How the WFM RD&A Fits into the Larger Picture

The WFM RD&A is comprised of individuals funded cooperatively by both the Department of Interior and the US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS). In the RMRS, the WFM RD&A falls under the Science Application and Integration (SA&I) staff, whose primary focus is science delivery and knowledge exchange, connecting RMRS scientists and researchers with managers in the field, and helping to put science into practice and harvest information about science needs from the land management community. There are four DOI postions funded through the Office Of Wildland Fire, with roles and duties the same as the RMRS staff, with some additional attention provided to DOI fire managers, field practitioners and interagency research efforts. Two focused research development and application (RD&A) groups, funded by the USFS WO, are housed within SA&I, employing 20+ technology transfer specialists, resource specialists and social scientists. The Wildland Fire Management RD&A manages decision support tools and serves as the flagship technology transfer center for scientists and managers in the wildland fire community. This unit is led by Tim Sexton, following the retirement of Tom Zimmerman last year. Tim supervises all positions in the WFM RD&A, including those funded by DOI and the Office of Wildland Fire. The Human Factors and Risk Management RD&A, led by Jim Saveland, helps the Forest Service develop a safety culture that is highly reliable and resilient; one where employees take a proactive and systematic approach to managing risk.