Authored by Erica Tresham, Health and Wellness Program Coordinator for the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, and CWSF Staff.

As wildfire activity in the Western United States continues to grow in frequency, severity, and size, wildfire professionals face increasing operational demands, prolonged stress, and heightened risks to their health and overall well-being. 

In response to these challenges, the Western State Fire Managers (WSFM) established the Health and Wellness Subcommittee to serve as a collaborative forum for advancing behavioral health, resilience, and critical incident support across state wildland fire agencies.

A key focus of the subcommittee is supporting program development across member states by coordinating regional peer support, Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), and hospital/family liaison trainings, while also sharing resources, lessons learned, and best practices. This helps ensure that firefighters and support personnel have access to timely assistance following critical incidents or cumulative stress exposure.

“When we think about the safety of wildfire personnel, we have to look beyond the physical risks of the job,” said Jamie Barnes, Utah State Forester and State Forester Advisor of the WSFM Committee. “This subcommittee is proactively creating space for states to learn from one another, strengthen support systems, and build the internal capacity needed to care for personnel before, during, and after difficult incidents.”

To encourage resource sharing across the West, the subcommittee maintains a publicly available webpage that serves as a hub for health and wellness resources. The site includes CISM contact information, training opportunities, shared materials, and other tools to help states strengthen or expand their own mental health and wellness programs.

“Establishing this network supports interstate collaboration and surge capacity, ensuring that trained peer supporters and hospital liaison personnel can be mobilized to support affected personnel and their families,” said Erica Tresham, Health and Wellness Program Coordinator for the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection.

The subcommittee is also working to develop and maintain a regional roster of trained personnel, including CISM Leads, CISM Team Members, family/hospital liaisons, and trainees across participating states. This shared resource will allow states to identify qualified responders who may be available to assist during significant incidents, employee medical emergencies, or periods of elevated operational stress. 

 “The WSFM Health and Wellness Subcommittee is strengthening the ability of state agencies to provide effective employee support while reducing reliance on federal resources for behavioral health and critical incident response,” said Tresham. “This collaborative approach enhances the resilience of the wildland fire workforce and helps ensure that states have the capability and resources necessary to support their personnel before, during, and after difficult incidents.”

If you have a training or resource that you would like featured on this webpage, please email wsfm@westernforesters.org. 

To learn more about the subcommittee, please contact Leena Visnak at lvisnak@westernforesters.org.