 Scratchline 27, Wildfire Academy Lessons Learned (2.8 Mb PDF posted 8/16/10)
The Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center (LLC) staff recently interviewed seven fire training academy coordinators across the United States regarding their notable successes, difficult challenges, effective safety practices, training recommendations and unresolved issues in the implementation of fire training academies.
The Joint Fire Science Program, the International Association of Wildland Fire, and the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center are expanding the highly successful “Climate Change and Land Management” webinar series into monthly presentations. The first webinar of the new season, occurring on September 21 (2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Mountain Time Zone) will provide a discussion on the role of using climate and climate change information for fire management. Sources of climate information will be provided as well as how climate change information is being considered for use in fire management. Presentations will include perspectives from researchers who provide climate information for decision-making and from fire managers at Yosemite National Park who utilize this type of information.
Lessons Learned on Firefighter Emergency Evacuation in Remote Backcountry
Our wildland fire assignments often occur in remote terrain where emergency firefighter extraction can be highly challenging. The Rocky Mountain Team B Incident Management Team recently comprised this insightful After Action Review report on Emergency Evacuation Lessons Learned. These significant insights were gleaned from the team’s July 2010 assignment on the Cow Creek Fire, located in remote backcountry inside Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park. It is hoped that this AAR will help improve Standard Operating Guidelines as well as assist other IMTs in addressing the recently issued NWCG Guidance for Dutch Creek Mitigation Measures. These mitigation measures surround corrective actions that wildland fire agencies are undertaking in response to firefighter Andy Palmer’s death following a tree felling accident on the 2008 Iron Complex, Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
 Read the lessons learned from the firefighters involved in this water tender rollover accident that occurred this August on the Morton Fire on the San Bernardino National Forest. Two firefighters received minor injuries and the water tender vehicle sustained substantial damage in this rollover accident. Lessons learned from the Facilitated Learning Analysis facilitators are also highlighted.
 The Campbell Prediction System (CPS) is a practical way to use on-scene fire behavior observations to determine fire behavior strategies and tactics. A combination of scientific research and the knowledge of successful firefighters' methods and practices are utilized to explain fire behavior.
As we all know, on some incidents, people experience stress reactions because of a particularly traumatic event or because of the cumulative effect of stressful events. Critical Incident Stress Managment (CISM) services are crisis intervention techniques that can help people reduce stress levels and experience less stress symptoms. These CISM-related interviews will provide you with information on CISM Peer Teams and how they help to establish trust and increase effectiveness.
In 2006, in an effort to bring about a learning culture and a safety culture within the wildland fire community, the Forest Service Risk Management Council introduced "Just Culture" and a learning focused approach into the accident investigation process. In 2007, the Council formalized this concept with two new safety analysis processes: the "Facilitated Learning Analysis" (FLA) and the "Accident Prevention Analysis" (APA). Since then, numerous FLAs and APAs have been conducted throughout the country on incidents, including: a smokejumper mishap, vehicle burnovers, equipment burnovers, entrapments, shelter deployments, escaped prescribed burns, and even vehicle accidents.
On Aug. 6, 2010, the Deer Park Wildfire was ignited by lightning in remote and rugged terrain on the Sawtooth National Forest in central Idaho. Smokejumpers were ordered to staff the fire, which--due to dry conditions and high winds--quickly grew to several hundred acres. Smokejumpers set up a Type 3 Incident Management Team and ordered additional resources, including 5 Hotshot and 3 Type 2 IA crews.
David Christenson gave this 20-minute presentation at the Human Dimensions in Wildland Fire Conference in April, 2010. The International Association of Wildland Firefighters brought people to San Antonio, Texas from all over the world to learn more about the science of firefighters fighting fire. We were able to give them a little history, a quick update and a few things about future directions of the LLC.
Welcome to the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center (11.8 Mb .wmv, 4:07 min.) This short video introduces the features and functions of the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center, including our background, mission and staff members. This feature also takes you to our MyFireVideos.net Website and introduces you to our LLC video library and many others from members of the wildland fire community.
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