154: Wildland Fire is Tough, but Rewarding Work

Garth Fisher is the National Training Director of the Wildland Fire Management branch for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Garth also services as the Chair and BIA Representative on the National Wildfire Coordinating Group and he has over 15 years of wildland fire operations and wildland fire management. In this week's episode, Garth explains a little bit about what the BIA agency does and how they pride themselves on being able to provide ongoing leadership training to their staff. If you're looking to get started in wildland fire, this is an episode you don't want to miss!   Key Takeaways: [1:10] A message from Leadership Nature. [1:50] A quick intro about Garth's background. [2:55] How did Garth first get introduced to this industry? [7:10] What made Garth pick wildland firefighting? [10:35] What types of responsibilities does Garth have as the director of fire training? [12:35] What does the BIA agency do? [16:45] Garth explains some common ways people get into wildland firefighting. [17:45] It's important to set the right expectations for yourself. This is extremely difficult work to do! [20:25] Garth shares some of the memorable experiences he's had on the job over the years.  [22:35] What has Garth learned about people and teams? [23:50] If you want to move forward, you need to make yourself uncomfortable. [27:00] Has Garth run into any close calls before? [30:05] What type of training opportunities are available at BIA? [35:30] Garth shares some of the good surprises he's had along the way. [38:25] What types of mentors has Garth had over the years?   Mentioned in This Episode: Bia.gov