Leading & Learning

Newsletter of the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program

Spring 2010

WFLDP Mission

The mission of the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program (WFLDP) is "to promote cultural change in the work force and to emphasize the vital importance of leadership concepts in the wildland fire service by providing educational and leadership development opportunities."

Wildland Fire
Values and Principles

Duty

• Be proficient in your job, both technically and as a leader.
• Make sound and timely decision.
• Ensure that tasks are understood, supervised and accomplished.
• Develop your subordinates for the future.

Respect

• Know your subordinates and look out for their well-being.
• Keep your subordinates informed.
• Build the team.
• Employ your subordinates in accordance with their capabilities.

Integrity

• Know yourself and seek improvement.
• Seek responsibility for your actions.
• Set the example.

Leadership is Action Moves Forward

The NWCG Leadership Subcommittee, in conjunction with the National Advanced Fire and Resource Institute (NAFRI), is offering senior-level leaders in the wildland fire service an opportunity for continuing leadership development through participation in a variety of venues.

The target audience for the L-580 program is Area Command/Incident Management Team Command and General staff as well as fire and aviation staff from national, regional, and state offices.

The following are a few programs that are currently being offered:

Wharton Leadership Conference
On June 16, 2010, twelve individuals will participate in the 14th Annual Wharton Leadership Conference. The purpose of this conference is to learn from the observations and experiences of senior-level leaders who operate in different work environments in order to foster a more strategic approach to incident management. The conference will be conducted at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Selections for this program will be announced in the near future.

Gettysburg Staff Ride
The program for Incident Management Teams (IMT) offers an opportunity for continuing leadership development through participation in a Gettysburg Staff Ride. The purpose of this program is to study the Battle of Gettysburg to foster a more strategic approach to incident management and decision making.

The Gettysburg Staff Ride is slated to be presented annually. There are 100 IMT Command and General staff personnel that were selected for the 2010 event to be delivered the week of May 3. The 2011 Gettysburg Staff Ride recruitment notice should be circulated in November 2010.

The following events are in the initial stages of planning and development:

• Shiloh Staff Ride - currently being developed and delivered this year by the Southern Area Interagency Group
• Mann Gulch/Little Big Horn Staff Ride
• New York City 9/11 - facilitated learning
• Alamo Staff Ride
• Fires of San Diego County Staff Ride
• Hurricane Katrina - facilitated learning
• Other venues - professional and governmental avenues associated with executive leadership programs