WISCONSIN—A relationship that began in the tragic aftermath of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, has gradually matured into a mutual support pact between the USDA Forest Service and the New York City Fire Department.

Steve Goldman, Eastern Region deputy director for Fire and Aviation Management, said our agency provided incident command system organizational structure, planning and logistics support to FDNY in the days following the tragic events of 9/11.

“We had Type 1 IMTs that responded to 9/11,” he added. “Type 1 IMTs are our highest-level qualifications. They deal with our most complex incidents. They planted the seeds for FDNY to organize around ICS for incidents.”

FDNY later asked USDA if they could provide training on the ICS system. The USDA and the U.S. Fire Administration took that request and passed it on to the Forest Service. The Northeastern Area State & Private Forestry, now part of Eastern Region, followed through.

“We had to teach the classes from on the ground up all the way to the advanced classes—in a matter of weeks, not years—to get them jumpstarted,” Goldman said.

Since the early 2000s, the Forest Service and Northeastern Forest Fire Protection Compact has supported ICS training for FDNY to build their IMT capacity.

“Our relationship has matured. Twenty years ago, it was a training and mentoring relationship. What it has matured into is a two-way relationship,” said Goldman. “We train them, and they help manage wildland fire responses. We’re helping each other out in full partnership at this point.”

Goldman said FDNY started sending staff out with the same IMTs that responded to 9/11, initially, working primarily in the Southwest. That initial response has broadened to their participating with  other teams across the country.

In recent years, FDNY provided support to the Eastern Area IMT’s response to the 2020 Bobcat and Brattain fires in California and Oregon, respectively. For the first time, the full FDNY all-hazard IMTs were mobilized to the 2020 Dolan Fire in California and the 2021 Woods Creek and Balsinger fires in Montana with support of local national forest personnel.  

FDNY Battalion Chief and Deputy Incident Commander Kevin Harrison explained, “Twenty years after the 9/11 tragedy, the FDNY has come full circle with the support and assistance of the wildland firefighter community, where we can now help provide support to communities in the West.”

The latest Forest Service/FDNY meeting was held May 18 in New York City. The Forest Service sent Steve Goldman and Maris Gabliks of the Eastern Region to share information at the gathering. “It was an opportunity to coordinate for this upcoming year,” said Goldman.

Roughly 10,951 firefighting employees work for the FDNY. Another 4,274 uniformed EMS employees and 2,096 civilian employees also work for the organization. Of these personnel, about 247 FDNY employees participate in IMTs.