All employee calls began this week to introduce USWFS firefighters to their Geographic Area Fire Chiefs and to discuss the upcoming fire season and operational flow.<\/p>\n
For those who missed my previous article on the Geographic Area Fire Chiefs, they are as follows: <\/p>\n
California: Peter Kelly, currently the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) California State Fire Management Officer in Sacramento, CA.<\/p>\n
Alaska: Kelly Kane, currently the National Park Service (NPS) Alaska Regional Fire Management Officer in Anchorage, AK.<\/p>\n
Eastern Area: John \u201cPat\u201d Pearson, currently the NPS Midwest Regional Chief of Fire & Aviation in Omaha, NE.<\/p>\n
Southern Area: Anthony \u201cVince\u201d Carver, currently the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Southeast Region Division Chief of Fire Management in Atlanta, GA.<\/p>\n
Rocky Mountain: Paul Hohn, currently the BLM Wyoming State Fire Management Officer in Cheyenne, WY.<\/p>\n
Northern Rockies: Aaron Thompson, currently the BLM Montana Dakotas St State Fire Management Officer in Billings, MT.<\/p>\n
Pacific Northwest: Josh O\u2019Connor, currently the USFWS Pacific Region Fire Management Coordinator in Portland, OR.<\/p>\n
Southwest: John Cervantes, currently the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Southwest Region Fire Management Officer in Albuquerque, NM.<\/p>\n
Great Basin: Christopher Delaney, currently the BLM Utah State Fire Management Officer in Salt Lake City, UT.<\/p>\n
These calls come after a memo was sent out from USWFS Director Brian Fennessy providing guidance for those Geographic Area Fire Chiefs to establish a transitional local-level unit reporting structure and to identify individuals who will serve in key leadership roles of Interim USWFS Unit Fire Chiefs (Unit Chiefs) and Interim USWFS Deputy Unit Fire Chiefs (Deputy Unit Chiefs).<\/p>\n
The memo provides details on assigning these new supervisory positions.<\/p>\n
Purpose: This Policy Memorandum (PM) directs the U.S. Wildland Fire Service\u2019s (USWFS\u2019s) Geographic Area Fire Chiefs (GA FCs) to establish a transitional local-level unit reporting structure and to identify individuals who will serve in key leadership roles of Interim USWFS Unit Fire Chiefs (Unit Chiefs) and Interim USWFS Deputy Unit Fire Chiefs (Deputy Unit Chiefs).<\/p>\n
The USWFS structure is tiered from Headquarters to Geographic Areas (GAs) to Units. GA boundaries have been clearly defined, and this tier of the organization is led by GA FCs, who provide essential strategic and operational oversight. Final determinations regarding permanent Unit boundaries and configuration remain under evaluation. The USWFS is assessing factors related to workload distribution, operational demand, and programmatic alignment to determine Unit responsibilities and maintain continuity of leadership and organizational effectiveness.<\/p>\n
Policy: During this transitional phase, and prior to finalization of permanent USWFS Unit boundaries, each Geographic Area Fire Chief (GA FC) must establish Interim Units within their respective GA and an Interim Unit reporting structure. This structure must clearly establish a chain of command, ensuring operational clarity and accountability.<\/p>\n
As part of this process, GA FCs will identify and designate USWFS personnel to serve as Interim Unit Chiefs and Interim Deputy Unit Chiefs for each Interim Unit. Within each Interim Unit, the Interim Unit Chief will be empowered to exercise the authorities outlined for Unit Chiefs in USWFS Policy Memorandum No. 2026-006, Guidance on U.S. Wildland Fire Service Authorities During Transition. This Policy Memorandum states that \u201cfor all USWFS positions with assigned authority, the deputy position for that office holds those assigned authorities when the primary is not available\u201d; so the Interim Deputy Unit Chief will hold the same authority as the Interim Unit Chief when the Unit Chief is not available.<\/p>\n
GA FCs will consult with the USWFS Assistant Director, Fire Operations, as they establish both the interim reporting structure within their respective GAs and designate Interim Unit Chiefs and Interim Deputy Unit Chiefs. GA FCs must distribute finalized structures and designations to all USWFS employees within their area by May 17, 2026. To further support effective mission execution throughout fire season, GA FCs will also distribute these documents to partners across Department of the Interior (DOI) bureaus and non-DOI wildland fire organizations. This comprehensive communication will ensure all stakeholders are informed regarding the individuals serving as USWFS interim leadership during the transition period.<\/p>\n
USWFS Interim Unit Chiefs are encouraged to request meetings with DOI bureau managers responsible for lands in their fire Unit and local partners to answer any questions that may arise during this transitional period.<\/p>\n
Background: Secretary\u2019s Order No. 3448, Establishment of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service, established a unified, national wildland fire organization charged with delivering safe, effective, and consistent fire management across the DOI through the USWFS. As we continue to build and mature this organization, it is imperative that key leadership positions are identified at all levels of the USWFS organization. The USWFS leadership at all levels will be essential to ensure coordination and successful execution of the Department\u2019s mission during fire season or any other fire emergencies.<\/p>\n
Scope: This PM applies to the USWFS.<\/p>\n
May 17th was a major milestone in finalizing these structures and designations. Sounds like there is still some work to do on the finalization of permanent USWFS Unit boundaries, but as we all know, this is a major lift that\u2019s being completed, and things are starting to align across the Regions. <\/p>\n
YESTERDAY\u2019S EPISODE<\/a><\/p>\n THE HOTSHOT WAKE UP \u2014 Thank you to all of our paid subscribers. Your support allows us to donate generously to firefighter charities and supports all of our content. You also receive all of our article archives, more podcast episodes, Monday morning workouts, and also entered into our giveaways, plus more.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/https:\/\/bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/5e470b9d-6712-.jpeg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n