Fire jobs are some of the most unique out there; piloting aircraft for the Bureau of Land Management goes above and beyond. Bob McCormick, Smokejumper Instructor Pilot, and Lisa Allen, Air Tactical Pilot, join Piper Brandt in the studio to discuss what it’s like to be a pilot for BLM Fire. They share what it takes to be a smokejumper or leadplane pilot, what they encounter on the job, and how their past experiences led them to the cockpit.

When disaster strikes, such as during hurricanes, floods, or search and rescue missions, an all-hands-on-deck situation can arise. This is where wildland firefighters and management can step in to help. Mike Mattfeldt, Program Manager of International Fire Response and Support for the USDA Forest Service, with Jim Schultz, Fire Management Specialist and Scott Beacham, Regional Fuels Management Specialist from the National Park Service, join us to discuss the interagency cooperation behind all-hazard incident response, how firefighters prepare for all-hazard response, and what it’s like to be on the ground helping in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

It’s recruitment season for Fire Year 2025 and new fire job listings are opening daily on USAJOBS.gov. Kim Darnall, Human Resources Officer at the National Interagency Fire Center, and Ben Patten, Fire Program Specialist at the BLM Montana/Dakotas State Office, join us to share their tips on how to land the fire job of your dreams. Kim and Ben cover how to navigate USAJOBS, what to include (and not to include) on your resume, and what hiring officials look for in a prospective wildland firefighter.

Visit the BLM Fire Jobs Portal for more resources on applying for a BLM Fire Job, including step-by-step videos on how to submit an application on USAJOBS: nifc.gov/careers/blm-fire-job 

For free online wildland fire trainings, visit the Wildland Fire Learning Portal: wildlandfirelearningportal.net/login/index.php and the FEMA Emergency Management Institute: training.fema.gov/apply/

These websites include information on how to sign up for an account.

For descriptions and required trainings for each wildland fire position, visit the NWCG Training Catalog: nwcg.gov/training/training-catalog

Dispatch is the behind-the-scenes fire job that keeps wildland fire operations running. From ordering hotshot crews and supplies to responding to medical emergencies, dispatchers never know what might be waiting for them on the other end of the phone. Amy Lancaster, Miles City Interagency Dispatcher Center Manager; Tommy Hayes, BLM Upper Colorado River District Fire Management Officer; and Katie Williamson, BLM Colorado Dispatch Efficiency Coordinator join the conversation to share their unique perspectives on the different levels of dispatch, challenges and successes of the program, and what it’s like to staff a dispatch center.

Depending on your agency, UAS stands for unmanned, uncrewed, or unoccupied aircraft systems, also referred to as drones by many people. BLM Remote Pilots and Remote Systems Program Manager Matt Dutton named the BLM program for what it is and does - remote pilots, remote systems operation. It was developed to supplement the aircraft fleet in support of resource and incident management initiatives. Matt discusses the use of UAS in wildfire suppression operations, and the benefits to assist land management activities in other program areas. He talks about starting out on a hotshot crew, getting into training development for the government UAS program - helping build it from the ground up, and the importance of keeping the program going. UAS capabilities range from enhancing fireline situational awareness, creating more accurate wildland fire maps, collecting, and displaying thermal and infrared imagery to detect hot spots along the fireline, to supporting prescribed fire operations, and so much more! All this done with the pilot safely on the ground, limiting risk and exposure to firefighters. Matt recognizes the challenges but also sees the opportunity to leverage technology to better work for us and address some of the issues that our organization is facing today. In Matt's words, "It (UAS) is a nighttime, swing shift, smoky condition tool that excels."

Talking about the weather is common in everyday conversation, but talking about all the work that goes into collecting weather data is a bit more complicated. When it comes to firefighter and public safety, it is essential to gather localized weather data for fire management - a job for remote automatic weather stations or RAWS. The BLM Remote Sensing/Fire Weather Support Unit maintains over 2,300 RAWS units in the WXx Weather system network. Branch Chief Robbie Swofford, Depot Section Supervisor Justin Dopp, and Electronics Technician Cindy Sherfick discuss their mission to keep all components of the RAWS stations operational. They talk about their career paths, interesting animal encounters, and why they enjoy what they do. From the first incident RAWS - developed by this unit and deployed to meet more temporary needs for weather information, mainly due to wildfires or other natural disasters - to the growing infrastructure of permanent RAWS, this essential unit/program has the important and critical job of ensuring wildland fire managers, and others who may rely on weather data to operate safely, are receiving timely weather data. WXx Weather information is publicly available at https://weather.nifc.gov.

The award-winning National Fire Equipment Program (NFEP) located at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) incorporates firefighter innovation with industry expertise to provide the Department of the Interior with economical, safe, and efficient fire equipment. The program is responsible for around 1,200 fire vehicles in the BLM, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs fleets. John Fitchner, NFEP manager, and Justin Lammers, production assistant equipment specialist, talk about their wildland fire careers on the road to the NFEP and explain how the program operates. The NFEP continually seeks improvement in all aspects of support, evaluation, and development of fire equipment through proactive training and communication. John and Justin also discuss their involvement with training events and reviews, new technology, and improved safety features; some of which led the program to be awarded the 2018 Pulaski Award for continued excellence in equipment innovation and development. Piper Brandt, BLM Fire Public Affairs Specialist, also debuts as the new Wildfire Matters podcast co-host.

Michele Crist, landscape ecologist for the Bureau of Land Management fire planning and fuels management program, studies landscape changes in the environment including research on non-forested burned areas, invasive species, and sagebrush conservation design. Her work is focused on developing landscape-scale modeling frameworks and restoration strategies for sagebrush lands, forests, and wildlife habitats. Michele discusses her education, career, and research developing science-based land management goals and objectives to help with land management policy and planning processes and assesses the impacts of existing or proposed land management on ecological resources and wildlife habitats.

Ever wonder what happens to a burned area after a wildfire? How about the seeds used for land restoration? Jake Ferguson, the BLM National Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR) program lead, talks about the immediate emergency actions taken to stabilize the land, the burned area rehabilitation (BAR) process and the work that goes into post-fire recovery which may include seeding when deemed necessary after a damaging wildfire. Brandon Brown, BLM National Seed Coordinator explains the National Seed Warehouse System (NSWS) developed to streamline seed buying for various types of land management projects, including ESR, and ensure that high-quality seed - of which 90% purchased is native seed - is readily available for the field when needed. We discuss the importance of both programs and how they are critical to support the BLM mission to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.