Throughout my youth and into college, I never imagined myself working in prescribed fire, much less making a career of it. I stumbled into it post-college while studying bison on a South Dakota ranch. Instantly hooked, I spent the next decade covered in soot and bar oil burning my way through the southeast. Reflecting on my path, I experienced many hurdles throughout my career (mostly due to gender), but I was also preloaded with privilege that helped me get where I am today. Which begs the question: how do we level the playing field so everyone has access to, and is supported, throughout a career as a fire practitioner?
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice (DEIJ) are frequently tossed around as our society struggles to overcome inequities and injustices of the past. What do these terms mean to wildland fire practitioners? How do we move the needle forward for our employees and be a leader in the fire management community? It’s not an easy question to unpack, and frankly, it’s overwhelming at times. We want effective and efficient results but are often up against funding issues to support our efforts or archaic oppressive systems. Despite these challenges, we must also celebrate our success, however small they may be.
In our ongoing discussions about DEIJ, The Ember Alliance’s (TEA) operations team has created a visual ‘wheel’ to guide us in making slow but steady, meaningful DEIJ progress for training and hiring operational resources.
A shining example of the DEIJ wheel is our budding career pipeline from Front Range Community College (FRCC) to our interagency fuels squad. TEA is partnering with FRCC to teach innovative courses that will equip new fire practitioners with technical and interpersonal skills, as well as certificates needed to begin a career in fire. FRCC offers an entry point into fire for underrepresented groups who may not traditionally have had access or exposure to fire management. Three of TEA’s graduates from FRCC were recruited and hired for the four-person fuels squad, led by a returning crew member from TEA’s 2021 squad. As they focus on fuels mitigation projects along the northern Front Range, these crew members are building skills and connections in a supportive environment that will help launch them into additional jobs in fire management or fire-adjacent professions (e.g. forestry). TEA is building similar pipelines with the many conservation corps we teach throughout the nation. The ultimate dream: to hand off the (drip) torch to a former student who will lead and inspire the next generation of diverse fire practitioners.
While one crew may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of fire management, I firmly believe this is how we effect meaningful, long-term change to begin creating fire-resilient societies and a more inclusive fire culture. As Confucius noted, “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” Or rather, “the people who move fire culture…”
Jennifer Mueller, Director of Fire Operations.
