Following is a message that was sent earlier this evening by Oregon State Forester Doug Decker to all ODF employees. Within the body of this message is an additional message from Tom Imeson, Chair of the Oregon Board of Forestry, the seven-member citizen volunteer board that oversees the policy direction for the department. ********** SUBJECT: Agency Priorities: Fire, Safety, and Rest Good evening. This last week has been memorable, with tens of thousands of lightning strikes, heavy initial attack, record low fuel moistures, extreme fire indices, and frequent IMT deployments. It’s all hands on deck right now with our fire mission. I want to affirm and appreciate your clear focus on fire as the top agency priority in the midst of our many other priorities and workloads. Your work continues to earn the respect of our partners in the complete and coordinated system, community leaders and citizens statewide. Thank you for that. At its heart, the work of ODF is all about managing risk. We do it with fire, but you also do it every day when you set your priorities, make your to-do list, and decide how you’ll spend your time. This week we face unprecedented needs and risks: the need to focus on our top priority mission which is fire; the need for rest for our employees both in home units and those returning from assignment; the need to say “yes” to new fire assignments or to back up our colleagues who are away. We also need to keep the Department of Forestry open for business. It’s a tall order. The Executive Team and the Board of Forestry recognize there are trade-offs and consequences during conditions like these, and we want to encourage you to prioritize for the fire mission, for safety, and for rest. Internally, the Executive Team is asking managers to ensure these priorities are in place. Externally, we’re working with our stakeholders and cooperators who rely on our other businesses (State Forests, Private Forests, Administration) to convey an understanding that there will be delays, and that once we get through the peak of fire season, we’re going to need some room to catch our breath, and to catch up on workloads. There is broad recognition of the reality of our situation, and I wanted you to know that. This afternoon, Board of Forestry Chair Tom Imeson sent me these thoughts to relay to you: _________________ On behalf of the Board of Forestry, thank you for the extraordinary work you are doing during this challenging fire season. You have our deep appreciation, and that of citizens across the state. As you know better than most, this season started early and could become a long campaign. As your departmental leadership has emphasized, pacing and rest are vital. Time away from the job after challenging assignments—whether on the fire lines, in camp, or filling essential roles at the office—is essential to your wellbeing and success. The Board and Department are working on major projects that seek to improve the health and management of Oregon’s forests. I know that you also have significant daily responsibilities in serving your customers’ ongoing needs. There is much to balance. But the fire protection mission, and your health and safety, must come first, even if this affects the progress of other initiatives. The Board supports ODF leadership in ensuring that you have the rest that you need, so that you can work safely and effectively, in the tradition of excellence that the agency has built. All the best, and with thanks for your dedication, -- Tom Imeson, Chair Board of Forestry ____________________ Executive Team members will be working closely with the Board in September and beyond to reassess and realign our timeframes as necessary to ensure progress on key agency initiatives beyond fire. But for now—here in the heart of this very challenging fire season—our top priority must be fire, and keeping the organization as resilient as possible to respond to current and emerging incidents. Thanks for your dedication and your teamwork. Be safe. -Doug ____________________________________________ Doug Decker, Oregon State Forester Director, Oregon Department of Forestry Office: 503-945-7211 Mobile: 503-701-0236 Oregon Department of Forestry 2600 State Street, Salem OR 97301 oregon.gov/ODF/
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 02:11:50 +0000