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Colorado hopes to increase size of aerial firefighting fleet during the pandemic

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , 1 Comment on Colorado hopes to increase size of aerial firefighting fleet during the pandemic

The DFPC is requesting three additional air tankers and one helicopter

CR34 Fire in southeast Colorado
The CR34 Fire in southeast Colorado 10 miles south of Springfield, February 13, 2019. Baca County Sheriff’s Office photo.

(This article first appeared at FireAviation.com)

The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) wishes to obtain additional aircraft for their firefighting fleet during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter to Governor Jared Polis and members of the General Assembly, the Director of the Division of Fire Prevention and Control, Mike Morgan, will be requesting $7.7 million to add three air tankers, a helicopter, and a fixed wing aircraft in order to provide aggressive initial attack and to supplement the limited number of ground resources available during the pandemic.

Currently the state owns two Multi-Mission Aircraft used for mapping reconnaissance. On contract they have two Exclusive Use (EU) Helicopters each with 12-person DFPC Helitack Crews, two EU Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATS), and three Call-When-Needed (CWN) SEAT contracts.

If approved by the Governor and the Assembly the additional aircraft, all on EU contracts, would include one large air tanker on a 120-day contract, two single engine air tankers (SEATs) on 150-day contracts, a Type 2 helicopter on a 120-day contract, and an Air Attack fixed-wing aircraft on a 180-day contract for aerial supervision and airspace coordination.

The 747 SuperTanker is on a CWN contract with Colorado but it needs to take and pass another grid test before it can be used on a fire in the United States. It has been certified by the Interagency Airtanker Board on an interim basis, but that has expired. After having made modifications to the retardant delivery system, the operator, Global SuperTanker, believes the aircraft will pass the test, but scheduling it during the pandemic has proved to be difficult.

Colorado also has a CWN contract for a P-3 large air tanker operated by Airstrike.

The state’s Wildfire Emergency Response Fund (WERF), part of an effort to keep fires small, provides funding or reimbursement for the first air tanker flight or the first hour of a firefighting helicopter, and/or two days of a wildfire hand crew at the request any county sheriff, municipal fire department, or fire protection district.

The firefighting goals of the DFPC include:

  • Generating an incident assessment for every fire within 60 minutes of request or detection.
  • Delivering the appropriate aviation suppression resources to every fire within 60 minutes of the request.
  • Providing on-scene technical assistance and support within 90 minutes of request for support from a local agency.

Colorado has beefed up their ground resources this year, adding three additional 10-person modules (hand crews) which raises the total number of modules to four, with one in each quadrant of the state.

Colorado wildfires 2002 - 2019
Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control

The DFPC continues to partner with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to increase the availability of bulldozers, road graders, and other heavy equipment for wildfire suppression. To date, 75 CDOT equipment operators have received basic training.

Like other firefighting organizations, Colorado realizes that the pandemic is likely to reduce the availability and productivity of firefighters. Staffing of Incident Management Teams (IMTs) may be constrained by a reduced number of personnel who are available to leave their home jurisdictions. The DFPC is developing cadre lists of State and local personnel who can form multiple Type 3 IMTs for suppressing wildfires.

Wildfire smoke worsens coronavirus risk, putting firefighters in extra danger

Author BillPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , 3 Comments on Wildfire smoke worsens coronavirus risk, putting firefighters in extra danger

Researchers found that wildfire smoke exposure can lead to an increase of other pathogens in lungs.

Norbeck prescribed fire Wind Cave National Park
A firefighter at the end of the day, igniting the Norbeck prescribed fire in Wind Cave National Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Oct. 20, 2014. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

By Luke Montrose, Assistant Professor of Community and Environmental Health, Boise State University

(This article first appeared at The Conversation)

As summer approaches, two forces of nature are on a collision course, and wildland firefighters will be caught in the middle.

New research suggests that the smoke firefighters breathe on the front lines of wildfires is putting them at greater risk from the new coronavirus, with potentially lethal effects.

At the same time, firefighting conditions make precautions such as social distancing and hand-washing difficult, increasing the chance that, once the virus enters a fire camp, it could quickly spread.

As an environmental toxicologist, I have spent the last decade expanding our understanding of how wood smoke exposure impacts human health. Much of my current research is focused on protecting the long-term health of wildland firefighters and the communities they serve.

‘Camp crud’ and the dangers of air pollution

People have long understood that the air they breathe can impact their health, dating back more than 2,000 years to Hippocrates in his treatise on Air, Water, and Places. Today, there is a growing consensus among researchers that air pollution, specifically the very fine particles called PM2.5, influences risk of respiratory illness. These particles are a tiny fraction of the width of a hair and can travel deep into the lungs.

Italian scientists reported in 2014 that air pollutants can increase the viral load in the lungs and reduce the ability of specialized cells called macrophages to clear out viral invaders.

Researchers in Montana later connected that effect to wood smoke. They found that animals exposed to wood smoke 24 hours before being exposed to a pathogen ended up with more pathogen in their lungs. The researchers showed that wood smoke exposure decreased the macrophages’ ability to combat respiratory infection.

Now, new evidence suggests that long-term exposure to PM2.5 air pollution, which is produced by sources such as wildfires, power plants and vehicles, may make coronavirus particularly deadly.

Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health conducted a nationwide study of county-level data and found that even a small increase in the amount of PM2.5 from one U.S. county to the next was associated with a large increase in the death rate from COVID-19. While small increases in PM2.5 also raise the risk of death from other causes for older adults, the magnitude of the increase for COVID-19 was about 20 times greater. The results were released last week, before the usual peer review process was conducted, to help warn people of the risks.

Taken together, these findings suggest that air pollution, including wood smoke, could increase the risk that wildland firefighters will develop severe COVID-19 symptoms.

That probably doesn’t surprise seasoned firefighters.

They’re already familiar with “camp crud,” a combined upper and lower respiratory illness accompanied by cough and fatigue that has become common in firefighting camps.

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group, in its guidance on infectious disease, has pointed out that “the close, overlapping living conditions of an incident command post lends itself to rapid spreading of contagious microorganisms, as witnessed by the common outbreaks of ‘camp crud.’ Outbreaks also have a history of spreading from incident to incident as people are reassigned.”

How to protect wildland firefighters

So, what can be done to avoid the spread of COVID-19 among wildland firefighters and prevent them from being vectors in the communities they serve?

In some areas, officials have been delaying firefighter training sessions and brush-clearing operations that would normally be underway now. But while that might protect firefighters from exposure right now, it can be put off for only so long. Wildfires have already broken out in several states, and delaying controlled burns leaves more fuel when fires get out of control.

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s guidance on infectious disease encourages planning ahead so personal protective equipment is available and maintaining records of symptoms so illnesses can be tracked and stopped from spreading.

The guidance also calls for better camp hygiene, providing access to medical care, making isolation possible and coordinating cross-agency communication about the public health risks.

Firefighter camps are not typically well outfitted to promote good personal hygiene. Improving those conditions could help prevent a virus’s spread, such as by adding hand-washing stations and possibly mobile shower units. Single-person tents would allow for more effective social distancing.

Camp personnel should also have access to thermometers and coronavirus test kits. Protocols for quarantining and removing infected firefighters from the field should not only be implemented but practiced.

Also missing from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s guidance are policies on traveling to and from training sites, working within communities and traveling from camp. Social distancing may not always be possible, so protective gear, such as face masks, should be made available and their use encouraged.

firefighters crew Whitetail Fire 3-8-2017 Photo by Bill Gabbert
Firefighters on the Whitetail Fire in the Black Hills of South Dakota, March 8, 2017. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

A recent paper from Belgium suggests that even some of the ways firefighters operate in the field should be reconsidered to protect against the virus’s spread. It shows how droplets released when a person exhales can travel farther than six feet during heavy activity. For firefighters, that could mean walking farther apart and in a V-shaped delta formation, rather than a traditional line, to reach the fire.

It is also important to consider that frontline firefighters are often younger and could be asymptomatic but still able to spread the virus, so their contact with with rural community members, such as volunteer firefighters and ranchers, should be considered.

Finally, a system for cross-state communication should be engaged to facilitate sharing of best practices and lessons learned. It also could help track the movement of firefighters across the region.

The safety of rural western communities depends on the wildland firefighters and their ability to respond to emergencies. Protecting their health helps protect public health, too.

Eastern Geographic Area releases fire response plan for COVID-19 pandemic

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , 3 Comments on Eastern Geographic Area releases fire response plan for COVID-19 pandemic

Eastern Area Pandemic Plan COVID-19 wildfires

The Eastern Geographic Area has released their Wildland Fire Response Plan (WRP) for the COVID-19 pandemic. The 83-page document was written, compiled, and assembled by the Eastern Area Type 2 Incident Management Team led by Steve Goldman, working under Tim Sexton’s Area Command Team. The three Area Command Teams were responsible for WRPs for the rest of the United States.

All of the teams worked directly with each Geographic Area’s Coordinating Group Chair, dispatch/coordination centers, and local units. They also worked under the direction and supervision of the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (NMAC), through a Team Coordinator (Joe Reinarz) and maintained frequent contact and communication through multiple daily briefings to the NMAC.

The plans were developed using a standardized template and a process for national standardization; but development included attention and inclusion of all specific concerns for the Geographic Area covered by each plan.

In this article we are covering the Eastern Area plan, but based on standardization and the use of a template there may be a significant amount of duplication between plans, which will facilitate inter-Geographic Area responses — if that even occurs under the pandemic.

Below are excerpts from the plan that I thought were interesting. The entire official document can be downloaded here. Information specifically about fire aviation can be found at FireAviation.com.

  • Managing fire for resource benefit and using more confine/contain strategy will assist in reducing the number of responders exposed to each other and the public.
  • The Eastern Area MAC group has limited the current Type 2 Incident Management Teams and one Interagency Hotshot Crew to assignments within the Eastern Geographic Area due to resource shortages, COVID-19 concerns related to travel and the beginning of the region’s fire season.
  • The new Interagency Resource Ordering Capability (IROC) system at the time this is being written is not fully functional, creating challenges.
  • Some states aren’t hiring seasonal staff due to current uncertainties and/or office closures
  • The “Module as One” concept keeps crews separated to minimize exposure and allow efficient contact tracing. The concept includes minimizing exposure by not mixing personnel and vehicles. Module personnel should be assigned together for the entire season, on the same schedule, same assignments, in same camp, etc. Modules’ vehicles, equipment, work areas, restrooms, etc. should be off limits to anyone outside of the module if possible. Modules should be as self-sufficient, following mitigation measures described in Appendix B to further minimize chances of exposure to coronavirus.
  • Federal agencies have travel restrictions in place and are managing wildfire response on a case-by-case basis. This will affect the ability of the GA to fully staff both of the Type 2 IMTs, which started normal rotation on 4/1/2020. Since many state resources are not able to travel out of state, critical overhead with Type 3 or higher qualifications may need to be mobilized using non-traditional transportation methods (agency aircraft) to allow rapid response.
  • Because of the severity of the pandemic there are some firefighters and support personnel who are not willing to respond due to personal or family health concerns.
  • Ensuring Midewin Interagency Hotshot Crew’s viability is important as all USFS Job Corps crews have been lost due to students being sent home.
  • The virus is expected to crest at the same time as the Eastern GA’s peak spring fire season (April-June) which could cause a confluence of peak fire activity with maximum impact from quarantine/isolation cases.
  • It is recommended that additional aircraft be contracted by land management agencies to transport fire crews and overhead, and that those contracts allow much greater flexibility to stop at multiple jetports to avoid the travel and co-location of crews at mobilization centers.
  • Plan for shifts in wildfire response strategy, ranging from highly prioritized IA to limit numbers to reducing overall firefighter exposure by prioritizing responses.
  • [Consider] pursuing opportunities for monitoring of low risk fires.
  • [Consider] Exploring opportunities for managed fire, more indirect attack, focused use of heavy equipment, and designation of management action points using natural barriers.
  • Implement swift initial response to minimize possibility of large fire occurrence, but do not employ higher risk tactics to keep fires small.
  • Within agency protocols and to the degree possible, augment fire response resources with non-fire staff to help sustain fire response capability.
  • Consider opportunities for application of aviation and mechanized assets to reduce assigned personnel.
  • Prioritize initial attack and focused use of aviation assets.
  • Emphasize containment, deemphasize mop up, minimize assignment time.
  • Preparing and implementing virtual incident management by IMTs – GAs consider conducting simulated virtual IMT incident management prior to most active fire season periods.
  • Identify and obtain necessary technology.
  • Designate IMT sections/personnel that can complete work virtually and what minimum requirements are for managing incidents safely.
  • Limiting large fire response to when life is imminently threatened.
  • Consider existing staffing and action guides and existing dispatching run cards and guidelines and how they will be affected by a 10, 30, or 50% reduction in strength of force of wildland firefighting and management resources.

Technology:

    • Prepare for more remote operations, briefings, sensing, and surveillance.
    • Identify technology needs, costs, and proactively implement actions.
    • Pursue increased use of UAS (seek waivers).
    • Use broadband channels to reach affected communities.
    • Greater use of UAS platforms.
    • Expedite contracting of UAS equipment.

A one-day drive rule for all resources traveling to an incident by motor vehicle, including the use of vans, busses and aircraft should be considered. If traveling as a group, additional vehicles need to be considered in order to allow for social distancing and to provide transportation in the event someone becomes symptomatic or tests positive and has to return home. Additionally, it is important for the traveler to understand that food, lodging and other commercial services may not be readily available, or if available may not be safe to utilize due to COVID-19 concerns. For that reason, anyone responding to an extended attack or complex incident should be prepared to be self-sufficient while traveling to the incident and for several days after arrival. Agency aircraft may need to be considered for transportation of personnel.

CREW OPERATIONS

Prevention
Best practices to prevent exposure:
• Utilize “Am I Fit?” checklist (Appendix C) or other CDC daily self-check.
• Integrate social distancing and daily decontamination protocols into operations.
• Consider initial attack response from dispersed pre-determined locations to limit exposure to large groups.
• Crew should be self-supporting for several shifts for meals and spike camp.
• Consider additional vehicles to allow social distancing, extra gear and extra clothing.
• Maintain a sufficient inventory of decontamination supplies.
• Develop and drill crew/module on COVID-19 response.
• Implement “Module as One” practices; follow COVID-19 Protocols and SOPs.
• Designate a crew/module person as safety monitor for COVID-19 protocols and SOPs.
• Ensure technological capability to participate in a virtual/ remote environment.

Incident Response
Best practices during mobilization/at incident and through demobilization:
• Follow guidance included in All Personnel Safety Guidance Appendix A.
• Follow “Module as One” concept throughout the incident.
• Utilize “Am I Fit?” checklist (Appendix C) or other CDC daily self-check.
• Utilize virtual/remote briefings or brief only key personnel to minimize numbers and maintaining separation distance.
• Include COVID-19 prevention, mitigation and concerns in daily crew briefs.
• Avoid unnecessary contact with incident personnel and public.
• Limit the sharing of apparatus, supplies, and equipment amongst adjoining resources.
• Decontamination is recommended prior to leaving the incident.
• Social distancing, sanitization, cough etiquette, etc. remain a priority on and off the fireline. (i.e. “Module as One” concept, spike camps)
• During mobilization discuss COVID-19 mitigation plans particular to the incident.
• Avoid prolonged smoke exposure if possible; rotate personnel and/or avoid smoke.
• Maintain clean PPE each day to prevent virus spread.

Exposure Response
Best practices in the event of a presumptive exposure.
• Personnel should report symptoms or potential COVID-19 exposure to supervisor immediately and initiate onsite self-isolation/self-quarantine. For the good of the crew and all personnel assigned to the incident, do not hesitate to report a suspected exposure or symptoms.
• Supervisor will report through chain of command to IC.
• Incident staff will interview person affected for and determine locations and other personnel that might have been exposed, using COVID-19 approved protocols.
• Decontaminate any equipment and locations before returning to service.
• Person will be demobilized to home unit if possible.
• Follow existing public health orders for transportation arrangements back to unit.
• Incident staff will work to identify and inform others potentially exposed, check for symptoms and determine if there is a need for decontamination or further action.
• Follow agency protocols and regulations regarding use of affected person’s name(s) and information.

Helicopters help firefighters extinguish bark dust fire

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags

Longview, Washington

Bark dust fire Longview, Washington, April 13-14, 2020.
Bark dust fire at Longview, Washington, April 13-14, 2020. Photo by Longview Fire Department.

The report below is from Longview Fire Department:

On April 12  at 2:37 PM a passerby called 911 to report a bark dust fire at Swanson Bark and Wood Products, in Longview, Washington about 40 miles north of Portland, Oregon. The company specializes in taking wood waste and turning it into useful products, including firewood, mulch, bark dust, and soils.

Responding to 911 calls at Swanson Bark is not an unusual occurrence because the facility, with its large piles of bark dust and other products off-gas regularly as a natural part of the composting and decomposition process. Staff at Swanson use temperature probes to assess the risk, and small fires are not uncommon and are generally handled by on-site staff.
While fire units were enroute, Cowlitz 911 called the facility and they confirmed they had a surface fire that they were actively attempting to extinguish. During this same timeframe Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue was battling a structure fire on Regland Rd. Shortly after the Swanson dispatch a brush fire was dispatched to Astro Road in rural Kelso, further taxing the regional resources.

map Bark dust fire Longview, Washington, April 13-14, 2020.
Satellite photo showing the location of a bark dust fire at Longview, Washington, April 13-14, 2020.

When Longview Fire arrived they encountered a large bark dust pile that was burning and spreading to adjacent piles. Strong winds out of the northwest coupled with access issues to the multiple piles of recyclables, smoke, and visibility challenges, combined with the available water supply all created challenges for firefighters. With the other active fires, staffing was also below normal.

As the fire continued to spread over the entire 80 acre site, buildings, machinery, vehicles, and conveyors were damaged or destroyed. Firefighters deployed multiple hand lines and two aerial ladder trucks, flowing in excess of 2.5 million gallons of water in their suppression efforts. The incident commander requested a firefighting helicopter to assist, but none were locally available.

Fire suppression efforts were suspended at approximately 4:00 a.m., however, dozens of bark and wood products piles were still smoldering, creating a smoke cloud that continued to drift.

helicopter Vertol Bark dust fire Longview, Washington, April 13-14, 2020.
A Vertol, operated by Columbia Helicopters, helped to suppress a bark dust fire at Longview, Washington, April 13-14, 2020. Photo by Longview Fire Department.

On April 13 Swanson Bark and Wood Products took over the overhaul phase, utilizing loaders and excavators to move the product while extinguishing the fires. Swanson also contracted with two helicopter services to aid in full suppression. It is expected that this fire could smolder for days, and if winds pick up, active fire could again be encountered.

Firefighters from Longview, Kalama, Cowlitz Fire District 1, Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue, and Woodland were utilized to extinguish the blaze. Resources included pumping fire apparatus, ladder trucks, water tenders, and brush rigs. Firefighters have yet to complete an investigation, and no damage estimates are available at this time. There were no staff or firefighter injuries reported.

Bark dust fire Longview, Washington, April 13-14, 2020.
Bark dust fire at Longview, Washington, April 13-14, 2020. Photo by Longview Fire Department.

The video below is from the Longview Fire Department.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Jeffrey. Typos or errors, report them HERE.

Forest Service Northwest region issues COVID-19 protocols for firefighting

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , 12 Comments on Forest Service Northwest region issues COVID-19 protocols for firefighting

“Initial attack should be the highest priority for commitment of resources”

National Park Service fire wildfire firefighters
National Park Service photo.

On April 9 the U.S. Forest Service issued protocols for firefighters in their Pacific Northwest Region, Washington and Oregon, during the COVID-19 pandemic. It only applies to FS personnel in those two states and is intended to be complementary to the Northwest Geographic Response Plan being developed by an Area Command Team.

You can download the entire nine-page document, but we captured some of the highlights:

Before the fire

  • Survey first responders to develop lists of those pre-disposed to respiratory illness and factor this into their assigned roles and tasks on large incidents.
  • Build extra capacity in all of our workforce, but especially supervisors, for managing line of duty deaths (Casualty Assistance Program).
  • Technology:
    • Remote operations, briefings, sensing and surveillance, fuel modeling/sensing; fire behavior modeling/projections.
    • Preparation for those modules that have or potential to have reduced personnel, by identifying collateral duty/overhead personnel and militia prepared to help with staffing engines, IHC’s and hand crews.
    • Operations will prepare with the expectation that resource limitations will occur at all Preparedness Levels.
  • Contracting: MRE’s, medical equipment, PPE, remote sensing, UAS, contract personnel and equipment.

During the Fire

  • Priority: Initial attack should be the highest priority for commitment of resources with the purpose of containing fires during initial attack and preventing long duration fires.
  • Initial attack response should align with direction to limit the risk of exposure and spread of COVID-19. This should involve strategies and tactics that minimize the number of people needed to respond and that reduce the incident duration while not compromising firefighter safety and probability of success. The efforts to reduce overall exposure may require consideration to increased staffing, albeit for less duration.
  • Emphasize containment in order to minimize assignment time, mop-up standards should be evaluated for all incidents and limited to minimize additional fire spread.
    • Make decisions that will minimize the number of responders needed to meet objectives.
    • Consider zone and point protection suppression strategies associated with protection of human life, communities and critical infrastructure when sufficient resources for perimeter control are not available.
    • Weigh the risk of responding in multiple vehicles; driving is still the one of our highest-risk activities.
    • Stock vehicles with disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, soap and physical barrier protection (face shields, masks). Disinfect vehicles and equipment and wash PPE after each response.
    • Do not share PPE, flight helmets, radios or other equipment.
    • Use MREs, freeze dried, single-serve sack or boxed meals instead of food lines. Evaluate drinking water supply options to minimize exposure and handling of water containers.
    • Monitor smoke and Co2 Exposure to firefighters, rotate in and out of smoke if necessary.
    • Consider shorter tours (<14 days), shorter shift lengths. Incorporate additional time into shifts to provide for hygiene, cleaning and additional rest.
  • Remote operations, briefings sensing and surveillance, fuel modeling/sensing; fire behavior modeling/projections.
    • Use technology to communicate using virtual tools.
    • Increase use of UAS and webcams.
    • Plan for increased use of networking capabilities, and areas with limited or not existing network capabilities may need additional services.
  • Camps:
    • When possible, shift operations and logistics from single, large camps to multiple, satellite camps that support the separation of people.
    • Incident Command Teams may utilize hotels where individual rooms allow for separations
    • Briefings should be conducted via radios and/or other virtual tools, to reduce face to face interactions.
    • Expanded medical support (as needed and if possible).
    • Module isolation: (dispersed camping).
    • Two-way isolation: closed camps with security, no leaving camp to travel into community.
    • Define and implement more rigorous cleaning and sanitation protocols.
    • Provide extra hand washing stations if possible.
  • Communication: When possible, shift operations and logistics from single, large camps to multiple, satellite camps that support the separation of people.
    • Incident Command Teams may utilize hotels where individual rooms allow for separations.
    • Briefings should be conducted via radios and/or other virtual tools, to reduce face to face interactions.
    • Expanded medical support (as needed and if possible).
    • Module isolation: (dispersed camping).
    • Two-way isolation: closed camps with security, no leaving camp to travel into community.
    • Define and implement more rigorous cleaning and sanitation protocols.
    • Provide extra handwashing stations if possible.

After the Fire

  • Rest, Recovery and Reassignment: take precautions to limit potential spread of COVID-19. This may include:
    • Continued screening and testing.
    • Module isolation (Fire modules should not report to the office but a designated location that allows for the crew to interact and work without exposing them or other employees. Work should allow for the continued separation of crews as long as they continue to remain available nationally.)
  • Increased employee support (be prepared to provide it virtually)
    • EAP
    • Peer Support
    • Hospital and Family Liaison
  • Tracking: Forward and backward monitoring of all module-to-module, person-to-person and community interactions.
  • Communication: Appraise community of status including quarantines and rehabilitation.
    • Communicating potential exposure.
    • Communicating our limited capacity for response.
    • Community response.
  • AAR Specific to Wildfire Tactics and COVID-19. We need to institutionalize what we learn from the COVID-19 crisis and incorporate that into our enterprise risk management as well as local SOPs.

The future of wildfire: a year-round challenge requires a year-round workforce

Author BillPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , 9 Comments on The future of wildfire: a year-round challenge requires a year-round workforce

Seasonal firefighter positions need to be converted to career seasonal or full-time permanents

firefighter monitors a prescribed fire in Nevada
A firefighter monitors a prescribed fire in Nevada. The Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2021 calls for a $50 million increase to hire more firefighters, converting many temporary seasonal positions into career seasonal or full-time permanents. (Photo courtesy BLM Nevada)

BY JEFF RUPERT
The nature of wildfire and the risks associated with it have changed dramatically in the last few decades. In most areas the window in which wildfires traditionally occur has grown from five to seven months of the year. Taking regional differences into account—California, Florida, and Montana burn at different times of the year—we no longer have “fire seasons” in the United States. We have “fire years.”

These changes are compounded by how much fires have grown. The average number of acres burned by decade is double what it was in the 1980s and 1990s. Over that same time span, the wildland urban interface—those bits of land that blend housing and the natural, burnable world—has grown by 40%, putting more far more people at risk to wildfire.

Land managers around the world face significant challenges. The recent wildfires in Australia illustrate the gravity of the situation and the tremendous risk to communities. People in California continue to recover from wildfires that claimed lives and homes. As U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt said earlier this year, “This is an issue that impacts the whole country, and we’re looking broadly at what we can do to reduce wildfire risk.”

The Department of the Interior recruits a workforce of thousands to manage wildland fire on public and Tribal lands across the country. Most of these people work in temporary appointments limited to six months. But if fires are no longer seasonal, should our workforce be?

The Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2021 includes a proposal to greatly expand and stabilize the wildland fire workforce. It calls for a $50 million increase to fund an additional 601 full-time equivalents*, converting many of our temporary seasonal positions into career seasonal or full-time permanents. This funding would provide over one million additional labor hours every year, enabling us to respond to wildfires during peak periods and complete active vegetation management projects like prescribed fires during times of low fire activity.

Expanding our cadre of permanent employees builds resiliency and sustainability into our programs. On average, temporary seasonal employees remain on the job two years, while career seasonal employees serve an average of 14 years. Constantly hiring and training new people is not only expensive, it robs us of the experienced, knowledgeable, senior firefighters we so desperately need.

Establishing career appointment positions also provides firefighters a reliable income and year-round benefits like access to healthcare and support organizations. Firefighters deserve these things given the tasks that lie ahead for all of us.

*Full-time equivalent (or FTE) is the annual number of “work years” produced by employees. A “work year” is roughly 2,080 hours. Reporting personnel in this way enables a common view of the workforce across government agencies.

Jeff Rupert is the Director of the Office of Wildland Fire. In over 20 years with the Department of the Interior, Jeff also served as the Chief of Natural Resources and Conservation Planning for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Refuge Manager of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge (Oklahoma), and Refuge Manager for the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge (Texas).