Safety in Wildland Fire Suppression Operations

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Safety in Wildland Fire Suppression Operations

• Dick Mangan
• International Association of Wildland Fire
• Blackbull Wildfire Services
• Missoula, Montana USA

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4th International Wildland Fire Conference

• Seville, Spain
• 17 May 2007

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Wildfire Suppression

• A High Risk Endeavor

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Death Injury on the Fireline

• Hero Attitude
• Situational Awareness
• Social and Political Expectations
• Wildland-Urban Interface

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Some Additional Factors

• Global warming effect on fuels
• Inadequate training/equipment/leadership
• Communications capabilities
• Vehicle operations
• Incomplete weather and fire behavior
• Physical fitness issues.

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Challenges for the Worlds Wildfire Community

• Quantify causes of death injuries
• Develop investigation protocols
• Conduct on-going trend analyses
• Open international channels for information
  sharing and lessons learned.

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Improving Firefighter Safety in the 21st Century

• Adequacy of training at all levels
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Lessons Learned
• Safety Officer positions
• Individual Responsibility and Accountability.

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An IAWF Initiative for Wildland Firefighter Safety
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International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF)

• .. Providing leadership and facilitating
  communications in the wildland fire community.

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IAWF Fire Safety Initiative

• To record, document and analyze wildland fire
  serious injuries and deaths world-wide.

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IAWF Fire Safety Initiative

• IAWF will create and maintain a fatality and
  serious injury database
• Quarterly and annual reports analyzing data
• Reports to the worlds wildfire community.

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More information on-line by June 1, 2007

• www.iawfonline.org

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Suppressing Wildland Fire Remains a Dangerous Job!
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To Minimize Mitigate Risks

• Identify risks and hazards
• Share information and trends
• Change practices and mitigate risks.

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Muchas Gracias!

• and be safe on the fireline!