NFPA Names First Wildland Award Winners

           

The Wildland Fire Management Section of the National Fire Protection Association presented two National Wildland Fire Management Awards during the 2005 World Safety Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas.

Hank Blackwell, fire marshal of the Santa Fe (N.M.) Fire Department, was the first recipient of the “Flame” award for risk mitigation. Blackwell coordinated numerous wildfire prevention programs, assisted local areas in adopting Firewise principles, and created the Santa Fe Wildfire Cooperators. He also authored and fostered the adoption of the Santa Fe County Urban Wildland Interface Code, the first such code in the state, which involved a coalition of government, private industry and citizen participants.

“Chief Blackwell's activities truly exemplify the nature and intent of the award and the principles and purposes of the NFPA Wildland Fire Management Section,” wrote the section's Western Director Bill Mills of the Colorado Springs (Colo.) Fire Department who nominated Blackwell.

The second award recognized Mike Long, former director of the Florida Division of Forestry and founding member of the NFPA section. Long is now the Florida state forester and the National Association of State Foresters representative to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group and other national commissions.

“When the section needed his insight and leadership, Mike came in to fill the director-at-large position,” said Executive Director Jim Smalley. “His dedication to the section and its mission is appreciated both professionally and personally.”

For more information or to join the section, visit www.nfpa.org.