Show Notes
Erik Apland talks with Erin Phelps and Kat DuBose about wildland fire presumptive illness legislation, some lessons associated with filing a cancer-related claim with the Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, and firefighter exposure to environmental hazards. Erin and Kat define what presumptive illness means for wildland firefighters and share their insights on when someone should file a claim, how and when additional illnesses may be added to the list, and what the agencies are doing to address wildland fire health and wellbeing.
More from Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
Former Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center Assistant Director, Alex Viktora, comes back to the podcast to talk with Travis Dotson, Analyst with the Lessons Learned Center. Alex talks with Travis about his career, his time with the Lessons Learned Center, and the things he has learned along the way. This is Travis Dotson’s farewell podcast episode as he retired in July 2026. Travis Dotson started his wildland fire career in 1996 as an Administratively Determined (AD) firefighter for the Bureau of Indian Affairs on Zuni Southwest Type 2 Crews. He spent the next 11 years on various wildland fire modules including time with the Heber Hotshots, Saguaro Fire Use Module, Manning Camp Fire Crew, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge Engine, and McCall Smokejumpers. Travis joined the Fire Use Training Academy (FUTA) in 2007 where he served as a Training Specialist and rookied as a Smokejumper at McCall. He continued to work for FUTA—detailing to McCall for each summer—until he joined the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center in 2009 as the Center’s Analyst.
Christina Anabel talks with Dr. Jennifer Symonds about rhabdomyolysis. They cover what rhabdo is, risk factors, symptoms, treatment, and what folks in the wildland fire community can do to reduce their risk.
Erik Apland, Travis Dotson, and Travis Touchette discuss stories and insights collected by the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center in 2025. This episode focuses on the specific takeaways highlighted by events in the field over the past year.
Crew Captain Ben McLane describes what values-based leadership in the wildland fire service can look like in 2025. Listen in for some tangible tips on leading in a way that produces high-quality performance and maximizes well-being.
Structure Protection Specialist Hunter Bell III discusses his unusual career trajectory into wildland fire, and shares lessons on structure protection principles and the use of sprinklers to effectively protect structures without causing water damage. This discussion is a follow-up to Hunter’s blog post: https://wildfirelessons.wpcomstaging.com/2025/06/02/structures-get-flooded-can-we-rethink-our-tactics/ Download Hunter’s Structure Protection Handy-Dandy: Structure Protection Tactics Guide | Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center Sprinklers for Wildland Fire Structure Protection Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QloMXNhsBA0