The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest is planning to construct a memorial for Anne Veseth, a firefighter who was killed by a falling tree last year on the Steep Corner Fire northeast of Orofino, Idaho. If the environment assessment and other hurdles are overcome, a two-mile trail will be constructed leading to a vantage point overlooking the area where the fatality occurred. U.S. Forest Service officials are working closely with Ms. Veseth’s family in the design of the memorial.
She was in her second season working as a firefighter for the USFS when she was struck by a falling 150-foot tall fire-weakened green cedar tree. The tree fell on its own and was 13 inches in diameter where it struck her.
The USFS report on the accident did not find anyone at fault. It said the situation “required the presence of firefighters in an area where fire‐weakened trees could fall on their own with little or no warning.”
Thanks go out to Chris
OH NO!!
This is just another example. Why are attitutudes/policies so very hard to get changed, when we plainly see the need for them?
Welcome to my world! If you really understand the crux of the problem, then read more FLAs or accident write-ups that are found on the LLC website.
The 2011 Nasty Fire in Oregon is a perfect example of Risk Management practices thrown out the window. The only way to get firefighters into a location was to rappel ALOT of them. The only way to get an injured firefighter out was by helicopter from the military that took 40 minutes to get there. And then when they did have the medical emergency, they did not even preposition medical equipment on the mountain. They had to have it flown in. Another delay.
Folks, for people to have Risk Management on the brain and at the forefront, you have to have Self-Preservation on the forefront.
The basic 130/190 or “guard school” for old guys….NEEDS to Self-Preservation module added to it at the very beginning of the course.
Take care of your people and they will take care of you.
I have not been in the wildland world for very long, I am working on my crew boss and engine boss books now. One of the major points to both s-231, s-230 classes was for the Boss to size up the situation and decide wether to engage or not engage. The safety of my people being my biggest priority. My structure fire background tells me to RISK A LOT TO SAVE A LOT, RISK NOTHING TO SAVE WHAT CAN NOT BE SAVED. The last paragraph of the above story about the absolute need to engage folks to a dangerous situation that had already been turned down makes my guts twist up in knots. It makes me angry. Being kind of the new guy makes me wonder if I am reading too much into this. Am I overreacting?