America’s Fire Department has a new Logo. #USWildlandFireService #USWFS #DOI #DepartmentOftheInterior

I was in my third year with the USFS, assigned to the Del Rosa Hotshots, when I received a call I will never forget. I can still hear the urgency and emotion in my captain’s voice as he told me to get to the station as quickly as possible. None of us could have been prepared for what came next. What followed would become one of the hardest experiences of my career, leaving a mark that time has never erased.

I’m all for using new technology to improve wildfire response, but we can’t overlook a growing concern: too many firefighters arrive on scene without the practical experience to know what to do. WFSTAR annual refreshers and standardized online NWCG and FEMA courses have their place, but they can’t replace hands-on training, mentorship, and the human factors that develop sound judgment and leadership. When it comes to actual fire suppression, sometimes it feels like our biggest advancement has been going from cotton jacket fire hose to Wajax hose. We’re modernizing the technology, but are we investing enough in developing the firefighters expected to use it? If USWFS is going to build a stronger wildland fire service, we need to invest just as much in training the next generation as we do in reorganizing the organization.

🔥🇺🇸 READY TO BE PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN YOURSELF? Join the U.S. Wildland Fire Service — America’s Fire Department. Answer the call. Protect our land. Serve your country. Be part of the mission. The next generation of federal wildland firefighters starts with you. Are you ready? #USWildlandFireService #WildlandFirefighter #FederalFirefighter usajobs.gov/job/888439100

Had some more photos to share from Washington at the Paradise Fire near Walla Walla #WashingtonWildfires

You may not realize it yet, but we’re about to be part of something that will reshape wildland firefighting. The decisions we make today will define how this profession operates for generations to come. From the ashes will rise a new generation of firefighters, united under one mission and setting the standard for the future. As we become the largest fire department in the nation, history will remember the people who built it.

Day 14, last operational shift before I go home! Washington was interesting! – at Walla Walla, WA

I’ve never walked this much in my life, and one of my most challenging assignments yet! #Washington #ParadiseFire

Dang! Washington knows how to take care of their task force leaders! They gave me a UTV to get around faster 🤣 May not want to leave this place….

Another call, another assignment. I’m headed to Washington as a Task Force Leader to support firefighting operations following a severe dry lightning event. Time to get to work.

Respect to the line crews out here putting in the work. While we’re focused on the fire, they’re clearing damaged power lines so the incident can move forward safely. Different jobs, same commitment to keeping people safe. Appreciate everything you do. #NashFire #Linemen

#NashFire in Barstow Ca.

It’s getting hot in Barstow