Assistant Undersecretary of the Interior and chairman of the Wildland Fire Leadership Council Lynn Scarlett said the two organizations will work together to create a vision of seamless operation which includes training certification and joint fire operation plans. Scarlett noted the recent disastrous wildfire seasons in the US and said there were over 190 million acres overloaded with fuel buildup. The IAFC and the Department of the Interior will host workshops across the nation to promote integrated operations
In a separate announcement, Red Lodge Rural Fire District, Montana,Chief Tom Kuntz, Chairman of the IAFC Wildland Fire Program, said several local, state and national firefighting agencies have created a report on wildland fire risks to communities and the environment, to submit to Congress. The IAFC, NVFC, USFA, NFPA and others came up with an analysis and recommendations for more coordinated efforts between all firefighting entities from the local to the national level.
Colorado State Forester Jim Hubbard of the National Association of State Foresters, who has been involved in wildfire fighting coordination efforts, said,
