Esperanza Staff Ride - Beaumont, California

 ​LOGISTICS:

​Travel:  Two sessions; Tuesday and Thursday.  Travel days on Monday and Wednesday.

​Lodging:  Holiday In Express, Oak Valley, Beaumont, CA.

Schedule:  Icebreaker and orientation in the evenings starting at 1700 on Monday and Wednesday.  Staff ride on Tuesday and Thursday, with integration dinners starting at 1800.  

Group size:  Minimum 4 people per conference group; maximum of 12 people per conference group.  Maximum of 4 groups at a time.  USFS coordinates to provide conference group leaders for each conference group, as well as veterans of the incident to present and drive discussion.  OMNA simply provides a senior retired Marine or Firefighter in general support to facilitate conference group leader development and integration.

Transportation:  Participants provide their own transportation to and from the hotel.   USFS provides one 15 passenger van for each conference group (plus safety vehicles) for movement to and from the fire ground.  The staff ride itself involves little walking, but driving between stands includes rough roads in an isolated area, so be prepared to walk in and out if necessary (5 miles).  

APPLY ON LINE (Through November)

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Remembering the firefighters of Engine 57, the San Jacinto District of the San Bernardino National Forest hosts two back-to-back runnings of this one-evening and one-full-day staff ride every March.  Applications for acceptance into this staff ride are accepted starting each May for the following March.  To apply, simply fill out this application form (available through November each year).  There is no cost for participation, except for travel costs to include cash payment for the integration dinner.

​LEARNING OUTCOMES: 

+ Leaders experience tracing the route of Engine 57 and other responding Engines to conduct structure triage and evacuation operations during the Esperanza Fire of 2006.

+ Leaders practice their sensing, decision-making, and most importantly their communications skills in building trust and creating conditions for a culture of collaborative preparedness.

+ Leaders realize that even though they say "this will never happen to me" -- it just might.  How do you prepare yourself and your family for such an outcome?