By Paul Keller

Did you know that this is the annual NWCG “Wildland Firefighter Week of Remembrance”?

This special remembrance time is featured every year for seven days, beginning June 30 through July 6. The intent is to provide an opportunity to collectively remember our fallen firefighters as we continue our ongoing efforts to enhance and renew our commitment to health, wellness, and the safety of all wildland firefighters.

Beginning in 2014, each year the overall theme of this week is to honor our fallen through learning.

During this week, the NWCG “6 Minutes for Safety” program develops and issues special topics to encourage firefighters to remember, reflect on, and discuss lessons from the past, then apply these lessons to today’s risk management challenges.

The topics, review, and resources for all seven days of the Week of Remembrance have been contributed by the NWCG Leadership Committee, the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center, and many other field subject matter experts.

This year the Week of Remembrance focuses on “normal work”. As we grow in familiarity with a task we naturally and inevitably focus less attention to that task while doing it. Whether it’s hose lay drills, buddy checks, or 6 Minutes for Safety—we do lots of things over and over and they become normal work.

Check it out:

https://www.nwcg.gov/committee/6mfs/weekremembrance