Intro to Sustainable Fire Camps
National Logistics Meeting
Boise, Idaho
March 2011
Jennifer Letz, USFS
Meghan Oswalt, USFS
Deanna Crawford, USFS
Topics




Introductions
What is Sustainability?
Fire and Sustainability
Logistics & Sustainable
ICPs
 Importance
of Logistics
 How?

Fire Season 2011
 How
can we help?
Jennifer Letz





Sustainable Operations Specialist for the
Deschutes & Ochoco NFs, Bend, OR
MA in Sustainable Management
Worked in / around fire since 1996
R6 Fire & Aviation
Chair of Western Collective Greening Fire Team
Deanna Crawford




Incident Business Specialist, Nez Perce, Clearwater,
and Idaho Panhandle Forests in Grangeville, ID
Resource Unit Leader on Northern Rockies Type 1
Team
Degrees in Art and Criminology
Member of Western Collective Greening Fire Team
Meghan Oswalt





Assistant Sustainability Coordinator for the Aerial
Fire Depot Missoula, MT
BS in Computer Science
Currently working on a MS in Environmental Studies
and MS in Computer Science
R1 Fire and Aviation
Active participant of Western Collective Greening
Fire Team
What is Sustainability?
My definition is…

A discipline balancing the needs of the
Environment, social Equity, and
Economic issues in the decision-making
process.
“The 3 Es.”
Economics
Social Equity
Environment
Economics
Social Equity
Cone of
Sustainability
Environment
How Do We Think Sustainably?

Whole Systems Thinking
 Look at the big picture
 Consider the near & far
reaching effects of your
decisions
 What upstream
changes can create winwin solutions?
Greening vs. Sustainability
Greening
Sustainability
Detail focused
Whole systems focus
Tactical
Strategic
Ecological
The 3 Es
Focus on addressing
symptoms
Focus on addressing
root cause
Fire Operations & Sustainability
In 2009, the USFS Washington Office of Fire
& Aviation Management designated 7 areas
to integrate sustainable practices:




Facilities & Water
Transportation & Fleet
Green Purchasing
National Fire Caches



ICPs
Contracts
Appropriate
Response to Fire
Greening Fire Team

Team under the Forest Service
Western Collective for Sustainable
Operations
 Agency
initiative to organize and
promote sustainable operations in the
Forest Service and beyond
 Board of Directors comprised of
Deputy Regional Foresters of 6
Western regions
Greening
 Created in 2009
Fire
USDA Forest Service
Greening Fire Team



Research, recommend, and assist with
implementing sustainable improvements at
fire camps and beyond
Firefighter safety top priority
Current projects include:
 Waste
reduction
 Recycling
 Alternatives to bottled water
 Outreach and education
Why Fire Camp?

Multiple opportunities to integrate sustainable
operations
 Historical
reliance on disposable items has led to
increase in spending and waste of resources and
energy
 Unique challenges due to various unknowns
 Increasing demand for spending reductions
 Crossroads of the fire community – chance to influence
behaviors of 1000s of folk from multiple agencies,
states, private industry, etc.
Logistics, Sustainability, & ICPs

Every camp denizen has a role to play…
Agency Administrator
Aviation
Cache
Contractors
Firefighters
IC
Information
Planning
Purchasing / Buying
Team
Operations
Safety
… but Logistics is the “hub” of camp activity.
Day in the Life - Logistics

Average day
may include
making
decisions about:
 Food
 Potable
Water
 Shelter
 Power
 Transport
Fuel
 Equipment
Fuel
 Caterer Fuel
 Supplies
 Waste
management
 Sanitation
 Transportation
 Security
 Phones
 IT
connectivity
 Radios
 Showers
 Laundry
 Night shift
 Spike Camps
 Satellite
Camps
 Demob
PHEW!
Working Towards Sustainable ICPs

Ultimately, a fire camp
operating more
sustainably will be:
 Less
expensive to run
 Safer for staff
 More efficient
 Less wasteful of resources
How?
-CHOOSE
-COLLABORATE
-COMMUNICATE
Choose: ICP Flow of Materials
Recycling /
Donation
Fuel
Cache /
Host Unit
Water
ICP
Supplies
Waste /
Grey Water
Food
Emissions
Collaborate: Sphere of Influence
Camp Crew
Team Members
NIFC
Contractors
You!
Firefighters
Host Unit
Buying Team
Branch Members
Ask…
Communicate

Connect the Dots – lack of communication is
biggest hurdle to successful sustainable
operations at camp
 IAP
 DETAILED
 Shift
requests
 One-on-one interaction
Briefings
 DETAILED signs
 Inform branch staff
purchase
Moving Forward: Fire Season 2011



What are you already
doing to improve
sustainability at camp?
What can you do this
season to improve
sustainable operations?
How can we help you?
Thanks for Listening
New email address:
GreeningFire@fs.fed.us