Greening Fire Team - Sustainability and Fire
On the Plumas National Forest, the California Interagency Incident Management Team 2 (CAIIMT2) implemented a successful recycling program.
The repurpose of expired or broken fire hose transformed into enriching wildlife habitat in zoos and animal sanctuaries.
On the Klamath National Forest, in northern California, a recycling program was implemented in fire camp to green fire.
A pilot recycling program tested on the Whitewater Fire in Oregon.
Vision: Achieving net zero environmental impact on all large fire incidents by 2030.
Mission: Integration of sustainability best management practices on incidents and within the fire community.
Announcements and Webinars
- Sustainable Operations in Incident Management - Preparing for the 2022 Fire Year signed by Jerome Perez, Director of Fire and Aviation Management.
- The next GFT Ambassador Quarterly Call will be held on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 at 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. (Mountain Time). Meeting details still to come.
- "Greening Fire" is now available for Incident Management and Response: In the 2022 Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations (Red Book), titled: Incident Management and Environmental Sustainability, (Chapter 11, page 269, line 23 - 31). "Every incident should seek opportunities to reduce waste and limit impacts associated with management actions. This can be accomplished, for example, by implementing “greening fire” sustainability best management practices (e.g., energy and water conservation, alternative energy, sustainable acquisition, and waste prevention and recycling) as long as such efforts do not compromise operational or safety objectives. To the degree possible, prioritize the procurement of sustainable products and services whenever lifecycle cost-effective."
- Check out the new GFT Quarterly Bulletin. It highlights the GFT Ambassador success stories through FY2021 microgrant initiatives. The bulletin includes success stories at the Northwest Incident Support Cache, and the Carson and Lolo Interagency Hotshots. The bulletin also spotlights our star Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ambassador, Tsering Wangden. Also, learn more about the facts about recycling in our Myth Buster #4 article.
- NMAC Correspondence 2021-08--Greening Efforts with Incident Management- signed by NMAC Chair Joshua Simmons
The Greening Fire Team (GFT) Overview highlights the team's mission, vision, who we are, what we do, and how to get involved.
On-site incident recycling reduces waste on incidents. Learn about the "why, what, and how" behind this program, find key points of contact, and explore the tools and resources like the "BPA Quick Guide," Step-by-step Guide for Buying Teams, Frequently Asked Questions, and more.
GFT Ambassadors act as champions for the program. GFT Ambassadors simply have a desire to help advance sustainability best practices in incident operations. They participate as little or as much as they are interested and able. The GFT needs more Ambassadors from across the interagency. Learn how to join the team's effort effort to green fire.
Learn about past lessons learned and success stories, as well as promising partnership opportunities.
Learn how the "Red Book", the national Multi-Agency Coordinating Group and fire and aviation leaders call on incident and fire personnel to promote greening fire efforts.
Tools and resources, like the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) sustainability audit on multiple fire camps, can help inform "how to do it" through best practices.
The GFT Library contains team bulletins, webinar recordings, marketing and promotional materials, news articles, and myth busters/fast facts.
Contact Us
Do you have questions, ideas, or simply want more information?
If so, contact the GFT at: Greening Fire Team