Iron 44 Memorial

A memorial was held today (Friday, Aug. 15) for those who lost their lives in the Iron 44 incident. I created a video of the memorial from images taken by Ken Downhill. It was the most profound memorial service I've ever attended. And it is my hope that I will never have to go to another. But, firefighting is a dangerous occupation. And when tragedy happens, it's comforting to know our firefighting family is tight-knit, caring and capable of holding up and supporting those in need.

Worth It...

Fire season started early this year in June/July. A lightning storm moved through Northern California and started the fire season from hell. The majority of our fallers have been dispatched on California wildfires since early July. They're now transitioning from California to fires in Oregon and Montana.

The big question this year for the U.S. Forest Service seems to be "Are fallers worth the Faller Module price?" Of course, this question is coming from AQM folks who say their first and foremost objective is to get a good deal for the government. This whole conversation has come down to whether or not the government considers covering fallers with Worker Compensation is a legitimate expense for Faller Module Operators. While the answer seems obvious to us, it isn't so obvious to them. So, we're working on that right now.

We believe our fallers and their families are worthy of injury/fatality insurance coverage. It's something we willing to fight fiercely for.