A Deep Dive Into Wildland Firefighter Culture with Matt Carroll and Jody Jahn, PhD

The Anchor Point Podcast

Wildland firefighters are a unique bunch... Especially when it comes to the culture, and how we interact with "outsiders", our mission, and with each other...

That's why we have Matt Carroll and Jody Jahn on the show today to talk, more in depth, about the "Deep Dive" project by the USFS and how it can reveal some insights about why we make the decisions that we do...

About Matt: "Matt Carroll works as an Organizational Learning Ambassador with the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station’s Office of Innovation and Organizational Learning (IOL). His focus is on piloting forward-looking learning projects in and beyond the physical safety realm using the practices and philosophies developed in the Facilitated Learning Analysis (FLA) process. Currently he is imbedded with the Forest Service’s Work Environment and Performance Office (WEPO) to build capacity for learning in the anti-harassment program.

Prior to his role as a Learning Ambassador, he worked for three years at Acadia National Park as the Interagency Zone, Assistant Fire Management Officer (AFMO) for the North Country Interagency Fire Program, responsible for the 37 U.S. Fish and Wildlife and 22 National Park units within the 6 New England states.

Over half of Matt’s career was spent as a primary wildland firefighter. He began in 2000 working on the Baker River Interagency Hotshot Crew out of western Washington. He then spent 11 years as a Smokejumper with the McCall Smokejumpers based out of Idaho. Concurrent with his time as a firefighter he took on a number of detail assignments including to the Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers program at the Washington Office, as the R4 Fire and Aviation Management Diversity Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator (FAMDORC), on an R5 team developing a region-wide assessment to inform forest level plan revisions, and with the Forest Service’s International Program (IP) in Brazil and
Peru to develop methods and curricula for teaching wildland fire suppression and chainsaw safety to a wide range of local actors including settlers, indigenous communities and ranchers.

Matt’s academic background is a mix of biophysical and social science at community centered schools with interdisciplinary curricula including an Associate’s degree from Paul Smith’s College, a Bachelor of Arts from College of the Atlantic and a Master’s of Forestry from Yale’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies."

About Jody Jahn (Researcher, CU Boulder): " Jody Jahn, PhD: Jody is an associate professor of Organizational Communication at University of Colorado Boulder. Her research looks at how wildland firefighters learn about hazards through integrating codified knowledge (e.g., 10 & 18, safety documents) with their embodied experience. This research program builds from 8 seasons of wildland firefighting and two seasons of work in Antarctica.

Both of these folks are some heavy hitters on why we make the decisions that we do on the line... And they are determined to make it a safer, more efficient, and more inclusive environment for future generations of wildland firefighters.

To participate in the "Deep Dive" project, check out the following link:

USFS Deep Dive Project

To get ahold of Matt Carroll, check out this link if you have any questions:

Matt Carroll, USFS

You know the drill...

Stay safe, stay savage...

Enjoy!

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The Anchor Point Podcast is supported by the following wonderful folks...

Mystery Ranch
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Not sponsors of The Anchor Point Podcast, but great organizations:

The Wildland Firefighter Foundation
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https://wffoundation.org

The Smokey Generation
Wanna get some history and knowledge on Wildland Fire? Hit up The Smokey Generation!
http://wildfire-experience.org