The DNRC, USFS, and Gallatin County recently completed a Facilitated Learning Analysis (FLA) in response to the Bridger Foothills fire shelter deployment. A FLA is a robust process to better understand the chain of events leading to an unintended outcome – in this case the shelter deployment – from the perspective of those immediately involved.
The FLA process does not assess blame or identify wrongdoing—we trust that the individuals involved came to the decisions that made the most sense to them at the time of the incident. The intent of the FLA process is to start a dialogue with the participants, both through group discussions and individual interviews, and with the larger firefighting community.
The Bridger Foothills FLA tells a compelling story, from the perspective of those directly involved, that details the immediate events and conditions that led to three DNRC firefighters deploying fire shelters after being entrapped by extreme fire conditions on September 5, 2020. Rather than recount the incident here, we encourage everyone to read the FLA for themselves and to do so with an open mind and an understanding that this incident could happen to other firefighters in similar circumstances. The most important thing is that all three firefighters survived the fire and went home to recover with their families.
Rather than provide definitive answers, the FLA is intended to generate discussion and learning within the fire community. Take time to read the FLA, discuss it with your co-workers, and institute the lessons you identify into your own program and safety culture.
