BLM’s Boise helicopter firefighting crew wins national fire leadership award
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BOISE, Idaho – The Bureau of Land Management’s Boise Helitack crew has been named one of the 2018 winners of the Paul Gleason “Lead By Example” award.
The Boise Helitack crew was recognized for its innovation and leadership in introducing the use of the Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter into the initial attack environment of wildland fire suppression. The Boise crew’s use of a Blackhawk helicopter for crew transport and deployment represents the first time a wildland fire agency has configured and tested a Blackhawk for this purpose.
“Your crew’s vision and constant motivation to see the program come into its full potential in spite of delays and challenges is the epitome of resilience,” said John Wood, who co-chairs the leadership committee for the National Wildfire Coordinating Group—the entity that bestows the Paul Gleason “Lead by Example” award.
During the 2017 and 2018 fire seasons, the Boise Helitack crew voluntarily took on the assignment of working through the rigorous regulatory, configuration and testing requirements necessary to certify the Blackhawk before it could be used in the interagency wildland fire suppression arena. The crew carefully developed the methods and standard procedures necessary to adapt the large helicopter to the crew’s initial attack mission.
A “helitack crew” is a group of highly trained wildland firefighters who fly by helicopter into remote and inaccessible areas on emerging forest and rangeland fires. Once the crew is delivered to the fire, they quickly assess the fire and begin suppressing it.
The “Lead By Example” award is named for Paul Gleason, a long-time fireline supervisor and fire manager who developed a foundational philosophy of fireline safety. Gleason’s Lookout, Communication, Escape route and Safety zone checklist is now standard across the United States and other parts of the world.
Video of the Boise Helitack crew in action is available on YouTube at this link: https://youtu.be/VRYUUaQ7C-E.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.