Interagency Communication Case Study: The Wildfire

Interagency Communication Case Study
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Interagency Communication Case Study: The Wildfire
In 2011, a fire that began just north of Raton at the state border soon spread and burned a considerable section of the municipal catchment area on both sides of the boundary. To the north, a large portion of Raton's municipal watershed is owned and maintained by the city as Suga rite Canyon State Park in New Mexico and as wildlife areas in Colorado. The watershed is not just a supply of municipal water but also a place for recreational activities for residents. The intensity of the fire ranged from moderate to high. Initially, local fire agencies were on hand to control the fire. However, a federal fire response team had to intervene due to the rapid growth and expansion of the fire, which was exacerbated by high winds, dry weather, and continuous fuel availability.
The Emergency Management Steps That Were Taken
The early aftermath of the fire saw the implementation of emergency watershed engineering projects. The provision of potable water was the primary focus of this watershed stabilizing work, with the safeguarding of recreational assets serving as a secondary priority. This work was made possible by a grant from the federal government for emergency watershed protection. In the years preceding the Track Fire, emergency responders, municipal authorities, and partners working with natural resource management had already become aware of the possibility of large fires that may cause destruction. There had been a string of high-profile wildfire events across the Western regions. New Mexico and Colorado are the two states that have been affected by these fires. The Suga rite Stewardship Group, a group of government, non-profit, and private sector members, began working together to mitigate the threat posed by wildfire to the forested terrain of Suga rite Canyon State Park.
In order to reduce the risk of crown fire, the stewardship group analyzed, planned, and implemented mechanical interventions aimed at reducing the highly stocked forest to even more fire-resistant conditions. The crew completed forest treatment in the watershed prior to the Track Fire of over 210 hectares, despite conflicts over the proper management practices that hampered implementation progress. Watershed and forest health teams at the state and federal levels helped coordinate funds for the group's work, including supporting new forms of collaboration and developing local community capacity.
Theories of Interagency Collaboration Applied
There were three instances where interagency collaboration theories were applied in this scenario. First, the fire event served as a collaborative and adaptive learning platform (Bardach,2001). The coalition experimented with various treatment strategies and observed and learned from the outcomes. Second, communication and cooperation between individuals who represented relevant organizations and agencies ranged from local to state to national. The group consisted of individuals who represented relevant organizations and agencies on a scale ranging from municipal to state to even national. In the third instance, members of the group we...