Thread by @JimWhittington

Thanks for inviting me to #DATM. Since it is 11/11, I’d like to start out by thanking all the vets who continue to serve in wildland fire. Their skills and experience have enhanced the whole wildland fire community. Here’s some info on Vet crews: blm.gov/careers/vetera…

I’m a retired wildland fire guy who worked for the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. I spent years on incident management teams and responded to over 85 major incidents. #DATM

Most of those were wildfires, but some were all-risk, including a failing dam, floods, windstorms, and the militia occupation of federal lands. I spent my early IMT career in the SW where I worked my way up to a Type I Public Information Officer and a Liaison Officer. #DATM

Much of my training was done with one of the two SW Type 1 IMTs and after I moved to OR, my buddies on the team would occasionally call for help when they had a tough fire. #DATM

In the SW, the last week of June is typically when they have the largest number of large fires as dry lightning comes in right before the monsoonal moisture shows up. The Yarnell Hill Fire started from a lightning strike on Friday, June 28, 2013. #DATM

I was sitting at home that Sunday looking at new fires in AZ between yard chores & noticed the Yarnell Hill Fire. The chaparral fuels can cause difficulty when driven by winds, but are rarely a long-term issue, so I wasn’t thinking I would get a call to head south. #DATM

Winds were indeed causing some problems & threatening Yarnell & Peoples Valley. The SW IMT was called out to take over the fire but they had the capacity to work the fire as it was so my mind shifted to the fire conditions in OR & WA and the work ahead here in the NW. #DATM

Late in the afternoon, I received a text from a friend on the team: “LODDs.” Line of duty deaths. Plural.

Damn.

#DATM

I knew I would get a call so I talked it over with my wife. My previous experience with fatalities had been on the Iron 44 helicopter crash that killed 9 in 2011. #DATM

Iron 44 was a tough one not just because of the fatalities, but because of the criminal investigation afterwards. It was a gut punch. #DATM wildfiretoday.com/tag/iron-44/

I had not handled that well. After the memorial service, I generally checked out at work and home for about 3 months. #DATM

I promised I would do things differently for this one, including taking some time off after I got back. My wife gave her permission. The resource order showed up soon after and on Monday I was in Yarnell. On Tuesday I was conducting media briefings. #DATM

Here’s a blog post about one of those briefings for those of you interested in crisis communications and the stresses fatality incidents bring to media interactions. #DATM
incident-services.com/anchorpointblo…

Saturday, I bumped up to Prescott to help with the memorial service set for Monday. The following Wednesday, we worked several funerals. I was back home on Thursday—an 11-day assignment. #DATM

I saw this movie when it first came out and it was tough. I didn’t know what to expect except that the ending was already known. The uncertainty about the film was big topic of discussion among wildland firefighters. It was a bit easier this time. #DATM

As we watch this and think about fatality incidents, I believe it’s important to remember this passage from the Minutes of the Mann Gulch Fire Board of Review in 1949: #DATM 1/3

“We must view it in the light of decisions made at the time. It is difficult to foretell the future. It is going to be difficult not to take the tragedy as the substance.” DATM 2/3

The Mann Gulch Fire is the subject of Norman Maclean’s brilliant and moving work, “Young Men and Fire.” You should read it. #DATM 3/3

Here's a good article on the common denominators of wildland fire fatalities. Among several factors, time of day shows up quite often. iawfonline.org/article/common…

If you want to help wildland firefighters, there’s no better charity than the Wildland Firefighter Foundation. They step in and do things for families that the agencies cannot. #DATM wffoundation.org

Here’s a video with Vicki Minor, the founder of the Wildland Firefighter Foundation. #DATM
cnn.com/videos/us/2013…

For Fire folks who are following along: You know Wildland Fire is ridiculously complex and there is no way to do justice to all the issues with tweets during a movie. If I only mention a piece or don’t mention something, that’s not a diminishment or a slight. 1/ #DATM

Also, the goal of this project is to introduce college students to an aspect of emergency management they may not be familiar with, so many of the points will be general in nature or aimed at stirring further interest and classroom conversation. 2/ #DATM

As to the last actions of Granite Mountain, I won’t say much beyond referencing the AZ Forestry report and a few general observations as this remains an emotional topic for many (including me) and family members and loved ones may be following along as well. Thanks. 3/3 #DATM

With all of that background info out of the way, I'm ready to push play at 1700 Pacific time. #DATM