Discussion Paper on Fire Behavior and Wildland Firefighter Safety Now Available

 

“The things we never challenge are the things that never change”

from the song “Turn of the Wheel” by James Keelaghan (1994)

 

The health and safety of wildland firefighters is a topic that is held very dearly by the members of the FERIC Wildland Fire Operations Research Group.  Many of the studies undertaken by the Group have focused directly on wildland firefighter health and safety.

 

As reported last fall on this website [1] , Dr. Marty Alexander, now a Senior Researcher with the FERIC Wildland Fire Operations Research Group, was the recipient of the 2003 International Wildland Fire Safety Award as presented by the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF) (http://www.iawfonline.org/) at the 2003 International Wildland Fire Safety Summit held in Toronto, Ontario, November 18-20.  As part of the award, Dr. Alexander became a Life Member of the IAWF and now serves on the standing committee to select future award recipients. His acceptance speech can be found on the IAWF website.

 

Dr. Alexander was asked by the Toronto summit organizers to deliver the introductory keynote address.  The paper prepared by Dr. Alexander focused on seven key points dealing with:

·        Public safety in relation to wildland fire

·        Forest health and fire behavior

·        Field use of fire behavior aids & guides

·        Experienced judgment and fire behavior

·        Fire behavior and human behavior

·        Applying fire behavior knowledge

·        Prescribed fire fatalities

 

Unfortunately, time did not permit for the inclusion of Dr. Alexander’s paper into the summit proceedings.  However, as a result of interest expressed by regular readers of The Home of the Wildland Firefigher  WWW site (http://www.wildlandfire.com), the webmistress requested that the paper be posted on their website  (http://www.wildlandfire.com/docs/alexander.htm).  In addition, Dr. Alexander’s original paper and associated powerpoint presentation are now available for viewing on the IAWF website. As a result, Dr. Alexander’s paper is now readily accessible to a much wider audience.