Solace
By Travis Dotson
Analyst
Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
[This is Travis’s Ground Truths column from the 2025 Two More Chains Winter Issue.]
I love the wildland fire service; it’s made up of so many good humans. Sometimes I am disheartened by what goes on around me. In instances where I feel like I am losing hope, I look back at parts of our history to remind myself who we are and why I am proud to be part of this innovative and resilient family.
Here are some items I recently found solace in.
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) was born in 1976 in part to “. . . avoid wasteful duplication and to provide a means of constructively working together.” This reminds me that we realized long ago the key to success is formal collaboration by ensuring everyone has a seat at the table.
Like many of us, I am deeply committed to the values of Duty, Respect, and Integrity. Did you know those values were adopted in 2001?
“These values so dearly held in our hearts and souls are relatively new. The extent to which these values have been adopted and internalized shows how the fire service is capable of adapting and incorporating new concepts into our overall culture.”
–Learning in the Wildland Fire Service
This reminds me that we value growth.
The following statements are from Leading in the Wildland Fire Service, a document I often consult when faced with hardship. I am so grateful this values-based doctrine exists so we can use it to guide unity. These statements illustrate who we are, and who we are not:
Good command climate is characterized by open communication, mutual trust and respect, freedom to raise issues and engage in debate, clear and attainable goals, and teamwork.
Character is the foundation of command presence. All people reveal their character in every interaction, and character shapes and permeates a leader’s command presence.
To gain respect from our people, we first respect them.
The wildland fire service approach to taking care of people encompasses mind, body, and spirit.
Fire leaders work to keep fear from being a barrier by understanding those fears that affect their team. Fear can destroy communication and, with it, trust and cohesion.
To build the kind of healthy and resilient culture required in the wildland fire service, we lead up—holding our leaders accountable, providing unvarnished situation awareness in challenging situations, and offering unbiased and viable alternatives.
Integrity is a measure of where a person stands in times of challenge and controversy.
Wildland fire leaders demonstrate moral courage by adhering to high ethical standards and choosing the difficult right over the easy wrong.
People of integrity separate what is right from what is wrong and act according to what they know is right, even at personal cost.
Like I said, I love the wildland fire service. When things get hard, we get to work, and we lead by example.
Live the values, Toolswingers.