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Week of Remembrance

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2014 WOR: How Can We learn From the Past?

Ribbon symbol for WOR next to Wildland Fire Lessons Learned logo.Week of Remembrance June 30-July 6, 2014

Accident Reports – Go Read Some by Travis Dotson, Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

 

Why Read a Report? The whole idea of reading a report is to put yourself in the shoes of the decision makers and gain some insight and operational “slides” to deposit in your bank of experience. Right? OK, so this may not be the case for everyone. But the majority of the reports are written with the idea that someone will learn from knowing the details of the event. Does that happen? Are we learning?

I came up in a fire culture that taught me to read incident reports and then sit around saying: “What were they thinking?” “They screwed up,” and “I would never get caught in that situation.” Did I learn anything from those “not me” sessions? Or, did I just convince myself that I was not in any danger because “I know better”? Monday morning quarterback perhaps? (The academic term is “hindsight bias.” Look it up.)

So the question remains: Why read a report? How do we learn from it? In this instance, learning consists of changing your behavior. Read a report, go to a fire, operate differently because you read a report. Is that real? I don’t know. But I think it’s possible.

Think About It! I’ve read a lot of “Hit by Tree” reports. I’m terrified of getting smashed by a tree (or someone else getting smashed on my watch). But has my behavior changed? It never did until I consciously said to myself: “This could be me. What am I going to do differently?”

I now put much more thought into the exposure involved in what I ask others to do.

Do I hold myself to that same standard? I do when I inquire of myself: “Would I ask someone else to do this?” I didn’t always think this way.

I’m still not “out of the woods” (HA!) on this one. I still might get smashed by a tree, but I’d like to think I will expose myself and others to that potential a whole lot less—and mitigate what I can when I am exposed. Think about it!

So, read some of these reports. Be aware of the existence of hindsight bias. Consciously think about whether or not you are learning anything (will you change behavior?). I’m just throwing it out there. Dig on tool swingers (and look up every now and then).

This article was originally published by the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center 2011Summer edition of Two More Chains. All editions of this publication can be found at Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center, Two More Chains.

References:

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NWCG Latest Announcements

2026 Week of Remembrance

Date:  June 30, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: 6 Minutes for Safety Subcommittee

As we approach the 2026 Week of Remembrance (WOR), June 30–July 6, we dedicate this time to reflect on past incidents from 2016 and honor the fallen through learning. Since its inception in 2014, WOR has honored wildland firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice while encouraging critical discussions that reinforce lessons learned.

Throughout the week, we encourage thoughtful and generative conversations that promote a culture of continuous learning and safety.

References:

2026 Week of Remembrance: Letter to Leadership

Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

RMC Memorandum 26-02: SAFENET Modernization and SafeNetX Launch

Date:  June 25, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Risk Management Committee

The Risk Management Committee (RMC) is pleased to announce the launch of SafeNetX, the modernized safety reporting system now available to the wildland fire community. Effective June 15, 2026, SafeNetX enables reporting of unsafe, unhealthy, near-miss, and high-risk operations across wildland fire, all-hazard incidents, training, and related work environments.

SafeNetX is the result of a multi-agency modernization effort led by RMC, which began evaluating improvements to the legacy SAFENET system in 2021. To learn more, read the full RMC memorandum in the links provided.

References:

SafeNetX

RMC Safety Memorandum 26-02: SAFENET Modernization and SafeNet X Launch

2025 Wildland Fire EMS Awards

Date:  June 12, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Emergency Medical Committee

The NWCG Emergency Medical Committee (EMC) announces the recipients of the 2025 Wildland Fire Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Awards. EMC annually recognizes individuals and groups who have demonstrated outstanding actions or accomplishments that are above and beyond the expectation of one’s normal mission or job duties.

Congratulations to all the awardees and nominees. Through leadership and initiative, they have made significant contributions to the safety of the wildland fire community. These awards are well deserved.

References:

2025 Wildland Fire EMS Awards

Emergency Medical Committee

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Book Now Available for RAMP

Date:  June 12, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Airtanker Base Operations Unit

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Book are now available for Ramp Manager (RAMP).

The Performance Support Package for this position was developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their respective roles.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for release in January 2027.

References:

NWCG Ramp Manager Position Page

National Interagency Aviation Committee