- Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

Winter 2013 ▲ Vol. 2 Issue 4 ▲ Produced and distributed quarterly by the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
What if you lost nine of your fellow crew members—almost half your crew? Kim Lightley knows. That’s Kim circled in white in the
1994 Prineville Interagency Hotshot Crew photo (upper left). This picture is taken just two days before these Oregon hotshots are
assigned to Colorado’s South Canyon Fire. That’s the blow-up (upper right) on this incident that takes the lives of 14 firefighters,
including nine of Kim’s fellow crew members.
Taking Care of Our Own
We are dedicating this issue of Two More Chains to the theme of “Taking Care of Our Own.” Kim’s story is a powerful account of the
devastating impacts that this traumatic event had on her life. Today, this former hotshot speaks to other firefighters—sharing her
journey to recovery. This issue also shares Ben Goble’s story. The Supervisor of the Ahtanum Initial Attack Crew, Ben lost two of his
crew members last September to an off-duty traffic accident. His message: It is imperative that our focus shifts to taking care of
those who remain. You’ll see that we try to address this essential theme for you—taking care of each other—throughout this issue.
Kim Lightley
Taking Care of Our Own
South Canyon Fire Survivor Kim Lightley’s Long Journey Home
By Paul Keller
Kim Lightley remembers studying the fatal Mann Gulch Fire
at fire guard school (what we now call a “basic fire
academy”) in 1989.
members,” Kim recalls. “But I also think, at that moment, I
dismissed that thought and those emotions with:
‘It could never happen to me’.”
“As I sat in that classroom, I probably felt some sadness for
the firefighters who lost their lives and for the family
Unfortunately, 5 years later, on the afternoon of July 6, 1994, it does.
[Continued on Page 3]
In this Issue
How do we know this job is dangerous? Page 2
Lending a fellow firefighter a hand Page 7
Q & A with South Canyon Fire Survivor Kim Lightley Page 6
Are you ready for a traumatic event? What’s in your Crew Boss Kit? Page 8
Insights from a supervisor who lost two crew members Page 9
1
Ground
Truths
By Travis Dotson
Fire Management Specialist
Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
Travisdotson@fs.fed.us
How Do We Know This Job is Dangerous?
Answer this question: “How do we know fighting fire is
dangerous?”
increase or decrease risk. But the decision to take action
kicks it all off.
If you are like me, you say: “Because people get hurt and
killed doing it.” Right? It’s dangerous because people die. But
our goal is to operate safely. What does that look like? Easy,
no one gets hurt or dies. Right? So, if we figured out a way to
operate where no one got hurt or killed, this would cease to
be a dangerous job.
Putting the call out to drop the blade, spin rotors, or fire-out
the next road unleashes the greatest risk—at any stage of
attack. And we often make that decision unconsciously
because we are just doing what we have always done. (“Let’s
take a recon flight.” “Let’s put in some check line.” “Let’s
back off to the next road.”)
I know it seems like I’m
chasing my tail here, but
bear with me.
“Supreme excellence consists of breaking the
enemy's resistance without fighting.”
What happens when you
ask the question in a
different way?
– Sun
Tzu,
Do you think this is a
dangerous job? (Always a
resounding “YES!” from everyone.)
Avoid the Fight
Are we being honest?
I don’t think we always
acknowledge the real risk on
The Art of War
the front end—only after
something bad happens.
Overall, our strategy
continues to boil down to:
“Let’s do what we did last
time and hope nothing bad happens.” This works out a vast
majority of the time (making us think we did the right thing).
Do you think we can fight fire safely?
Different people answer this second question in different
ways. I have found that the people who emphatically answer
“Yes” to this question are on either end of our position
spectrum: Those at the entry level and those at the
administration level. Why is that?
Every Time We Mobilize
The new folks believe we can do this job safely because we
tell them we can when we say things like: “Here is a list of
things that will keep you safe…” “Safety first!” “Fight fire
aggressively having provided for safety first” etc.
The administrators believe it’s true because: 1) We tell them
it’s true; and 2) It makes things really complicated if it isn’t
true. Who wants to consciously ask someone to risk their
lives because people keep calling about “that smoke”?
Every time we mobilize and take action we are risking the
loss of life or limb, and our brothers and sisters die every
year, making this a dangerous job.
I just don’t think we hear ourselves sometimes: “Let’s go
ahead and continue to try and stop this fire in lodgepole pine
in the middle of August—after a month of doing the same—
with no forecasted change in conditions. But remember—no
trees or bushes are worth dying for!”
If we start acknowledging that it’s not “safe” to fight fire,
maybe it will make us think of ways to avoid the fight (just
like we should have learned in grade school). After all:
“Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's
resistance without fighting.”
– Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Trust me, I believe there is a right time and a right place to
fight. I just don’t think it’s as often as we have made it out to
be.
Lead up, Tool Swingers.
My point is the job is dangerous—not the way we do the job.
I know, I know. The way we carry out the mission can
2
[Continued from Page 1]
It is the sixth day of July, 1994. Kim, age 23, is enjoying her third season
aboard the Prineville Interagency Hotshot Crew. So far, she says, it has
been a super-busy “awesome” year.
Her crew has just helicoptered onto a ridge on western Colorado’s
South Canyon Fire. [See summary box on right.] The first group of nine
unloads and is sent to help smokejumpers improve the fireline down
below the ridge. Kim and the remaining ten Prineville Hotshots, along
with other firefighters, stay on top of this main ridge to hammer line
through Gambel oak.
Within a few hours, sudden 45 mph dry, cold-front winds hit the steep,
preheated hillside and fan flames up toward the firefighters.
“We were ordered to run up the ridge to a safety zone,” Kim says. “But
the 200-foot flame front had other plans for our escape.
“As billowing black smoke and a wall of red approached us, we had to
retreat back down the ridge.”
“But the 200-foot flame front had other plans
for our escape.”
“Dolmars of chain saw fuel were exploding
from the heat.”
“That wall of flames thundered toward us—along with
frantic yells—and a sense of pending death
for our fellow crew members below us
on that mountain.”
“The roar of the fire,” Kim says of what she heard as she ran, “was like a
hundred railroad trains. Dolmars of chain saw fuel were exploding from
the heat.
“That wall of flames thundered toward us—along with frantic yells—
and a sense of pending death for our fellow crew members below us on
that mountain.”
Photo of fatal blow-up taken at 1611 hours looking down—southwest—
toward the “West Flank” fireline where firefighters died.
14 Firefighters Perish as They Try to Outrun the Flames
On July 2, 1994, seven miles west of Glenwood Springs, Colo., lightning
ignites a Bureau of Land Management fire in pinyon-pine juniper on a
ridge at the base of Storm King Mountain. The fire is paralleled by two
deep canyons.
The past two days, lightning has started 40 new fires on this BLM District.
The entire general area, in a one-year drought, is experiencing low
humidities and record-high temperatures.
Over the next two days, the South Canyon Fire increases in size. Visible
from Interstate 70 and nearby residential areas, the public becomes
concerned. Some initial attack resources are assigned. At the end of July 5,
the fire is 50 acres. The next afternoon, on July 6, it spreads to
approximately 2,000 acres when a dry cold front moves into the fire area.
As winds and fire activity increases, the fire makes several rapid runs
within the existing burn—in dense, highly flammable Gambel oak.
Fourteen firefighters perish as they try to outrun the flames. The
remaining firefighters survive either by escaping down a deep drainage or
by seeking a safety area and deploying their fire shelters.
Staff Ride to the South Canyon Fire:
http://www.fireleadership.gov/toolbox/staffride/library_staff_ride9.html
Impact Her Life Forever
“So, against all common sense, we dove down into a ravine on the opposite side of the mountain from where the fire was raging [see photo
next page]. The Gambel oak was so thick that we had to practically swim underneath the brush to get through the vegetation. “Ashes and
embers were falling around us—like snowfall in winter.”
Kim and 10 other Prineville IHC crew members
assigned to the top of the ridge—along with more than
20 other firefighters—defy the odds and successfully
make it off the hill that day. Kim’s nine other crewmates—along with five more firefighters—do not.
These 14 people never come home from South Canyon.
And while Kim does return home, she has no
realization of—or game plan for—the emotional and
physical distress and trauma that still await her.
Am I Going to Return to the Hotshot Crew?
Of the five women on her crew, Kim is the only one to
survive the South Canyon Fire. Her first week home,
she and her 10 surviving crewmates travel across
Oregon to attend the funerals “of our nine
The Prineville Hotshots—on July 6, 1994—unload their gear/red bags before being
helicoptered up to the South Canyon Fire (in background). Kim Lightley is in middle of
photo (with braid) with her back toward the camera.
[Continued on Page 4]
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[Continued from Page 3]
beloved brothers and sisters who lost their lives on Storm King Mountain.”
In the immediate aftermath of this horrendous event, Kim says she knew
she had to make a decision: “Am I going to return to the hotshot crew?”
“I was in a lot of grief at that time. It was terribly painful. To have
something like this happen pretty much stabbed me in the heart. So I
decided not to return that summer. And I wasn’t the only one who chose
not to go back.”
Kim explains that fire managers viewed the surviving hotshot crew
members as a unit. “Because the unit seemed to act OK, they thought that
each crew member was fine. But, individually, I was not OK.”
A Lot of Death Going On
When Kim decides not to go back on the crew, because she has a degree in
biology, the District managers decide to insert this firefighter on the fish
survey crew. “I think they thought: ‘She’ll go out and she’ll have a good
summer with the fish guys’.”
The deep “East Drainage” escape route that Kim and the other
firefighters positioned on top of the “Main Ridge”—to left in
photo—are forced to descend down to Interstate 70.
Reverse effect time.
“So they put me on this crew and we would go out and shock fish,” Kim
recalls. “They would come belly up.” Kim extends both her arms out, palms
up, as if she is carrying something. “And they wouldn’t come back to life.
There was a lot of death going on. So I didn’t last too long on the fish crew.” Kim can smile about the sad irony of it all now. But she wasn’t
smiling a whole lot back then.
Before joining the Prineville Hotshots, during her three seasons on a neighboring District’s engine crew, Kim enjoyed her stints as a “relief”
fire tower lookout. “The District managers knew this. They thought this would be a perfect location and occupation for me. At the time, I did,
too.” So, Kim is now sent up to a fire lookout tower. “I took my dog with me. We sat up on that butte for two months. There was a lot of
isolation. I went hours and days without speaking to people. No human interaction happened. Looking back now,” Kim reflects, “that may
have been the catalyst to my Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).”
[Continued on Page 5]
South Canyon Fire
The Firefighters on the Incident When Fatal Blow-Up Occurs
Prineville Hotshots Who Perish
Kathi Beck, Tami Bickett, Scott Belcha, Levi Brinkley [pictured top row, l to
r]; Terri Hagen, Bonnie Holtby, Rob Johnson, Jon Kelso [pictured 2nd row
rd
rd
down, l to r]; and Doug Dunbar [pictured 3 row down, 3 from left].
Prineville Hotshots Who Survive
Bill Baker, Kip Gray, Tony Johnson, Brian Lee, Louie Navarro, Tom Rambo,
Alex Robertson, Bryan Scholz, Tom Shepard, Mike Simmons, and Kim
(Valentine) Lightley.
Smokejumpers Who Perish
rd
st
Jim Thrash [pictured 3 row down, 1 on left]; Roger Roth and Don Mackey
[pictured bottom row, l to r].
Smokejumpers Who Survive
Sonny Archuleta, Sarah Doehring, Kevin Erickson, Eric Hipke, Michael
Cooper, Mike Feliciano, Dale Longanecker, Tony Petrilli, Quentin Rhoades,
Eric Shelton, Sonny Soto, Bill Thomas, and Keith Woods.
Helitack Crew Who Perish
rd
nd
Richard Tyler [pictured 3 row down, 2 on left] and Robert Browing
rd
[pictured 3 row down, on far right].
BLM/U.S. Forest Service Firefighters Who Survive
Todd Abott, Butch Blanco, Jim Byers, Eric Christianson, Mike Hayes, Loren
Paulson, Brian Rush, Michelle Ryerson, and Neal Shunk.
[Continued from Page 4]
4
Nightmares and Flashbacks
Over the next 12 months, Kim experiences nightmares and flashbacks.
She has an ongoing compulsion to visit the gravesites of her fallen
comrades. “That’s where I would let down my guard and sob. I was
carrying around a fake smile—so folks didn’t know I was in so much
pain. I had a lot of survivor’s guilt. I believed 100 percent that I should
have died on that mountain with my friends.”
Kim explains: “I got accustomed to the pain. I couldn’t imagine living
without the hurt. Therefore, every time I laughed, I felt guilt. Every
time something good happened to me, I felt guilty.”
Then, on July 6 of 1995, the one-year anniversary/reunion to
commemorate the firefighter fatalities is planned at South Canyon.
“Everyone was going back to Glenwood Springs,” Kim says. “I didn’t
know if I should go. I didn’t want to see that mountain again. I didn’t
even want to say the word ‘Colorado’.”
The young firefighter finally decides to return to the South Canyon Fire
accident site.
“We were having fun,” Kim Lightley (on left) says of this photo—taken
on Idaho’s Dunnigan Creek Fire in 1992—with her Prineville Hotshot
buddies Bonnie Holtby (middle) and Ellen Hollander.
“When I climbed up to that ridge and
came across the very first cross, it was my good friend Bonnie Holtby—her cross.” Kim says she sat down
and began to weep profusely. “I suddenly realized that I hadn’t mourned for Bonnie that year. I felt like I
hadn’t done her justice. There were just too many deaths to really grieve—to really mourn for all of them.
It sent me back into more guilt.”
Getting Rid of Survivor’s Guilt
Another troubled year passes. “Finally,” Kim says, “in 1996, I had the courage to say that I need help.”
Unfortunately, the first two counselors she tries can’t provide this help.
PTSD Triggers:
“It’s Like ‘Black Leg’—You Scrub and Scrub
But You Can’t Get the Ash Out of Your Pores”
Just going to the beach can be a “trigger” for South Canyon Fire
survivor Kim Lightley’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder condition.
On a recent trip to the Oregon Coast, she pulled up and got out of the
car. “I noticed something physically different in my chest—a pressure.
I immediately identified the sound of the ocean. The roar. I immediately reflected back to that [Storm King] mountain. The roar.”
For Kim, the following sounds and sights can all be PTSD triggers:
yelling, trains, sirens, wind storms, the sounds of wind through tree
branches, traffic, airplanes, helicopters, retardant planes, smoke
columns, black smoke . . .
“The mind keeps the memory. It’s like a tattoo,” Kim explains. “It’s
like ‘black leg’—you scrub and scrub but you can’t get the ash out of
your pores. Trauma is like that. It stays in the secret compartments
of your brain. When you’re least expecting it, it will rise up and scare
the crap out of you. That’s a trigger.”
Kim says that these triggers, today, don’t have the same
overwhelming impact that they originally did after she returned
home from her South Canyon Fire experience.
“It took a lot of work,” she assures, “to work through these sights,
sounds, smells, taste, and touch triggers.”
“I believed 100 percent that I should have died
on that mountain with my friends.”
“Finally, in 1996, I had the courage to say
that I need help.”
Determined to kick-start an effective recovery process, Kim goes to
a third counselor. “This woman was awesome. She is a specialist in
EDMR.” [Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
http://www.emdr-therapy.com/emdr.html ]. “She knew what
‘trauma’ was. She knew what Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is. We
set to work working out the grief. After a while, I didn’t have to go
back to the grave sites all the time. I got rid of some of that
survivor’s guilt. Together with my counselor, we were working
through all these things.”
‘I Should Have Died on July 6, 1994’
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be a persistent, obstinate condition.
Kim knows. In 2005—11 years after South Canyon—the former
hotshot—once again—cannot shake her powerful, heartfelt realization
that: “I should have died on July 6, 1994.”
She calls that counselor—whom
she hadn’t seen in years—and
shares this death revelation with
her. “In so many words,” Kim
remembers, “she said: ‘Get your
rear in here. We have some work
to do’.”
Video
Critical Incident Stress
Management Video – Includes Kim
Lightley in 2008 sharing her South
Canyon Fire experience:
http://bit.ly/1095wTNWFLcismvideo
[Continued on Page 6]
5
Q & A with South Canyon Fire Survivor Kim Lightley
Q: What key insights from your South Canyon Fire experience can you share with current wildland firefighters and their supervisors?
A: “Don’t think for a second that if you bring in a CISM [Critical Incident Stress Management] team directly following an incident, that you’re
done. You’ve just started. Physical wounds last a long time. Mental wounds can last a lifetime. You have to find a way to stay connected with your
people—especially seasonal firefighters. Find a way to follow up at three months, six months, one year after a traumatic event. There is no magic
timeline when folks will recover. Be prepared. Have resources in your back pocket (trauma therapist, clergy, the Wildland Firefighter Foundation
[see “Shop Talk” on page 8], EAP [Employee Assistance Program], peer support).
I know the AAR is part of the wildland fire agency policy today. I like it. I hope people take it seriously and talk about their day. Review what
happened, what was successful, what could have gone better, and how they may improve next time. Simply, I hope people TALK. Talking to fellow
firefighters who ‘Get it’. I can’t stress this one enough. Peer Support is where it’s at. The greatest help (mentally) I ever received in the past 18
years has been talking to fellow firefighters who ‘Get it’. It doesn't matter if they are wildland or structural. The fact that they lost comrades, or
experienced flashbacks, or had excessive anxiety over sights, sounds, smells, taste, or touch—that was validation that I was OK. By peers talking
with peers who have experienced similar traumas, you get validation. You get encouragement. And you get Hope. And remember, a trauma for
one firefighter may be a routine event for another.”
Q: Who is responsible for taking care of those
involved in traumatic events?
A: “We all are. From the WO to the FMO. And this
responsibility also lies with every single firefighter. You can’t
rely on the ‘agency’ to make things right. Firefighters need to
take the ownership to recognize when a fellow firefighter
needs some help. Management at the District level also needs
to have pre-incident contacts in place (mental health officials
trained in trauma). This way, when an incident occurs, there is
no guesswork about what to do next.
We all need to make observations and be aware when folks are
not doing well. Know your people. Know when you see
someone deviating in behavior—excessive drinking, anger,
irritability. The physical and mental stress of firefighting can
have negative impacts on individuals. The cumulative effect of
difficult decision making, physical demands, potential threats
to safety, long durations away from home, can adversely affect
the wildland firefighter. Measures to reduce stress reactions
are critical. The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF)
has developed Stress First Aid (SFA), a training program to
identify those at risk and help reduce the likelihood that these
stress reactions will develop into more severe or long-term
problems. SFA offers a flexible set of seven core actions that
can help firefighters address and mediate stress reactions. [For
more information about SFA training, contact JoEllen Kelly, NFFF
Behavioral Health Program, at FLS113@everyonegoeshome.com.]
Q: What is the most important thing
that someone who is suffering can do?
A: “Don’t lose hope. Humans can’t survive without hope. Keep
ahold of the belief that you will persevere, that you will feel joy
again, that there is a tomorrow. When I was in my darkest
hours, there were times I almost lost sight of hope. I never
want to go there again.”
Q: How do we prepare ourselves to be able to help
in the aftermath of traumatic events?
A: “Pre-incident training. Prepare and learn from those who
have gone through critical incidents. Unfortunately, there is no
cookie-cutter ‘how to’ book for dealing with tragedy or near
misses. There were 11 survivors from the Prineville Hotshot
Crew. I bet each of us had different needs following the
tragedy.”
[Continued on page 7]
The First Step to Healing
In 2006, the deputy chief of Kim’s local structure fire department asks Kim to speak to
his graduating rookie structural class. “It was epic,” says Kim. Prior to this, she had
never before spoken publicly about her personal path to recovery down her long and
bumpy PTSD road. “I fell in love with speaking and sharing my story. By my doing so, it
gave others permission to speak.”
Since then, Kim has become a strong advocate for taking care of surviving coworkers
in the aftermath of critical incidents. Employed as a fulltime research chemist and
mother of a 10-year-old daughter (Kim’s husband, Bob Lightley, worked as a
smokejumper for 14 years), Kim still manages to travel around the country sharing her
“Journey to Recovery Following the Storm King Mountain Fire” presentation. She
emphasizes and explains the need for critical incident stress management and followup after a near miss or line of duty death.
The wide variety of groups Kim has spoken to include: USFS and BLM fire refreshers;
Missoula Smokejumpers; BLM Leadership Team in Alaska; U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service’s Region 8 FMO Team Meeting in South Carolina; USFS Region 6 Line Officers
and Forest Supervisors; CISM Fire Peer Support Team Meeting with the BLM, USFS,
and BIA in Tucson, Ariz.; and the USFS Type 3, 4, 5 IC Workshop in northern Idaho.
In 2007, Kim signed on as a facilitator with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
in this organization’s “Taking Care of Our Own” training program. “It covers preincident planning, survivor notification, family and coworker support, and benefits and
resources available to the families,” Kim informs. (She says its website has “a ton” of
information: http://www.firehero.org/training/.)
As reflected in her talks, Kim says she is also interested in the “human factors” relating
to the decision making process when stress, fear, and panic enter the equation.
“When I was in the depths of PTSD—because I had all the symptoms—it would have
been really awesome if somebody would have come up to me and said: ‘Hey, what
you’re experiencing right now is normal. Because what you experienced is very
abnormal’. If I had heard that, I think I would have felt less crazy.
“Everyone has a story,” Kim assures. “But not everyone is willing to disclose their
deepest, darkest fears. I guess when I open up and pour my soul out in my talks, it
makes it OK for others to share. That’s the first step to healing.”
I Wish I Had Seen This ‘Trauma Screening Questionnaire’ in 1994
“I was 23-years-old when South Canyon happened,” says Kim Lightley. “I didn't
know a darn thing about trauma or what it could do to my brain. I wish I had
seen this ‘Trauma Screening Questionnaire’ in 1994. I wish I knew it was ‘normal’
to have adverse reactions to trauma. I didn't see this questionnaire until January
2007. Guess what? I sobbed. For the first time, I realized that someone else
‘Got-it’.”
Trauma Screening Questionnaire
[A link to this document—and others—is also provided in “Shop Talk” on page 8.]
6
[Continued from page 6] “The more we understand about the human brain and how trauma affects it, the better we all will be at helping our
veterans, our emergency medical personnel, our police officers, and our awesome firefighters.”
Q: What’s it like being a facilitator for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s ‘Taking Care of Our Own’ training program?
A: “The first time I participated in a “Taking Care of Our Own” training course was at NIFC in Boise in 2007. It was a very emotional time for
me to share my story in front of wildland firefighters. I’ve sat through many of these trainings over the past six years. Each class is hard. It is a
hard subject to talk about (death), because everyone in the room has been affected by a death of a loved one, coworker, pet . . . There are
moments when the heads go down and I know those folks are either reliving an event or thinking hard about a loved one. It is so critical,
though, that we offer these courses. Pre-incident planning and having “prediction.” That’s what it’s all about. I’d prefer to also talk about
preventative safety measures. That way we never have to bury another firefighter. But as history has presented itself, firefighters are still
dying—and we must be prepared to take care of their families and their coworkers.”
Q: How are you doing with your own recovery process today?
A: “Let’s just say, I still go see my EDMR-specialist counselor. I still get small triggers and we work through them. It’s like a huge onion. You
unpeel one layer, and there’s another layer. It’s a process.”
Q: This article’s title is: ‘South Canyon Fire Survivor Kim Lightley’s Long Journey Home.’ Are you there yet?
A: “Let’s just say, I see the lights of home. It’s been a LONG journey and I am tired. I wish I could say I was home and resting in my easy chair.
But I still have some work to do in the world of trauma and recovery. Perhaps it’s because I still have some healing to do and I know there are
multitudes of folks out there that still need help.
I believe we can heal from past traumas. I believe we can heal and feel joy. But there will always be that twinge of sadness when I look into my
rearview mirror of life. But I must focus forward, fixing my eyes on the future and on hope.”
Union Hotshots/Firefighters Respond to an ‘Unacceptable Situation’ – Lend a Hand to Fellow Firefighter
“How many wildland fire survivors do we have who deal with emotional
trauma?” asks Jody Prummer, Superintendent of the Union Interagency
Hotshots. “We tend to forget about survivors of accidents. As an organization,
we do a great job of remembering the fallen—but what happens to the
survivors?”
When Jody and his crew recently spotted an opportunity to help out a fellow
firefighter who has survived a traumatic injury on a fire—they put this concern
into action. Here’s their story.
Last spring, Krstofer “Krs” Evans drives his aging, gas-hog, van up to northeast
Oregon to present his “Don’t Be That Guy” training for Union and the
La Grande Interagency Hotshots. Krs is the former Plumas Interagency Hotshot
sawyer paralyzed by a falling snag on an arson fire in 2001. (For more
information on Krs and his story, see:
http://wildfirelessons.net/documents/Two_More_Chains_Summer_2011.pdf.)
Krs Evans, behind the wheel of his new car, with Union Hotshot
Superintendent Jody Prummer, who helped spearhead the fund drive
that successfully raised money for the car—and more.
“When we saw his old van it was obvious it was on its last legs,” Jody says.
“OWCP [Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs] would replace it with a similar vehicle—old and gas-guzzling. But we heard that a car
would better suit Krs’ needs with gas mileage and for servicing the vehicle. His van was so tall, he couldn’t see into the engine compartment.
So, we have a permanently disabled firefighter with needs that are not being met. This was an unacceptable situation.”
Jody and his crew’s overhead decide to raise funds to help Krs buy a new car. “We made a bunch of flyers and spread the word with other
firefighters and asked them to spread the word,” says Jody, who also shared their fund raising story on fires last season at morning briefings.
In just sixth months, they had successfully raised $17,500—mostly from firefighters from across the country. Last November, they presented
Krs with his new car, a 2010 Honda Civic Coup LX. “The car was in excellent shape—it looked brand new—with a 7-year 100,000-mile
warranty,” Jody informs. “We also found a place that installed all the special controls that Krs needs at a great price for us. We had additional
money left over to help pay Krs’ insurance for some time to come.”
Jody says it’s hard for him to imagine what it must be like to survive the emotional challenge of being a firefighter one day, and the next day,
you’re suddenly no longer able to do this job again. “For a lot of us,” Jody explains, “fighting fire is more than a way of life. It becomes our
identity. We need to recognize that, for some survivors, there are permanent physical and emotional wounds that may never heal. For me,
the term ‘Never Forget’ also includes survivors.”
Helping Krs get a new car, Jody says, was one of the most fulfilling activities he’s ever been involved in. “The fire community is a very
generous group of professionals. To see us take care of one of our own is incredible. I can truly never express—to all those who helped—how
much this has meant. I just wish everyone could have been there when Krs received his car. I hope this is a start of more good things for
other survivors. I know there are many out there who still need the support of their fire community.”
Jody points out that the family of Anne Veseth, the wildland firefighter killed by a snag last August on Idaho’s Steep Corner Fire, contributed
to Krs’ fundraiser. “I plan on contacting them,” Jody says, “and presenting them a picture of Krs with his new car.”
7
What’s in Your Crew Boss Kit?
To Help You Prepare for a Traumatic Event
Shop Talk
If something bad happens to one of your folks, how will
you get the word out? Who will you contact? What will
you say? How do you take care of your folks?
The reminders and references on this page
can help you prepare for this situation.
Photo: Keith Redington
Preparation is the Key
Before you face the challenge of a serious accident:
1.
Talk with your personnel and your supervisor about this potential outcome:
What is your unit’s protocol for emergency notification?
Are your personnel and their families ready for this possibility?
2.
Make sure your Emergency Contact information is up-to-date and accessible
to you and your supervisor.
Check out this Emergency Contact Form
Improve your Crew Boss Kit
Wildland Firefighter
Foundation
1.
Is your crew’s updated
Emergency Contact Info with
you?
2.
Do you have extra forms for
detailers or fill-ins?
3.
Do you have several copies of these forms with you? (One packet of
completed forms in each vehicle?)
www.wffoundation.org
Phone: 208-336-2996
The Wildland Firefighter Foundation’s main
focus is to help families of firefighters killed in
the line of duty and to assist injured
firefighters and their families. If you need help,
call them. They have answers to questions you
have asked, as well as those you don’t know
you need to ask.
As the Dust Settles . . .
Bad things affect folks in different ways. Use This Checklist from the National
Fallen Firefighters Foundation to monitor yourself and your folks.
Other Online Resources
Lessons from the Esperanza
Fire and Engine 57
http://bit.ly/Engine57Lessons
National Fallen Firefighters
Foundation
www.firehero.org
More Help for Survivors:
http://bit.ly/nffftools
[Look under: “Download Class Materials”]
Phone: 301-447-1365
Is there something you’d like to add to this toolbox? Please let us know!
Or, if you have any other ideas for the next Shop Talk, please contact:
Paul Keller prkeller@fs.fed.us
503-622-4861
8
One of Our Own
Photo by Eli Lehmann
Ben Goble
“The Prarie was Set on fire. . .
The fire went with such
Insights from avelocity
Supervisor
Who Lost Two Crew Members
that it burnt to death
a man &claimed
woman the
wholives
Couldof two Ahtanum Initial Attack Crew members.
Late last September, an off-duty single-vehicle accident
nothad
get been
to anyon
place
of Safty. R&R and were returning to their Ahtanum Guard
Matthew Trost, 20, and Sam Amaral-Gallaway, 20,
mandatory
. . Among
other, aroad
Smalland
boyrolled 480 feet. Their acting Crew Supervisor, Ben
Station when Sam’s Jeep Wrangler went off the side
of a logging
who was Saved by getting
Goble, was suddenly responding—on several levels—to this unexpected accident. Ben now wants to share all that he learned
under a green [fresh]
from this tragic experience with the wildland fireBuffalow
community—so
that others might be better prepared for reacting and
skin. . . The Fire did
responding to critical incidents.
not burn under the Skin,
leaving the
grass round
the
Ben Goble’s
Overriding
Message
to Us:
boy. This fire passed our
“We hear about fatalities in the wildlandCamp
community
about 8 every
oClockseason.
P.M. It Fatalities and fatality prevention are key
themes every season. However, the unthinkable
willgreat
unfortunately
went with
rapitidity happen again to someone else. Despite these
andwith
looked
precautions, are we really prepared to deal
theTremendioius.”
overall effects from a fatality? It is imperative that our
focus shifts to taking care of those who remain. Crew members involved, supervisors, and other staff need to be
treated and helped just as much as a patient with a life-threatening injury. Not only do we deal with the loss of
our brothers and sisters, but the mental toll that it takes on survivors and coworkers can last forever. So, how do
we minimize the effects of the fatality and speed the healing process? Critical Incident Stress Debriefings are
crucial to ensure that staff members involved are cared for in this critical time.
Do you know what resources are available in your area?
Do you know your agency policy regarding critical incident management?
Do you have a plan in place to help you as a supervisor get through the incident?
These are some of the lessons learned last summer by our Ahtanum IA crew, operated by the Washington State
Department of Natural Resources (DNR), as we responded to and worked through an off-duty traffic accident
that claimed the lives of our two crew members.” [For related, helpful information, see “Shop Talk” on page 8.]
How Do We Take Care of Those Who Remain?
Ben Goble, acting Supervisor of the Ahtanum IA Crew, says last September 28 started out as a
typical, late-September, end-of-season morning. Some crew members are leaving to return home,
others are staying on till the snow flies. However, when two of his six remaining crewmembers fail
to report to work as scheduled, Ben grows concerned. Next, a local cattle rancher drives into their
Ahtanum Guard Station to report seeing tire tracks dropping off the road approximately four miles
away. The rancher says he couldn’t see the vehicle—down the steep embankment—from the
road.
“My other crew EMT and I respond to the location to confirm that EMS is needed,” says Ben, a
veteran EMT IV (Intravenous Therapy) Technician who is also a volunteer Training Captain/EMT
with his local structure fire department.
Ben Goble (pictured above) believes we tend to
overlook talking about dealing with traumatic
events because we focus on the prevention
side—preventing entrapment and fatalities—
and taking the appropriate steps to avoid
tragedies in the first place. He says we should
also be prepared for when tragedy does
happen—understanding the protocols and
necessary steps that we need to take to avoid
the long-term hazards and dangers associated
with traumatic incidents.
“We arrive at the scene and I proceeded to go down to the vehicle. My other EMT stays at the
road to manage communications. This is when it sinks in that I am dealing with two of my own.
Even before EMS help arrived, I knew I was going to be dealing with a critical incident. Despite
basic life support, rescue and EMS efforts, both crew members passed before they could be
extracted out of the canyon.” (Washington State Troopers will later confirm that both Matt and
Sam were wearing their seatbelts, but could not survive the massive fall.)
Ben says his focus then shifted from patient care to: “How do I take care of my crew?”
9
They Will Be Forever Missed
Matthew Trost (pictured on left), a Senior Firefighter on the Ahtanum IA Fire Crew,
had served on the crew the past three years. Firefighter Sam Amaral-Gallaway
(pictured on right) worked on the crew in 2011 until he broke his arm. In 2012, he had
been serving on their DNR Southeast Engine 561 until September, when he rejoined
the Ahtanum IA Fire Crew—two weeks before the fatal accident.
“Matt was a skilled firefighter. He loved his job,” says Ahtanum IA Fire Crew acting
Supervisor Ben Goble. “There was never a dull moment when he was around. Anytime
the crew was feeling down, you could guarantee Matt would be there to do
something goofy to bring the smiles back to peoples’ faces. Matt had that ‘get-it-done’
attitude. He was definitely a leader to the crew and was instrumental to his squad.”
“Sam loved the outdoors,” Ben says. “He always had a positive attitude. It seemed
that whenever there was a task that needed a little more manpower to complete—
Sam was right there ready to pitch in.”
“Both men,” Ben says, “continue to live in our hearts and minds. They will be forever
missed.”
“My supervisors were notified and the wheels started turning to get a Critical Incident Stress Debrief in place immediately. I knew this was
going to hit the crew hard.”
Ben started his wildland fire career in 2000 on a Gifford Pinchot National Forest engine crew. Six years ago, he became a Forest Crew
Supervisor for DNR’s Larch Correctional Camp, running one of eight inmate crews. He was detailed into the supervisor position on DNR’s
Ahtanum IA Fire Crew last June.
Your Agency Policy Might Not Cover Addressing Those Who Remain
Ben explains that, from a supervisor’s perspective/position, a significant key to dealing with a critical incident is knowing and understanding
your agency’s policies and guidelines for responding to these tragedies.
“Even though this accident was off hours and was not an on-the-job fatality, the management of the incident remained the same,” Ben points
out. When it comes to advice for other supervisors, Ben explains that “while agency policy can often provide a basic framework for dealing with
the incident itself, it might not cover helping those who remain.” He explains that his agency’s “Critical Incident Management Protocol for
Managers” document was helpful. “It laid out the framework, what each supervisory position should be taking care of—such as designating a
liaison for the families. As managers, it provided a checklist that allowed us to run through the incident smoothly with no real hang-ups or
questions. However, it wasn’t real specific in dealing with the critical incident stress and managing the incident after the incident.”
Doing the Right Thing
“So I had no idea what resources were available for our debrief. I didn’t know if I was going to have to try and facilitate it myself—or if a
facilitator was available.” After checking with his manager, Ben—“thankfully”—learned that a local facilitator was available.
“Doing ‘the right thing’ is very important to success,” says Ben. “In times of high stress and loss, something that seems small and insignificant
can mean a lot to those affected. Everyone reacts to a fatality differently. Some people want to ‘get away from it’, and others become statues
in shock.
“Immediately after I cleared the scene, I gathered the crew
in the cook house and told them the sad news. I also
informed them that a critical incident stress debrief was
going to take place in about 20 minutes and that they
needed to stay until we completed that defusing.”
2012
Ahtanum
Initial Attack
Crew
Ben explains that, for some people on his crew, this request
turned out to be extremely difficult. “A couple of our
crewmembers just wanted to leave and go anywhere but the
guard station.”
Incident ‘Defusing’ Helps Immensely
“This critical incident defusing process helped those involved
immensely,” Ben confirms. “It is critical that within the first
24-hours post-incident this ‘defusing’ takes place. This
provides a benchmark as to where people are in the grieving
process. And it also helps to identify those people who may
need additional help.”
[Continued on page 11]
Front Row: (l-r) Stephen Sewell, Leo Billon, Anthony Reyes, Antonio, Aviles, Allen Rey,
Miguel Alba, Nathan Mould. Middle Row: (l-r) Michael Van Rossen, Matthew Trost, Sean
Salinger, Jerimiah Turner, Annie Schinnell. Back Row: (l-r) Ben Goble, Brice Zerck, David
Sowers, Noah Greenwald, Adrian Cardenas, Holly Thorpe, Jonathan Vargas, Jonathan
Corona. (Sam Amaral-Gallaway is not pictured.)
Photo by Koshare Eagle
10
“
My Coworkers Did Not Need That Burden
After the incident, I found myself lacking focus. I was unable to concentrate on one task for
more than about 15 to 20 minutes. This was primarily due to my need to debrief with EMS
personnel—separate from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) fire community. I
was able to help myself through this by calling and talking with EMS providers in my home
unit and with the local fire district personnel who had responded to the fatality scene. I was
the only DNR staff involved with the patient care who actually saw the patients—no one
else on the crew did. This is also a very important lesson learned. Those directly involved
with patient care need to limit descriptions of what was seen. They should not share those
details with personnel who were not involved in patient care. In my case, the things I saw
that day, my coworkers were not prepared to deal with. Nor did they need that burden.
Ben Goble, Acting Supervisor, Ahtanum IA Crew
Washington State Department of Natural Resources
”
[Continued from Page 10] Ben stresses how it is critical that anything shared inside this defusing discussion/process remains confidential. “The
point of the defusing is to let people’s emotions flow in a safe environment—away from ridicule or scrutiny.”
One of the Hardest Things to Do
“One of the hardest things to do that day was waiting to call each of the crew members who had already ended their season and tell them the
news. It was important that they heard it directly from me as their supervisor. I didn’t want the crew to hear about it through social media or the
rumor mill or from other sources. But, first, I had to wait until Matt and Sam’s families were notified by law enforcement. This notification
process took around ten hours—and it seemed like forever.”
Ben says that as soon as he began making those phone calls to his crew, crew members farther down his “call list” started calling in. “Through
the social media channels they’d heard that something had happened to the Ahtanum Crew. They wondered what was going on—they weren’t
sure what it was, but they knew it was something big.” Sam had been a volunteer with the local fire district who responded to the accident
scene. These firefighters knew Sam. They put the word out via social
media.
Four days later, a second debriefing occurred. This facilitated session
included members no longer employed for the season, managers, and
other staff.
“The more those affected talked about the
incident, the better they were able to cope
with the loss.”
The Benefits and Power of Crew Cohesion
“This incident was a true testament to the benefits and power of crew
cohesion,” Ben says. “Within 24-hours, half the crew had gathered here (in
Yakima, Wash.)—even though, for many, their fire season had ended and they had gone home. They returned to support one another. Within
one week, we had 75 percent of our crew here (many from California)—and a quarter of the crew from the previous season. Everyone wanted
to be together and support each other.
“In the weeks after the accident, the crew took comfort in helping each other and supporting the families of the fallen,” Ben says. “The more
those affected talked about the incident, the better they were able to cope with the loss.”
Ben says he now realizes that throughout the immediate post-critical incident time it is helpful to have a checklist of things that need to be
done “to help maintain focus and to help bring some order to chaos. I did not have a checklist immediately available to me during the incident,”
Ben explains. “I now know how that would have helped
immensely.”
Ben’s Checklist
After this traumatic fatal incident, Ben has added several key
actions to his supervisor’s checklist. These include: notifying
your crew members individually, first hand. “And, when you
deliver this news (via the telephone), make sure that people
aren’t on the road driving.” (Ben says he gained this advice
earlier in his structure fire career.)
In summary, Ben says: “I think the support from
management and crew cohesion was critical in getting
everybody through this tragic incident.”
Ahtanum IA crewmembers on the 2012 Yakima Complex, Wild Rose Incident. Pictured
(from l-r): Anthony Reyes, Tony Aviles, Matthew Trost, Miguel Alba, and Sam AmaralGallaway. Photo by Jonathan Corona.
Got a potential “One of Our Own” candidate?
Please let us know. Contact: Paul Keller 503-622-4861
prkeller@fs.fed.us
11
Your
FEEDBACK
Can We Practice Emergency Driving? Yes
In the Fall Issue of Two More Chains, I really liked the
emphasis on driving and the story about Engine 713 (One of
Our Own feature). As the Incident Commander of the Rocky
Mountain Engine Academy, the question in this article: “Can
We Practice Emergency Driving?” truly hit home with me.
Engine 713’s Assistant Captain Jesus Valdez mentioned the
skills that he learned from attending an engine academy. That
hit the nail on the head. I wish other Geographic Areas would
implement engine academies.
I believe that we are the only engine academy that has access
to a rollover machine that the military uses for driving
training. We run each student through this machine to identify
things that they can do differently in the future should they
ever be in an actual rollover incident.
Driving is one of the most dangerous things we do. I think we
all realize this. But until you are placed into a training
environment that requires you to do something out of the
ordinary is when everything really hits home.
I am currently writing a lesson plan for our 2013 rollover
training at the engine academy. Nobody wants to plan for a
rollover. But you would be surprised what loose items in a cab
can potentially do to a person.
When folks are turned upside down and told to get out,
people crash to the ceiling, pocket change, pocket knives, and
every other loose item in cab also tumbles around.
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Afterwards, I ask these folks to think about what risks a pair of
loose fencing pliers—or a fire extinguisher not fastened
correctly—could pose in an actual rollover incident. Potential
scenario: You survive the rollover but get seriously hurt from
some piece of equipment in the cab.
Keep up the good work at Two More Chains. You can't go
wrong sharing lessons learned and providing real examples.
Jason Virtue
Assistant Fire Management Officer
Black Hills National Forest
Hit Driving Safety Harder
I do fire training. I always cover driving safety.
After reading your last issue of Two More Chains (on the
hazards of driving), I will now hit this subject harder than I
have before—going into it much deeper.
Roy Cates
Crew/Module Leader
AAA Thunderbolt Fire Service
Two More Chains, published quarterly by the Wildland
Fire Lessons Learned Center, is dedicated to sharing
information with wildland firefighters. For story tips,
questions, or comments, please contact: Paul Keller,
prkeller@fs.fed.us, 503-622-4861.
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12