Professional Urban-Wildland Fire Management Qualificiations

Wildfire Management Objectives

To provide services with regard to Urban-Wildland Fire Management planning, including vegetation, environmental impacts and land use; expert testimony concerning urban wildland fire prevention, suppression and management.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

1991-Present: Proprietor and manager of an independent consulting firm specializing in urban wildland interface -"I" Zone vegetative fuel treatment including prescribed fire, crushing and burning, strategic recycling and vegetation enhancement. Expert consultation regarding wildfire litigation.
1981-1991: Fire Captain and Vegetation Management Officer, County of Los Angeles Fire Dept. Developed and supervised Los Angeles County Prescribed Burn Program, burning over 32,000 acres of chaparral in the Areas of Santa Monica Mountains, including Bel-Air, Topanga Cyn., Santa Clarita Valley, San Gabriel Mountains, Whittier and Baldwin Hills.
1962-1981: Fire Captain, LACoFD; Fire suppression supervision and training.
1959-1962: Fire Apparatus Engineer, LACoFD; Responsible for driving specialized Wildland Fire equipment as well as structural fire apparatus.
1955-1959: Firefighter, LACoFD; working in wildland fire areas of Los Angeles County.

CERTIFICATION

Prescribed Fire Manager and Chaparral Management Instructor, California Dept. of Forestry (CDF).
BEHAVE Fire Behavior and Fuel modeling System Instructor, CDF & USDA Forest Service.
Advanced Fire Behavior, S-490; CDF & USDA.
Archaeological Site recognition; CDF.
Smoke Management Techniques, CDF.

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION AND AFFILIATIONS

1993-94 Member, Wildfire Safety Panel, County of Los Angeles
1993-Present: Member, California Urban Forests Council.
1990-Present: Member, California Native Plant Society.
1978-82-Chairperson, California Water Commission.
1980 Member, Governor's Task force on Fire Flood Cycle.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS, PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS

1995 Presenter, Brush Fires in California - Fuel Management, Fire Behavior and Prescribed Burning. U.C. Irvine.
1995 Presenter to IAWF, Chaparral Management Techniques for Development: Public and Government Perceptions. Coeur d'Alene ID.
1993 Presenter to IBAMA, Brazil. Wildland Fire and Management Techniques. Brasilia , Brazil.
1992 Presenter to Assoc. of Bay Area Govnts (ABAG) Oakland Hills Fire - Liability and Fuel management Issues. Oakland, CA.
1990 Presenter to the University of Menendez, The Role of Fire in Mediterranean Type Ecosystems, Valencia, Spain.
October 1993 Chaparral Management Techniques: An Environmental Perspective.
California's I Zone 1996-Urban wildland Fire prevention and Mitigation: Fuel Management. Prepared for California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, State Fire Marshal.

INNOVATIONS

Developed Fire Service/Community participation for brush removal and hazard abatement in Los Angeles County.
Developed Fuel Management techniques to reduce chaparral fuel loading in and around I Zone Communities.

AREAS OF INTEREST

Preparation of Fire Safe planning Criteria for residential development in the I Zone.
Chaparral Management in an Urbanized setting, with specific attention to environmental concerns.
Expert Assessment, Urban Wildland fire litigation.

REFERENCES AND TESTIMONY

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
County of Los Angeles Fire Dept.
City of Los Angeles Fire Dept.
Santa Barbara County Fire Dept.
Bel-Air Association
Berger and Norton, Attorneys