Fire Headlines

Leading an Organization of Inclusion

Part 2: After Action report Maui Wildfires

This week, we continue our discussion of the After-Action Report (AAR) of the Maui wildfires of August 2023. If you haven’t already, make sure to catch up on the conversation by listening to Part 1 - Episode 51.
 
The AAR, produced by the Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA) and released on April 16, 2024, provides critical insights into the challenges faced and lessons learned during this catastrophic event. Fire Headlines host Samantha Didion is joined by Chief Bob Roper, WFCA’s Senior Policy Advisor and Lead Content Author of the AAR, and Chief Kim Zagaris, WFCA’s Senior Operations Advisor and Subject Matter Expert. Their firsthand experiences and expertise offer invaluable perspectives on the Maui wildfires and the subsequent review process.

Part 1: After Action Report Maui Wildfires

In this episode, explore the after-action report (AAR) of the Maui wildfires that ravaged the island in August 2023. The AAR, produced by the Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA) and released on April 18, 2024, provides critical insights into the challenges faced and lessons learned during this catastrophic event. Fire Headlines host Samantha Didion is joined by Chief Bob Roper, WFCA’s Senior Policy Advisor and Lead Content Author of the AAR, and Chief Kim Zagaris, WFCA’s Senior Operations Advisor and Subject Matter Expert. Their firsthand experiences and expertise offer invaluable perspectives on the Maui wildfires and the subsequent review process.

Firefighter Insurance & Conference Recap

This week on Fire Headlines, Samantha Didion hosts alongside Chief Bob Horton to announce the departure of Chief Jeff Buchanan from the show, as he pursues a new professional opportunity. The Fire Headlines team is extremely grateful for his past contributions and eagerly anticipates his return as a guest in the future.
Throughout this episode, Bob highlights recent developments from wildfire conferences and discusses an article that outlines California’s firefighter insurance crisis. The article points out the alarming situation where even the state’s own firehouses struggle to obtain coverage.

Smart Firefighting Roundtable

This week we are giving our listeners an inside look at a live roundtable event hosted by a friend of the show, Kevin Sofen, on his podcast, Smart Firefighting. Chief Bob Horton and Chief Jeff Buchanan were special guests on the show and shared their thoughts on the question, “If technology is so great, why don’t we use it?”
 
Stay tuned – our team will be on a break next week, but we’ll return with a brand-new episode of Fire Headlines on April 17th!

Public Outreach

With fire season just around the corner, Chief Horton and Chief Buchanan are away in Reno this week for the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) conference. Fire Headlines host Samantha Didion takes this time to talk with Natalie Weber, the Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Southwest District, about public outreach efforts for fire season.
 
Natalie began her career in television news, eventually transitioning to becoming a reporter and anchor. Her diverse experience in media and government communication came together in her current position as a PIO. Natalie sheds light on her dynamic interactions with her colleagues, emphasizing the integral role of teamwork in emergency response. As a PIO, she collaborates closely with firefighters on the ground, ensuring accurate and timely communication to the public.

$8 Billion FirstNet Investment

AT&T’s recent announcement of a significant 10-year investment exceeding $8 billion in FirstNet has garnered attention. This week, Fire Headlines host Samantha Didion is joined by Chief Jeff Buchanan and former FirstNet Vice Chairman, Chief Jeff Johnson.
Chief Johnson, who retired as Fire Chief from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue in Oregon, also served as a Past President of the IAFC and currently holds the role of Executive Director of the Western Fire Chiefs Association. With a broad range of experience in public safety at the local, national, and international levels, Chief Johnson brings valuable insight to this discussion.  

Firefighter Training Simulators

This week’s discussion centers around a recent article shared in the Daily Dispatch. It features the collaboration between a North Texas fire department and a video game maker, resulting in the development of a first-of-its-kind simulator. Host Samantha Didion of Fire Headlines is joined by Chief Bob Horton and Chief Jeff Buchanan on our panel to explore the benefits of firefighter training simulators.

Modular Fire Stations

An article from the Daily Dispatch highlights a prefab modular fire station in Southern California that has a rapid construction timeline of six months and a substantial size of over 4,600 square feet. Fire Headlines Host Samantha Didion is joined by a panel consisting of Chief Bob Horton and Chief Jeff Buchanan to discuss their thoughts on modular builds in the fire service.

Outcomes: Part 2

This marks the continuation of our conversation about outcomes in the fire service. To catch up on part 1, please refer to episode 43.
The Fire Headlines team received an email from a fire service leader inquiring about the concept of outcomes in the fire service. The email outlines the challenges faced in translating this concept into actionable strategies in their organization. Fire Headlines Host Samantha Didion is joined by a panel of experts to discuss these questions.
Joining Samantha on the panel this week are Chief Jeff Buchanan, along with Dr. Matt Hinds-Aldrich, a senior risk strategy lead at the American Association of Insurance Services, and his colleague Sara Wood, an expert in Community Risk Reduction and Data Analysis.