National Advanced Fire and Resource Institute

Rest in Peace Andy Palmer

Incident Summary: On June 12th, 2008, Andy Palmer graduates from high school. He completes Basic Firefighter training June 24th and Wildland Fire Chain Saw training (S-212) June 28th. He is hired as a seasonal firefighter on an engine crew June 29th and completes his A Faller taskbook on July 4th. July 22, 2008, the engine receives a resource order for the Iron Complex, California. The supervision at the park are motivated to see the engine crew obtain an assignment and call the crew in on their day off. The crew suffers a series of complications enroute to the fire including mechanical problems with the engine that lead to the eventual separation of the crew and engine captain after arriving at the incident. The remaining crew members are encouraged to pursue a line assignment as a falling team. The IMT personnel assign the crew as a falling module. During that assignment the crew cuts a tree that is outside their falling qualifications. A class C ponderosa pine is cut, falling downslope into a fire-damaged sugar pine. A portion of the sugar pine breaks off and falls upslope, hitting firefighter Andy Palmer, resulting in multiple severe injuries...and the loss of a firefighters’ life. It was Andy’s first fire assignment. .......

On this day we remember Andy Palmer and honor him by taking a moment to ensure that assignments are within our scope. Being tasked with an assignment does not mean pressure to accept an assignment if it is outside your comfort zone. It may be outside your comfort zone for any number of reasons, what's important is to address these concerns with your supervisor and if necessary refuse the assignment. It could be the difference between coming off the line at the end of the shift or a tragic end. Make good decisions, learn the right ways to refuse an assignment (see your IRPG page 19) and ensure that you and your crews come safely off the line at the end of each shift.

The new "Science You Can Use Bulletin" from RMRS has a great article on Prescribed Fire Syntheses. Two of the contributors have taught Rx510 here at NAFRI. Happy Reading!

http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs_journals/2015/rmrs_2015_cooke_b001.pdf

www.fs.fed.us

National Interagency Critical Stress Management Training Calendar

Mud Lake Mosaic Big Cypress National Preserve and the Southeast Region of the National Park Service are pleased to announce the release of the new short film, Mud Lake Mosai...

A well-worn safety mantra is: “If it’s predictable—it’s preventable”.
What if that’s wrong? Maybe we’ve had it backwards all these years. In our environment it may be more honest to say:
“Accidents are predictable because they’re not preventable”.

http://bit.ly/TreeStrikesVehicle

Dr. Stephen Pyne will kick off the M580 Fire in Ecosystem Management Course in January 2016. Follow this link to register for the course: https://goo.gl/oDwgt8

Lack of prescribed burns fuels rise of megafires, ASU fire historian says With the largest fire in Washington state history raging and the sixth-worst fire season on record in the U.S. since 1960, the nation’s eyes are mesmerized by the lapping flames and expanding sm

Consider taking a NAFRI course in 2016! Follow the link below see current offerings.

http://goo.gl/YSAeVT

Scheduled Sessions United States of America - National Wildland Fire Training

Perspectives on Wildland Fire Entrapments

The New Approach to Fighting Wildfires Fire season has so far mostly meant Alaska, which has racked up 1.8 million burned acres and counting. But fires are also moving down the West Coast, with a record burn on the Olympic Peninsula and houses again burning in central Washington. Flames are moving into drought-blasted California a couple…

Student Conservation Association Veteran Fire Corp -- Project Leaders Recruitment