Lessons from the Wildland Sector (2-part workshop) (Saturday morning, March 27)

Part 1: Dynamic Program Development in Changing Times

Faculty: Bill Miller

Most people involved in fire organizations would agree that solid, accurate situational awareness is critical to our ability to perform our work and accomplish our objectives safely and effectively. This concept is deeply intertwined in every aspect of what we do. It is important to us as firefighters because we work under conditions that are dynamic: continually in a state of change. To make sound decisions, we must continually evaluate how we are doing business and whether our actions are producing the results we want.

In order for our organizations to meet the challenges ahead, we need to apply the concepts of situational awareness and solid decision-making beyond the fireline. The very culture we work in can be as dynamic as the fire environment, presenting challenges many of us struggle with. And the consequences of failing to adapt to these changing dynamics can have extremely negative effects on our organizations. How do we develop a dynamic program and begin fostering a culture that enables our organizations to meet changing times with as much success as we meet changes in our fire environments?

This discussion will focus on the efforts put forth by the U.S. Forest Service and the Missoula Smokejumper Program to begin finding ways to develop just such a culture and organization. We will discuss the focus and intent of the Missoula Smokejumper Recruitment and Retention Program, as well as the development of the Northern Region's training and development crew, which focuses on recruiting and retaining a diverse and dynamic workforce and providing an incredible foundation in fire and land management practices.

Part 2: The Federal Women's Program

Faculty: Guanda Fitch

This will be an informative PowerPoint presentation on the Federal Women's Program, the status of women in the federal and USDA Forest Service workforces, and the status of women in fire management in the Forest Service. There will be an opportunity for the audience to interact with the faculty at the conclusion of the presentation.

About the faculty:
Bill Miller is a Missoula Smokejumper and Crew Supervisor of the Great Northern Fire Program, USDA Forest Service. Guanda Fitch is Federal Women's Program Manager for the USDA Forest Service, where more than 11,000 women are employed. She has held numerous assignments within the federal government for the past 35 years. While attending the University of Maryland and Trinity College, she focused on women's studies and public policy.