Livingston Receives Gleason Award

             

The National Wildfire Coordination Group awarded Wildfire editorial advisory board member Bequi Livingston with the Paul Gleason Award in recognition of her outstanding leadership as the Forest Service Southwest Regional Fire Operations Health and Safety Specialist.

During her acceptance speech, Livingston reminded the audience that it's all about the people and "the boots on the ground." She also said that it is important to stay motivated, have vision and maintain your integrity as you move into the future and to foster a sense of purpose, passion and perseverance.

The award recognizes firefighters who lead by example and exemplify the established wildland fire leadership values and principles: duty, respect and integrity. The annual award was created to honor Gleason, who is best known for developing the LCES (Lookout, Communication, Escape Routes, Safety Zones) concept that became the foundation of wildland firefighter safety. The award is sponsored by the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Committee under the NWCG.

Livingston began her Forest Service career in 1979 as a member of the Young Adult Conservation Corps on a wildland fire hand crew at the Smokey Bear Ranger District in Ruidoso, N.M. She continued her fire and aviation management career working seasonally on fire crews, helitack, engine, hot shot, fire lookout, dispatcher and fire-prevention technician. In 1989, Livingston received her permanent status in R5 on the Cleveland National Forest as an assistant fire engine operator.

Livingston then went on to help her husband operate their own private helicopter business and started her own private fitness consulting business called BodySense. She worked as the dispatch supervisor for the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area emergency communications center until 1995, when she came back to work in Albuquerque for the Sandia Ranger District as the fire information officer. Livingston worked as the assistant fire management officer for the Sandia Ranger District, and then became the prescribed-fire operations specialist for the Southwest Fire Use Training Academy. In 2005, she went to the Southwestern Regional office as the regional fire operations health and safety specialist.

Livingston also has been instrumental in the international wildland fire community with the development of FireFit, an interagency wildland firefighter fitness program.