesting a citation issued against it by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration following the death of a 20-year-old Forest Service firefighter last summer. OSHA spokeswoman Deanne Amaden told the Lewiston Tribune in a story published Friday that the two agencies are negotiating after each conducted investigations and reached separate conclusions. Anne Veseth of Moscow died Aug. 12 after being struck and killed by a falling tree...

More...

Is there a place where we can access a list of fatalities that have occurred over the years ?

thank you

viejo

Hi Viejo.

Still working on it as time allows. It's here: wlfalwaysremember.org/.

If you hover your pointer over the Incident Lists in the menu bar, different options will drop down: by Date, by Cause, by Employer, and All Incidents. If you click on All Incidents, you'll get all the incidents we have done at this time (20 incidents by 25 pages or so). If you want to see all in one list, you can find the Display # option and click All. There should be about 478 incidents right now, ordered by date, going back to 1871. It's easy to filter by last name, by year, by 2-letter state abbreviation, or by day of the year (xx/xx) if you want to know who died on that day -- who's also included in the database so far.

Today is April 6. Filter on 04/06 and you'll find the anniversary of the burnover deaths of Kevin Smith and Ken Allen on the Island Fork Fire in Kentucky and the heart attack death of John Murphy in Massachusetts. Both incidents have NIOSH Reports.

I haven't had time to go through all records to correct the USFA links. They changed their system some months ago and it's a huge, time-consuming  job to correct the records.

If anyone has a person to add, I need the name and a death date or at least a month and year and any other information you can find. Thanks, Ab./Mellie

Ab,

Someone just has toooo much time on their hands thinking about stuff like this. The agency has been loosing its core values for some time and it's this kinda stuff that shows it.

Back when we were developing the Region 5 web and National web site, this new branding logo was part of the action at that time. The big issue..... the pushers of the New USDA brand really were not part of the old guard. Not really part of the boots on the ground force that formed and held the agency together. Cool simplistic designs are good and their designers have their place in life, but not when it comes at a cost of removing a 100+ year piece of history. What are the heads of the agency thinking???

The Shield was something I wore proudly and was always well received by all those visitors to the forest (with the exception of a few). It was even a cool thing to show those kids in the classrooms, pointing out that there was a tree on the badge making us caretakers of the forest and their lands.

That's my two cents worth...

Pathfinder

Fish,

Since it's a violation of the MA you'll probably have to file a grievance so you should get a hold of your union rep. I told your R5 C.V.P. Barry McDonald and the chair of the NFFE Fire Committee Joe Duran if your local rep. needs some direction they can probably help.

Ron Angel
NFFE R1 C.V.P.

This may be old news by now but the USDA has apparently relented on its "head-scratching" plan to eliminate the Forest Service shield and other logos.

I'm not sure how the powers that be thought such a move would improve the Agency's ranking among places to work in the federal government; or help fill in the chasm that continues to exist between the Agency leadership and those in the field; or be cost-effective in the era of the sequestration but the plan certainly ranks up there with the beauties offered over the years.

Hmmm, now would be a great time for the USDA to finally recognize that it employs professional wildland firefighters and classify them as such!

And if I might, a word about Lance Cross and his family's loss. Lance is the 2nd FWFSA family member to lose a child in 2013. Mike Alarid being the first. I grew up with Lance and his brothers Kevin and Matt in Hawaii where we lived just a few houses from each other. Our families spent an inordinate amount of time together and I was shocked to learn he had followed a similar path in life and became a federal wildland firefighter. After over 40 years we reconnected at the Castle Rock Fire in Idaho several years ago.

As with Mike, I know our FWFSA Family and all those who know Lance and his family have their thoughts and prayers with Mike & Lance as they deal with an unfathomable loss. Much Aloha Lance.

Casey

Our best to Mike's and Lance's families as well. Ab.

Ab,

Re: FS logo replaced with USDA?

The article dated today (April 4th) says the USFS logo/shield has been exempted from the new USDA logo regulations. Given my strong feelings of mistrust of the USDA, I think all FS employees still need to maintain good S.A. for another sneak attack from our "parent" department.

USFS badge dodges bullet

FMOnorth

Great news! Ab.

Fish,

Good luck. I was actually charged by ASC/NFC when I coded it the correct way. I had to pay it back, which meant that I received phone calls from a payment person during my off-tour time. I was confused and pissed because everyone else on the fire (also FS) did not have to pay it back (and I checked). I complained, even wrote a note to the newly (and worthless in my opinion) deputy chief of business operations at ASC and she never even responded. I tried contacting my union rep, but after not receiving a response from him (and consequently my quitting the union), I gave up. If you figure out a solution please let me know. I had to pay back a nice chunk of change - and I was working hard for it the entire time.

It may not be enough to tip the deficit in our favor, but it was a lot for me.

FS Owes Me

Ron,

Thanks for the reply... Sooooo... For all us folks for the last few years who have been told it is not overtime.... how do we go about getting what is owed to us... Mass audits from ASC?? Mass corrected time sheets??? Contact our Union Reps??

Fish

The new standards for the USDA logo were making the rounds on 3/28/2013.

"The use of agency and staff logos in Signature Lockups is being phased out and replaced with a signature model that features only the USDA symbol." from page 7 of the Standards.

Here's the link to the standards: USDA Logo visual standards guide (1,346 K pdf).  Ab.

Photos of Historical FS Logos from MOC4546 on Logo Photos 6 and a few on Logos 7.

~~~~

Why Is USDA Stripping the Forest Service of its Pine Tree Logo? (opinion)

As official badges go, the Forest Service's is pretty plain -- but very much to the point. At its center, a lone pine tree splits the letters U and S, letters that serve doubly to denote the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, organizations whose names are emblazoned across the top and bottom of the shield. It is a deft, clean, legible, and historic symbol, having been the agency's central logo since its establishment in 1905.

For many current and past employees, it is also a badge of honor, a reflection of their deep and abiding attachment to their one-time or present-day roles as stewards of America's national forests. So you'll understand if they get a little testy when someone proposes to mess with this sign of their lifelong devotion to the public good...

More at the link...
~~~~

Attempted Murder on the Potomac (editorial)

On January 8 of this year, Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, quietly put a gun to the head of the 108-year-old U.S. Forest Service and pulled the trigger. But if he thought he could kill the venerable agency that easily, he was wrong. More on the Attempted Murder on the Potomac in a moment, but first some background from the crime scene.

The U.S. Forest Service has been the designated caretaker of the nation's 193-million-acre federal forest estate since its creation in 1905. It is the brainchild of two of this country's greatest conservationists, President Teddy Roosevelt and the much revered Gifford Pinchot, who was the agency's first chief and its principal architect. Their goal was to transfer the last of the nation's public domain timberland into forest reserves - national forests - for their conservation and use by the American people...

More at the link...

The Southern California Association of Foresters and Fire Wardens is hosting its annual wildland fire safety conference at the Irvine Outdoor Education Center in Yorba Linda, Ca on May 2-3, 2013. The association is made up of federal, state and local government fire professionals, including So Cal Edison, who come together to present and discuss issues related to the challenges we all face. Featured this year are noted wildland fire author John Maclean and Risk Management expert Gordon Graham. For more information on the Association and Conference attendance, please visit our website at scaffw.org .

We hope to see you there.
Tom Plymale
Southern California Association of Foresters and Fire Wardens

NM Congressman Steve Pearce Releases Fire Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Eric Layer
Tel. 575-517-7382
Email: Eric.Layer@mail.house.gov

PEARCE RELEASES FIRE REPORT

Ruidoso, NM (April 2, 2013) – Today, U.S. Congressman Steve Pearce released a report he requested last summer on recent fires in New Mexico.

“Today’s report is a step toward the transparent, locally-driven approach to forest management that New Mexico needs,” said Pearce. “New Mexicans have expressed anger and frustration over the handling of recent fires, which needlessly cost hundreds of millions of dollars, destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of habitat, and killed countless plants and animals. By understanding thoroughly what has gone wrong with fire management in past summers, we can work to improve our fire prevention and forestry policies, starting now.”

The report was sponsored by the National Institute for the Elimination of Catastrophic Wildfire, and authored by Bill Derr, who retired as special agent in charge of the California Region for the US Forest Service. The report, which was completed at no cost to taxpayers, details what went wrong with the suppression efforts of the Whitewater-Baldy Complex and Little Bear Fires last summer. It recommends that the Forest Service manage our nation’s forests in accordance with the Organic Act of 1897, review the National Fire Policy, calculate the total cost of wildfires beyond suppression, and that Congress should reform the Equal Access to Justice Act to prevent special interest groups from dictating forestry policy in an unscientific manner at taxpayer expense.

The full text of the report is available HERE.

Services will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, April 6, at Joshua Memorial Park, 808 East Lancaster Blvd., Lancaster, CA.

Condolences can be sent to Rod’s wife Cindy Kline at 7229 West Columbia Way, Quartz Hill, CA 93536.

Best thoughts and prayers for family and friends. Ab.

Fish,

Read the Master Agreement Article 28 section 4 a. it says “ This means that initial attack hours worked after midnight until the individual’s regularly scheduled tour of duty begins will be considered overtime.”

Ronald C. Angel
NFFE FSC R1 CVP

Regarding the letter being commented upon- as your readers have noted the letter states:

After on-site medical response, initial medical stabilization, and evaluation are completed, the decision to refer the employee to a regional burn center is made only by the attending physician. WC benefits may be denied in the event the employee is transported to a burn center without a referral from the attending physician.

As it turns out, we have had patients with relatively minor injuries (small hand burns treated with salve, then released) transported to burn centers via life flight. Thus the need for a clearer protocol. A life flight EMT/Paramedic could make the call in the field to proceed directly to a burn center after conferring (via radio) with the “attending physician”. The letter does not preclude a burn victim from being taken directly to a burn center, if necessary. The letter (which was developed with assistance from a licensed EMT Union representative) allows the flexibility to provide every patient with the appropriate necessary care and burn patients may be transported immediately from the field to a burn center if directed by the attending physician (via radio) to the attending life flight EMT/paramedic.

J Lenise Lago
Deputy Chief, Business Operations
USDA Forest Service

Thanks for the clarification. Ab.

This season's hiring has been an epic tale of failures. And now this???

On my unit (no names here), we pulled a GS-4 cert with over 350+ names and were directed to select a dozen 'random' candidates to rate. Where is the sense in this??

Fairness? We were told to look for strong diversity candidates.
Equality? We were also to look for 'locals' as best possible.
Experience/quals/etc? Thats up to the rating system...

Despite all the talk of federal 'transparency', it seems thats all it was... talk.
I've never felt so conflicted over my agency's hiring policies. I couldn't sleep a wink last night. Anyone else receiving this kind of direction? I'm open to PMs for help, I'm sure Abs will forward on.

- Anonymous in R5

I know there has been a lot of fuss about this new hiring system not working out too good for folks. I have really been hearing a lot of it. I can tell you from first hand experience that I did not find one problem with it and actually thought it was better and easier than Avue. I literally had to turn down jobs. So I know it works. I am guessing that people not being to familiar with the system made errors of some sort on there applications and this is the main reason for the troubles. Ok so with all that being said here are some tips for using e recruit.

1. Make sure you up load your own resume a word document for example. If you use there resume builder the format will be all screwed up.
2. attach EVERYTHING you can if there is a spot for it. ( SF-50, OF-306, IQCS, etc )

Now when you write your own resume, you have to include certain key words. You can easily look at the job description and see what kind of key words you need to include in your work history description. (JUST key words. write your own description ) You also need to give dates of how long you worked at what grade. This is very important now. My understanding is it is up to you now to prove and reflect that you have the experience and time in grade on your resume. Avue made it easier in that sense.

Moral of the story do your homework put together a top notch application. Take your time on it. (the more info you put the better.) Do exactly what it asks. Have some one who knows what they are looking at check and double check it before you submit it. I know its a little too late now, but hopefully this can help someone.

- Pond bear