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Fire Prevention Month: Careers in Fire Prevention

October is Fire Prevention Month!

While many of the month’s activities are focused on what you can do to prevent fires at home (check your smoke detectors and change your batteries!), Fire Prevention Month is also a great time to highlight just a few of the many people working in fire prevention.

 

Olivia-Iniabi Collette, Wildfire Prevention Officer

At an early age, Olivia-Iniabi Collette was inspired by Deanne Shulman, the first female smokejumper and one of the first women to serve on hotshot and rappel crews. This inspiration motivated her to pursue employment opportunities with engines, hand crews, helicopter rappel teams, and hotshot crews before discovering her passion for wildfire prevention and investigation.

  • Graduate, National Wildland Firefighter Apprentice Academy
  • USDA Forest Service
  • A wildfire prevention officer connects with the public and local partners to spread awareness on how to prevent human-caused wildfire.
Front cover of Olivia-Iniabi Collette Collector Card

Jacob Gear, Regional Fire Prevention Coordinator

According to Jacob Gear, one of the important things he’s learned about wildland fires is “money spent upfront on prevention and mitigation is better than on fire suppression. Studies have shown that every dollar spent on prevention and mitigation can save anywhere from $4 to $32 depending on the location. Studies can’t account for the true losses.”

  • Humboldt State University
  • USDA Forest Service
  • A regional wildfire prevention coordinator works with many stakeholders on things such as industrial fire restrictions, public use restrictions, fire prevention messaging, and education.
Front cover of Jacob Gear Collector Card

Alexa Scanlan, Prevention Technician

One of the things that Alexa Scanlan has learned on the job is that “there is no one solution or answer when it comes to fighting wildland fires. Different fuels, topography, and weather will make a 1-acre fire in one location completely different than a 1-acre fire in another location, or the same location on a different day.”

  • B.A., MNR, University of Idaho
  • USDA Forest Service
  • A prevention technician shares information with the public about our forests and how to prevent fires.
Front cover of Alexa Scanlan Collector Card

Smokey Bear, Wildfire Prevention Specialist

The most famous name in fire prevention, Smokey Bear has been a wildfire prevention specialist and educator since 1944. As he explains, “During World War II, wood was an important resource. Wildfires used money and people to fight them and burned valuable timber. In 1944, the Forest Service made me the ‘spokesbear’ for wildfire prevention. My message is still relevant because more people are living close to wildlands. We need to protect people, homes, communities, wildlife, and the surrounding habitats.”

  • USDA Forest Service
  • A wildfire prevention specialist raises public awareness about how human behavior can accidentally cause a wildfire.
PDF preview of the front of Smokey Bear's collector card, featuring an illustrated Smokey Bear holding a shovel.

Fire Resources

Looking for more on fire? Browse our list of fire-related monographs, journals, readers, and more.

A Burning Question – Vol. 1 No. 19

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire (Time Warp Monograph Series) – Vol. 1 No. 14

Smokey Bear LIVE

Meet Smokey Bear’s Team – Vol. 1 No. 12

Smokey Bear Learning Module

Meet Dr. Ford! – Vol. 1 No. 6

Knock on Wood – Vol. 1 No. 21

Wildland Fire – Vol. 4 No. 1

Wildland Fire 2 – Vol. 13 No. 1

A Flame Changer – Vol. 1 No. 25

Meet Dr. Goodrick! – Vol. 1 No. 5

Bee A Fire Scientist Coloring Book

Advanced Fire Scientist Coloring Book

Nissa McKinney stands outside next to a wooden walkway.

Nissa McKinney

I am a science writer for Natural Inquirer. I work with scientists to translate their research into language that’s easy for students to understand. I used to be a high school English teacher, so I love getting to connect with...