People have lived collaboratively with fire, and fire has brought and supported life since time immemorial. This was something Dr. Sasha Berleman heard when she was a young adult enrolled in an educational program at a nature reserve that her grandmother used to take her to. This sent her on a lifelong journey to explore and educate others on living harmoniously in a fire-prone environment. Known as the Fire Poppy, Dr. Berleman shares insights on wildland and prescribed fires, stressing their vi...
Mar 12, 2024•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 130
Explore the thrilling intersection of firefighting and professional boxing in this captivating episode. On today's show, Chase and Sammy Worthington stop by to talk about what it takes to make a strong, lasting relationship through their personal experiences with a wildfire career and a professional boxing career. Chase Worthington , a Squad Leader on the Folsom Lake Veterans Crew and a US Navy Veteran, brings the perspective of a wildland firefighter. Meanwhile, Sammy "The Heat" Worthington , a...
Mar 01, 2024•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 129
When discussing or covering wildfire situations, most people and media outlets focus more on their destruction rather than the humanity behind it. In this episode, Brandon Dunham sits down with Gabriel Kirkpatrick Mann to discuss the making of his cinematic masterpiece documentary " Hotshot ," which tells the story of some of the most elite, the most hardened, and the most skilled men and women on the fireline. He talks about the movie’s six-year filming process, which involved catching firefigh...
Oct 05, 2023•2 hr 59 min•Ep. 128
It’s high time we confront the wildfire crisis head-on while looking at forest health from a holistic point of view. In this episode, we talk with Stanislaus National Forest Public Information Officer, Benjamin Cossel , about the MASSIVE undertaking of a historic fuels reduction and prescribed fire project called the "Initial Landscape Investments to Protect Communities and Improve Resilience in America’s Forests." This massive initiative spans a decade, covering millions of acres, and aims to a...
Aug 25, 2023•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 127
Wildfires are getting bigger and bigger every single year. Those 100-year fires are now happening at intervals of five or ten years, and they are much deadlier to handle. Andy Bozzo wants to arm wildfire fighters with the right technology to give them a much safer time eliminating this kind of fire, saving many lives in the process. This is where Tablet Command comes in. Andy joins Brandon Dunham to discuss how the tool optimizes resource management and increases situational awareness for those ...
Aug 18, 2023•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 126
Despite the changes we have made, would you believe that PPE hasn’t been changed in 30 years? It continues to be governed by antiquated rules that no longer best serve what we need today. In this episode, Korena Hallam and Summer Hurd from Green Buffalow dive deep into the changes we need to see, especially when it comes to the different needs between men and women in the field. They explain the complex and technical nature of creating a wildland firefighting PPE that fits and performs WAY bette...
Jul 21, 2023•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 125
If you happen to be a bystander as an emergency situation takes place, would you rather be the person who just stands by helpless and clueless, or the person who happens to be trained and equipped enough to save the day? Today we’re talking about saving lives, and we have the perfect person to talk to us about the importance of having the right gear, skills, and training to respond to emergency scenarios. A little about our guest... JT Sohr is a 21-year veteran of the wildland fire service with ...
Jul 12, 2023•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 124
Beyond the massive destruction caused by wildfires are the people who risk their lives just to put them out. In this episode, Ben Iverson of the Forest Service shares with Brandon Dunham a glimpse of the wildfire culture beyond the protocols and into its relatable human aspects. He talks about their project Meta Review , which looks back on the commonalities and differences of past wildfire events to find their most valuable lessons that could help improve fire response and address the poor educ...
Jul 06, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 123
Nutrition plays a vital role in the well-being and performance of wildland firefighters, shaping their physical and mental resilience in the face of demanding and dangerous conditions. In this episode, we continue the previous discussions around human performance and nutrition. This time, we look into the policy changes for how our wildland firefighters are fed during fire assignments. Joining us is the perfect guest for this conversation. James Shelley is not only well-versed in the world of wi...
Jun 27, 2023•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 122
In this episode, we’re going to talk about whole body wellness, and we have just the right guest to speak to that. Paul Tijerina is a master health coach with expertise in functional nutritional therapy and primal health. And boy does he have compelling stuff to share! As hotshots, it is part of our job to make sure we’re consistently operating in our best form. Consequently, things like proper nutrition, exercise and good sleep come into play. But this is also one of the most hotly contested ar...
Jun 23, 2023•2 hr 3 min•Ep. 121
Welcome to the The Anchor Point Podcast, episode 117 with Jay Walker, a wildland firefighter from Wells, NV. Jay has served on multiple wildland firefighting crews, including Ruby Mountain Hotshots, Jackson Hotshots, and Elko District Engine Modules. He is currently the acting superintendent of Ely Helitack, based out of Panaca, Nevada. In 2020, Jay experienced a severe rollover accident in a UTV resulting in the loss of his hand. After multiple surgeries, hardships, and financial challenges, he...
May 23, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 120
Welcome to Episode 119 of The Anchor Point Podcast, where we take a deep dive into the world of wildland firefighting and the culture that surrounds it. In this episode, we'll be discussing the crucial role of aviation and aerial firefighting operations in Nevada, featuring guests from different aspects of the industry. Join us as we delve into the day-to-day operations of the various helitack crews and the ins and outs of the tanker bases. We also take a look at the management side of the fire ...
May 16, 2023•2 hr 2 min•Ep. 119
Welcome to The Anchor Point Podcast, episode 118! In this episode, we delve into the world of wildland firefighting with a focus on the Nevada Bureau of Land Management Handcrews and Interagency Hotshot Crews. Our guests for this episode include JP Blair, Justin Zabala, Kris Bruington, and Chase Maness, all experienced Hotshots who have worked on the frontlines of some of the toughest wildfires in the country. We talk about their experiences as members of these elite firefighting teams, how they...
May 09, 2023•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 118
Welcome to the The Anchor Point Podcast, episode 117! In this episode, we dive into the world of wildland firefighting with a focus on the Nevada Bureau of Land Management Fire Engines program. Joining us are Truett, Elliot, Chris, and Austin, who share their experiences and insights into the unique capabilities that the program offers. We explore the different techniques used in wildland firefighting with specialized fire apparatus, including: mobile attack, wildland urban interface suppression...
May 02, 2023•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 117
The Anchor Point Podcast Episode 116 with, Grant Beebe, Assistant Director of BLM Fire and Aviation. On today's episode we will be discussing Wildland Firefighter Pay Parity, Classification, Mental Health Issues, and much more... The wildland firefighting workforce is currently facing a number of challenges, and these issues are the focus of The Anchor Point Podcast Episode 116. The guest on the show today is Grant Beebe, Assistant Director of BLM Fire and Aviation, and the conversation centers ...
Apr 25, 2023•2 hr 44 min•Ep. 116
Welcome to The Anchor Point Podcast episode 115 with: Lucas Garrett, founder of Landsharks Running Company. In this episode, Lucas shares some important running tips and tricks, such as proper recovery, the importance of sleep, why supplements and PEDs are dumb, and how to become an overall better runner... Lucas was a football player who wanted to learn how to run faster, but he was told he didn't need to learn to run because he was an offensive lineman. Despite this, Lucas was determined to pr...
Apr 19, 2023•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 115
Welcome to another episode of The Anchor Point Podcast! In today's episode, we have special guest, Anthony Powers, a former hotshot hailing from Southern California. He has risen through the ranks to become a Captain with the Forest Service, and is now serving as a firefighter for the city of Burbank, CA. Anthony is also the President of the non-profit organization, Hotshot Up, which is dedicated to supporting firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Join us as we delve into A...
Apr 09, 2023•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 114
Wildland firefighting is a difficult but necessary job, and the Grassroots Wildland Firefighters Union (GWFF) and National Federation of Federal Employees Union (NFFE) have made it their mission to bring about changes for better pay and classification for wildland firefighters. Wildland firefighting can be incredibly dangerous and there's no room for error on the line, yet wildland firefighters often don't receive adequate compensation for their efforts. The proposed budget changes under conside...
Mar 20, 2023•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 113
Full disclaimer, this episode is pretty NSFW (Not Safe For Work)! Lets be honest with ourselves for a hot second - The topic of sex is pretty taboo... Many folks out there tend to shy around the subject, and even worse: They don't communicate to their partners about the subject. This can cause problems in the bedroom, which can cause other issues within the relationship... And being in a relationship with a Wildland Firefighter - or, being a Wildland Firefighter in a relationship - Can be diffic...
Oct 27, 2022•2 hr•Ep. 112
The Eldorado National Forest is in the house, again! Today on the Anchor Point Podcast: We have the fire "power couple", Kaleena and Matt Lynde, to talk about some of the lesser known career paths in wildland fire, working as a public information officer, fire aviation, and to tell the story of overcoming this shitty thing known as cancer... Kaleena and Matt Lynde met while at WFTC, and started dating after apprenticeship academy. Kaleena headed to an apprentice position on Shasta Lake Hotshots ...
Oct 24, 2022•2 hr 26 min•Ep. 111
Wildland firefighters are a unique bunch... Especially when it comes to the culture, and how we interact with "outsiders", our mission, and with each other... That's why we have Matt Carroll and Jody Jahn on the show today to talk, more in depth, about the "Deep Dive" project by the USFS and how it can reveal some insights about why we make the decisions that we do... About Matt : "Matt Carroll works as an Organizational Learning Ambassador with the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research S...
Sep 26, 2022•2 hr 9 min•Ep. 110
Today on the show: Former wildland firefighter, Amanda Monthei, stops by to discuss her wildfire podcast with a podcaster and former wildland firefighter, who podcasts about wildfire... Its like inception, but with wildland fire podcasts? 🤣 But seriously, a lot has changed in the last three and a half years since Amanda was last on the Anchor Point Podcast - And she has changed the game in regard to the availability of science based, educational, and easily understood information of why wildfir...
Sep 19, 2022•2 hr 5 min•Ep. 109
Its not too often you hear about someone who's made a career path from being a front line wildland firefighter, to someone who is dropping fire retardant on wildfires, to someone who is coordinating the whole aviation show as an Air Attack... That's why we have Zachary Sullivan on the show today - To tell his story of his unique experience of his career path into fire aviation! "Zachery Sullivan took an unconventional path from being being a wildland firefighter to becoming a tanker pilot. After...
Sep 06, 2022•2 hr 39 min•Ep. 108
There is something about the healing properties of nature, water, and fly fishing with good people... That's why I'm pumped to have Jon Engle on the show today to talk about the Hold The Line Fly Fishing organization - An organization that specializes in getting people struggling with PTS and PTSI out on the water, and getting people to embrace nature as a restorative outlet. Jon is a 14 year veteran of the fire service. He is currently a paramedic engineer for Colton Fire Department in Southern...
Aug 15, 2022•2 hr 42 min•Ep. 107
Its not easy to NOT make that rash decision to go out and blow your hard earned back pay, and future pay supplements, on that new "overland rig", 6 bottles of high grade bourbon, a new rifle, optic, and god knows whatever vice you have... And yea... Before you ask, I know its hard... 'Cause I've been there - And also, this pay supplement may not be permanent... So, if you didn't blow all of your money already, listen in to this episode - It may save your ass (from a financial standpoint) in the ...
Aug 02, 2022•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 106
Dialing in your nutrition can be extremely challenging for a tactical athlete, especially for a wildland firefighter during the fire season - The lunches absolutely suck, MRE's are probably nutritionally devoid, and you oftentimes find yourself eating a bunch of gas station food like a raccoon eating out of a dumpster... That's why we have Michelle Yurick on the show today to talk about nutrition, needed improvements, and some simple life hacks to get more quality in your diet while on the road....
Jul 24, 2022•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 105
Melissa Moore is a former wildland firefighter, Hotshot, Smokejumper, and the founder of the Wildland Wellness Foundation - An organization that specializes in healing mental health issues through ancestral medicines... Thomas Wurm is the founder of Mountain Mind Tricks - An alternative therapy and mental health optimization practice that specializes in NLP, hypnosis, Mental-Emotional Release, and Hawaiian healing arts... Together, they make the dream team of alternative mental health practition...
Jul 11, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 104
Being in a very male dominated profession, women in the firefighting profession typically have a unique set of challenges to face... That's why we have Makenzie Gould on The Anchor Point Podcast today to talk about her career, her ideal nutrition, her fitness routine, making career choices that are advantageous, following your heart, and her ways of putting up up with the haters... "Mac" (Makenzie) is an 8 year veteran of the fire service and former competitive power lifter... She started out wi...
Jun 28, 2022•2 hr 40 min•Ep. 103
Today - June 21st, 2021: The entire federal wildland firefighting workforce FINALLY got some good news about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and the pay raise that comes along with it... That's why we have two of the major players in the game on the show to discuss all of the pertinent information, and how it effects the "boots on the ground". Special thank you to the Grassroots Wildland Firefighters nonprofit, and the National Federation of Federal Employees for your dedication and resolve in...
Jun 22, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 102
Wildland firefighters tend to be a magnanimous, larger than life, and compassionate crowd... Our stories, legacies, triumphs, and tribulations are oftentimes passed along through a very tribal, and (almost exclusively) verbal means. That's where The American Wildfire Experience comes in... To catalog and preserve this verbal history through digital storytelling... The American Wildfire Experience is a nonprofit organization who's roots are deep within the wildland firefighting community. Its pri...
Jun 20, 2022•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 101
