Aerial Firefighting Community Gathers in Boise
This year’s gathering underscored the strength and dedication of the aerial firefighting community and the essential role of federal and state government partners who work alongside operators, manufacturers, and firefighters to protect communities across the country. Since its inception, the conference has grown annually, and this year’s had almost 300 attendees.
The conference opened with welcomes from UAFA leadership, host sponsor Simplot, Boise Fire Chief Mark Niemeyer, and Julia Lauch from the Idaho Department of Lands, setting up a collaborative tone that carried throughout the day. Department of Interior leadership, including BLM Fire Director Grant Beebe and NPS Fire Director Chris Wilcox, provided insights into its current consolidation efforts and the potential for a single federal wildfire agency-a topic that generated substantial discussion about both opportunities and challenges for contractor relationships…