**Introduction**

Upon adjournment of the fall 2003 Oregon BLM Fire Operations Supervisor
meeting, a few members of the Vale BLM staff started the long drive
home. During that time we had open and candid discussion about where our
program in Vale was and where we were headed locally, regionally, and
nationally. We are proud of the program we have in Vale but we knew we
had improvements that could be made.

We started to put our thoughts on paper and made a list of all the
little problems that gnaw at us every day; the sort of problems that we
had chronic issues with; the kind of problems that for some reason
weren't easily fixed. We began to ask ourselves, why? We realized that
the world was very different when we started fighting fire. We knew that
we were going to have to adapt to a new generation, a new way of running
a fire program, and non-traditional method of training, and implement
change.

How were we going to do this? We had enough of long speeches in
uncomfortable rooms with finger-pointing and scolding. We knew there
really wasn't any single training course available to tackle the wide
range of issues we felt needed addressed. Even though we have a large
fire organization, we knew we didn't have the money to do what we really
wanted. So we decided to build a non-traditional training "course" of
our own.

And the "Leadership Spring Training Camp" was born.

We realized that the traditional band-aid approach and slap-on-the-wrist
approach to problem solving wasn't working. We needed to get to the
source of the problem...the roots of it all. We felt we needed to change
people's attitudes and perceptions to their jobs and the program as a
whole. We needed to increase our understanding of one another and break
down personal barriers. There are many other issues that I will describe
in the coming pages.

**Identifying the Issues**

-   Sub-standard work

    -   Doing just enough to get by

    -   Lack of pride, work ethics

    -   Time and money needed to correct mistakes = loss in productivity

-   Time management while at work

-   Respect for positions and the chain of command, following orders,
    supporting the corporate agenda

-   Lack of professionalism

-   Lack of initiative, responsibility, personal and team accountability

-   Cohesion amongst the ranks and areas

**Direction**

To back-up our theories on management of the program we only needed to
look in a few areas. At the fall 2003 FALT meeting, it was clear that
Training, Mentoring, and Employee Development were at the top of the
list. At the 2003 fall FOS meeting, the State FMO made it clear to us
what his priorities are: Life/safety, Effective IA/ Suppression, and
Leadership/ Supervision. And with the understanding of our own FMO and
AFMO and their comments (not to mention our own vision and the fact it
was our job), we had clear support to proceed. But would the
non-traditional training methods for initial attack fire fighters be
accepted in our organization and by others outside the organization?

**Framework**

To pave the way for our training camp, we totally revised the Vale BLM
Fire Standard Operating Procedures. We made them much bigger and in more
detail than ever before. We wanted our voice to be clear. We took the
time 2 years ago to build a mission statement and set clear objectives
for our organization. We used those SOPs and that mission statement as
the foundation for everything we did at camp. It was clear that the SOPs
would be a critical element of successful training and operations from
day one of camp and into the future.

Its important to understand that to expect the entire team to function
more efficiently, with teamwork, professionalism, and the like, the
cadre team and the fire staff **MUST** be functioning as a cohesive
unit. It is difficult to expect this from the team if the team leaders
themselves cannot function effectively together.

**Purpose**

-   Correct re-occurring issues from the past by taking a direct source
    approach to solving the problem

-   Re-affirm the chain of command

-   Instill high morale, initiative, and a good work ethic going into
    fire season

-   Create ownership in the program

-   Build and identify the potential leaders of the future

-   Have fun with non-traditional training methods and exploring new
    techniques and methods in improving crew cohesion

**Objectives**

-   Promote and practice teamwork and professionalism

-   Strengthen leadership skills and physical fitness capability

-   Learn and practice effective supervision skills

-   Challenge students mentally and physically under stressful
    situations and improve decision making and problem solving
    capability

-   Promote commitment, accountability, responsibility, and trust

-   Review basic fundamentals and explore different fire fighting
    techniques

-   Identify and correct individual and team weaknesses

-   Improve communications up and down the chain of command

-   Practice and enforce safety protocol

![](media/image1.wmf){width="4.995833333333334in"
height="3.7472222222222222in"}

The "Daily Dozen" is what we believe is the root of every issue we have
on our district. Whatever the problem may be, it usually can be tied to
one of these 12 values. The next page outlines our Mission Statement for
Vale BLM Initial Attack Fire Fighters.

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height="5.538194444444445in"}

**Designing the Training Camp**

We explored many sources and references before deciding how we would
tackle each individual issue. Each one would need its own special
attention. We knew that keeping motivation up to the level we wanted
would be difficult, so we designed the events, seminars, activities, and
such to maintain diversity and variety and to break monotony. We wanted
to have fun as well as get our point across. We felt it would be more
palatable in a favorable environment. We knew that some days would be
challenging, others would be easy for some. Some days we would be all
about business, others would be more relaxed. Camp would center around a
strong physical fitness schedule, daily briefings, classroom exercises,
field exercises, drills, homework, After Action Reviews, seminars, and
round table discussions.

We wanted camp to "evolve." It would build to the desired state at the
conclusion. The first day was nothing but bringing up issues from the
past and possibly opening old wounds. We felt we may need to do this to
put the past behind us. So the first day was spent reviewing the
**entire** SOP, so no one had any doubts about our mission, goal, and
procedure. We were going to "get tough" on many issues. We wanted
employees who were "on-board" with the corporate agenda. We knew this
may leave some folks behind. For us, this was acceptable because we felt
there wouldn't be any room for folks who weren't a part of the team.
(We'll get back to this later).

The camp would be designed around four 5 person groups for a total of 20
"trainees" or students. The students came from the engine and helitack
programs on our own district. All of the students were module leaders of
some form. These were our front-line supervisors. To accomplish many of
the exercises and maintain span of control, 5 cadre members and one
coordinator were appointed. We also utilized outside evaluators for some
of the exercises and even invited guest speakers for certain topics.

We wanted to start this fire season on the right track and avoid
recurring issues from the past to get a foot-hold. So we started
training immediately upon returning the career fire fighters back into
pay status. We held the training camp in the spring before fire season
and before seasonal fire fighters were employed. After-all, we wanted
committed time to accomplishing this and we knew that if we stopped
during the training it would be hard to pick up where we left off and
our consistency would be gone. We also wanted this to transcend down
into the guy on the drag shovel. We wanted no interruptions. We figured
it would take us 10 working days to accomplish all that we had planned.
Depending on the number of topics and how involved you wanted to get,
this may be accomplished in less time.

Planning the camp was a heavy workload for the coordinator during the
winter months. Team concensus was needed to maintain consistency so
several meetings were held throughout the winter and a trial camp with
the cadre was held over a few days in the spring. We needed to
accomplish our training mission with little expense incurred and we felt
we needed to involve the Resource Area as well, which we did.

**References to other Training**

We pooled our resources from several different established training
programs so we could pick and choose what we wanted. As I stated before,
we wanted to take a non- traditional approach to training and try
different methods and a variety of exercises. We pulled information from
the following sources:

-   Hotshot and Smoke Jumper programs

-   Military

-   Police

-   Structural Fire

-   Current NWCG Leadership Coursework

-   NIFC Leadership Toolbox

-   Regional Readiness Drills

-   Outward Bound, 4H, others like this

We felt that we really weren't inventing anything, rather we
incorporated other training methods not traditionally used and exercises
from other disciplines and used them to fit our operations. We took our
drills and exercises very seriously to set the tone and ran a tight
ship. We continually made references to how the drills related to our
own jobs and what our own lives were like. This helped the students
relate it for our use on district.

**Physical Fitness**

We have a mandatory physical fitness program on our district for all
initial attack firefighters. We have recommended standards, adopted from
Missoula Technology and Development Center. We believe that there are
more than just physical benefits to an active physical fitness program.
Leadership Spring Training Camp would embrace physical fitness and push
our firefighters to their mental and physical limits. It was important
to closely monitor the health of our students throughout the camp and
design the PT exercises to break monotony and ensure that we didn't
break down our firefighting force.

But they needed to be challenged and pushed. We did that, side by side
with them. We included long and short distance runs filled with long
roads and hills, short sprints, and relay runs. We hiked in full gear,
swam laps and team relays in the pool, and lifted weights. We performed
heavy calisthenics and fire line drills. Most importantly, we tested
them against the standards at the conclusion of camp. We feel that
testing is an integral part of PT so improvements, or decline, can be
measured and the employee can identify and focus on critical areas. The
pack test is just not enough.

Physical training not only would boost our physical abilities but it
would build teamwork and cohesiveness, trust in one another, and
strengthen our minds as well as our muscles.

**Topics Covered- Vale BLM Leadership Spring Training Camp**

**Miscellaneous**

-   SOP Review

-   Equipment and Gear Check

-   Hot topics of National or Regional Level importance

-   Written and/or practical emergency driving exams

-   Career Development

-   Apparatus Rehabilitation and "Parade-ready" detailing

**Administrative**

-   Supervision skills

-   Employees Performance Plans

-   Documentation Procedures

-   Employee Relations

-   Paperwork review and changes

    -   Credit cards

    -   Timesheets

    -   Injury and accident reporting

    -   Vehicle reports

    -   Travel vouchers

    -   EEO

    -   Safety

**Preparedness**

-   Radio Training Seminar

-   Fire Fighting Fundamentals Drills

-   Fire Line Leadership Exercises

-   Fire Shelter High Wind Deployment Drill

-   Interactive Sand Table Command Exercises for TFLD/STEN development

-   Apparatus Inspections

-   Engine Skills Testing

-   C Faller Training

-   *Guest Speaker* -- Gas Line Safety

-   **Physical Fitness Testing!**

-   *Fire Fighter Challenge*

    -   *A fun event modeled from the structural fire fighter Combat
        Challenge but redesigned with the wildland firefighter in mind*

**Exercises and Drills**

-   Fire Fighting Fundamentals

    -   A back-to-basics approach to get back to our roots and ensure we
        represent ourselves appropriately and teach our young
        firefighters correctly. Fix the bad habits. Come "Full Circle"

    -   Classroom Discussion

        -   Standards on tactics, mop-up, PPE

    -   Responsibility, Accountability, Professionalism, Problem
        Solving, Leading by Example

    -   Field Exercises

        -   Hose Deployment Drills

            -   Simple, Progressive, Protection

            -   Crew Cohesion, Teamwork, Communication, Leadership/
                Follower-ship

        -   Radio Communications Exercises

            -   Size-up

            -   Transitions

            -   Incident Within Incident

            -   Emergency Traffic

            -   Chaos!

            -   Focusing on proper procedure, etiquette,
                professionalism, stress management, prioritizing,
                command and control

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-   Determining Acreage Exercise

    -   Firefighters drive to a location with only a Lat/Long and have
        to find the fire, map it, determine the legal, and get the
        correct acreage down to the nearest hundredth of an acre within
        a time frame.

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-   Basic Saw Review Seminar

    -   Saw maintenance, trouble shooting, safety and PPE, cutting
        technique, sharpening, fuel bottle and fuel can safety

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-   Interactions with the Public

    -   The Firefighter is confronted by several different types of
        public while in the field and has to react appropriately to each
        situation at hand.

        -   A member of the media

        -   A confronting rural fire chief

        -   Helpful bystander with misplaced efforts

        -   An angry rancher/ permitee

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        -   Verbal and non-verbal communication skills, policy and
            procedure

**Leadership Exercises**

-   "Rescue-and-Run Relay"

    -   Breaking down personal barriers

    -   Teamwork and bonding

    -   Trust

-   "The Rat Maze" (trust-walk)

    -   Verbal communication skills

    -   Leadership/ Follower-ship

    -   Listening skills

    -   Trust

-   "Think Out of the Box"

    -   Critical Thinking Skills

    -   Decision making under stress

    -   Initiative

    -   Leadership/ Follower-ship

    -   Communication skills

    -   Trust

-   "The Dream Catcher"

    -   Accomplishing Goals

    -   Ownership

    -   Problem Solving

    -   Teamwork

    -   Communication Skills

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-   "The Boardwalk"

    -   Verbal and Non-verbal communication skills

    -   Leadership/ Follower-ship

    -   Teamwork

**Award Recognitions**

Since we wanted to carry a positive theme throughout camp, we focused on
the positive efforts of the students rather than dwelling on the
mistakes. We wanted to set a positive tone by telling folks what they
were doing right. Praise came each day and a different person was
recognized each day for outstanding effort, teamwork, or other fine
performance factor. Each recognition of achievement was a little
different which kept the students curious for the next day. Non-monetary
items were given as well as "slave tasks" performed by the cadre.

When problems occurred the cadre took action immediately, as to prevent
spread of the disease. But by in large, a positive tone reigned
throughout the camp. Because of this, the peer pressure created by the
students themselves would provide the corrective action we needed with
the peer group. Daily awards were given as well as awards at the
conclusion of camp. The top performers(s), [decided by peer and cadre
rankings]{.underline}, would receive a non-monetary award, a framed
certifercate, and recognition in the employee's personnel file.

**After Action Reviews**

After Action Reviews were a critical part of the entire camp. After each
exercise, at the end of each day, and finally at the conclusion of camp,
AARs helped immensely in tying all the exercises together, relating the
events to our every day jobs, discussing our strengths and weakness, how
to improve, what worked and what didn't, and identifying the path to
take in the future.

Following the peer and cadre evaluations from camp and the camp AAR,
each supervisor (cadre) met with their respective employees (students)
to discuss their performance one-on-one and wrap it all together.

Its important to note that cadre AARs were necessary to review each days
events and identify our progress and review the plan for the next day.
Keeping the cadre on track each day was a critical part of the success
of the camp. Consistency was absolutely necessary within the cadre. If
it wasn't the student group would see right through it.

**Results**

Due to the nature of our slow fire season in the Northwest this year, it
was hard to judge the success of our camp as it relates to direct
fireline accomplishments. However, we saw a tremendous effect of the
camp in our day to day operations and our working relationships among
and between the ranks:

-   Fewer accidents/ injuries

-   Increased information transfer (fewer questions asked)

-   General acceptance of directives and SOPs

-   Higher morale [despite the slow season]{.underline}

-   More accurate and timely paperwork

-   Less "babysitting" needed and less "whining" and complaining

-   Fewer personnel and disciplinary actions

-   Increased confidence levels within the FOS, FCO staff

-   Increased productivity on projects

-   A friendlier and happier workplace with new working relationships
    for some and stronger previously established relationships for
    others

-   Increased communication and trust and respect up and down the chain
    of command

-   More teamwork and communication between the different disciplines
    (aviation, engines, etc..)

Even before the conclusion of camp we noticed how quickly our employees
were developing, almost faster than the framework of camp was laid out.
For some it was an awakening and they showed skills nobody ever knew
they had.

I had mentioned before that we wanted people who were "on board" with
our mission and the SOPs and employees who supported the corporate
agenda and our vision of the fire program and the BLM. We want team
players. We want professionals. We want leaders. For those students who
were not "keeping up" with the team, the peer group and cadre did
everything they could to push them along. But as expected, we had a
couple of individuals who did not buy into the process and got separated
by the rest of the group.

The module leader group was policing themselves now. They were full of
motivation and taking the initiative on everything. This continued
throughout the fire season. They became a stronger team despite the
downfall of a few from their group. Their communication lines within the
group were in full use and the personal barriers that we saw in previous
years were almost gone.

To sum it up, this camped showed the management staff and the peer group
who has the leadership skills we are looking for as well as those who
don't. We are more cohesive now than we ever have been. The module
leader staff is truly getting the job done and they will train young
firefighters to do the same. We are always looking for leadership, team
work, and professionalism. And we would just as soon grow our leaders
right here.

Al Crouch

Fire Operations Supervisor

Vale District BLM

[Camp Staff]{.underline}

Coordinator Al Crouch Fire Operations Supervisor

Cadre Todd Gregory North Zone Fire Control Officer

Brent Meisinger South Zone Fire Control Officer

Richard Bustamante Fire Operations Supervisor

Shane Theall Fire Operations Supervisor

Justin Robinson Helitack Foreman

Evaluators Tracey Skerjanec Assistant Fire Management Officer

Carl Gossard Fire Operations, SORO

[Special Thanks To:]{.underline}

Videographer Crystle Carpenter Fire Support Assistant

Guest Speakers Williams Gas Company

Role Players Vale Hotshots and employees of the Vale District