Garth Fisher is the National Training Director of the Wildland Fire Management branch for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Garth also services as the Chair and BIA Representative on the National Wildfire Coordinating Group and he has over 15 years of wildland fire operations and wildland fire management. In this week’s episode, Garth explains a little bit about what the BIA agency does and how they pride themselves on being able to provide ongoing leadership training to their staff. If you’re looking to get started in wildland fire, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!
Key Takeaways:
[1:10] A message from Leadership Nature.
[1:50] A quick intro about Garth’s background.
[2:55] How did Garth first get introduced to this industry?
[7:10] What made Garth pick wildland firefighting?
[10:35] What types of responsibilities does Garth have as the director of fire training?
[12:35] What does the BIA agency do?
[16:45] Garth explains some common ways people get into wildland firefighting.
[17:45] It’s important to set the right expectations for yourself. This is extremely difficult work to do!
[20:25] Garth shares some of the memorable experiences he’s had on the job over the years.
[22:35] What has Garth learned about people and teams?
[23:50] If you want to move forward, you need to make yourself uncomfortable.
[27:00] Has Garth run into any close calls before?
[30:05] What type of training opportunities are available at BIA?
[35:30] Garth shares some of the good surprises he’s had along the way.
[38:25] What types of mentors has Garth had over the years?
Mentioned in This Episode:
Katie Lighthall is the Coordinator for the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Strategy in the Western Region. She assists federal, state, local, and tribal agencies as well as non-governmental organizations so that they can be ready in case of a large fire disaster. When you’re coordinating for multiple agencies, it’s important that everybody is on the same page as quickly as possible. Katie shares her experiences on today’s show and showcases how she got into this field, in the first place!
Key Takeaways:
[1:10] A message from Leadership Nature.
[1:50] A quick intro about Katie’s background.
[3:35] How did Katie first get introduced to this industry?
[8:15] What kind of training do you need to get started in this work?
[11:0] When Katie had her first child, she still wanted to be involved with the fire department, but without taking calls in the middle of the night.
[14:05] Katie explains why we need a national cohesive wildland fire management strategy.
[20:50] Large fires are not handled by local firefighters. When big fires happen, they call state or even federal crews. This means there are multiple agencies coming in to tackle the fire.
[23:50] Everybody has a small part to play when it comes to wildland fire.
[27:25] What is the end-vision for the cohesive strategy?
[32:15] You need to evacuate your home earlier on red-flag warning day if you are caring for someone who has a disability and depends on you. Don’t wait till you receive an evacuation notice. The system is overwhelmed and by the time they get to you, it could be too late.
[36:25] What do leaders need to do better?
[41:15] What is Katie the proudest of about her career?
Mentioned in This Episode:
“California fire forces senior living community evacuations”