The fallen had been taken to Phoenix because the Prescott morgue could not handle 19. There, they were under the watch of the Honor Guard 24 hours a day. #DATM 1/
On the day they were to be transported back to Prescott I was assigned to do a live interview on a street corner after the hearses had passed. #DATM 2/
Up until that point, the whole thing seemed abstract and almost unbelievable to me. But. The 19 hearses passing at slow speed through downtown Prescott and the thousands of people watching in absolute quietness got to me. That made it joltingly real. #DATM 3/
I can’t describe what that felt like. One after the other. It took for what seemed hours. When they were finally passed, I turned to look at the reporter and cameraman. They were crying. I realized I was crying. We hugged and called off the interview. #DATM 4/4
Fire memorial services are built on centuries of tradition. The whole purpose is to move the fallen from the community of firefighters into history, where they will never be forgotten. The service also moves the family into the community. #DATM 1/
The arrangements are such that the families are literally surrounded & figuratively embraced by firefighters. By doing this, we reaffirm that we are a community & that through their sacrifice, the families are now part of that community. It is both somber & uplifting. #DATM 2/2

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More from @JimWhittington

12 Nov
A few words on investigations: whenever you have a serious accident or fatalities, there will be an investigation and sometimes multiple ones—and they may not all agree on the issues. 1/ #DATM
That was the case here as the AZ Dept of Forestry and AZ OSHA issued completely different reports. The former reflected the current thinking in the wildland fire community, which was to get away from looking for cause and blame. 2/ #DATM
Whenever you have an investigation, you are operating in hindsight and it is impossible to recreate the stresses and time compression decision-makers were operating under at the time. Simply, before the accident, the outcome is unknown. Afterwards, it is known. 3/ #DATM
Read 13 tweets
12 Nov
Some have said this was wildland fire’s 9/11. I don’t know. I do know our community was in shock and the huge assistance from @FDNY was a steadying force as we built towards the memorial service. #DATM 1/
Also, @LACoFDPIO sent all members of their Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) program to help the IMT working the fire and all the personnel planning for the memorial service. #DATM 2/
I debated about seeing a CISM peer. I didn’t think I needed it. I finally decided to go so I could talk about the experience in classes I teach. It took me about 20 seconds in to realize I’d been lying to myself and I did need it. #DATM 3/
Read 13 tweets
12 Nov
Most families knew within 30-45 minutes from social media/news sources. This highlights how our early 20th century death notification process is no longer valid. Ideally, you’d want law enforcement, an agency rep, & a chaplain to be the first to inform the family. #DATM 1/
That takes time & can't beat social media. Also, any agency would have difficulty notifying 19 families simultaneously. We now ask firefighters to tell families that if something happens, they may find out from other sources but we will get there as soon as possible. #DATM 2/
I’ve been on an incident where the news but not the name broke and we had to wait hours until the coroner announced the name. It created an enormous amount of stress for every family with someone on the incident. #DATM 3/
Read 5 tweets
12 Nov
Now we go to Yarnell Hill. #DATM
I’m not going to comment too much on this part of the movie. I will say the dialogue is partly fiction but the last bits during the entrapment are taken from the actual radio traffic. #DATM
Here’s a video that discusses the findings of the first investigative report. #DATM
Read 7 tweets
12 Nov
The first scene is legit. Experienced fire folks put a lot of thought into efficient packing. After all, you’ll be carrying it and there is an incentive for firefighters to save energy whenever possible. Still, just about everyone allows one creature comfort item. #DATM
You see tools of the trade like the Incident Response Pocket Guide—the IRPG—which standardizes responses to things like injuries, air operations, and increasing fire behavior. Everyone carries one. #DATM
nwcg.gov/sites/default/…
You also see the batteries and a radio. There’s a saying that wildfires run on AA batteries. We go through thousands on a large incident. Each radio needs 9 AAs and on a busy day, 172,000 batteries will be used across the country. #DATM
Read 5 tweets
12 Nov
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
Read 25 tweets

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