Managing the Unexpected in Prescribed Fire and Fire Use Operations A Workshop on the High Reliability Organization

How do we organize for high performance in a setting where the potential for error and disaster can be overwhelming? In doing so, how can we best apply the High Reliability Organizing concepts into the prescribed fire and fire use arenas? And, to successfully achieve these outcomes, how can we personally and institutionally overcome our immunity to change? This report summarizes how these questions—and many others—were addressed through the activities, discussions, and lessons learned during the four-day Managing the Unexpected Workshop held May 10-13 2004, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The report documents and examines the day-to-day workshop chronology from its opening keynote address and “Managing the Unexpected” presentation, through the all-day Staff Ride to the 2000 Cerro Grande Prescribed Fire site, the Staff Ride’s Integration Phase, and the final day’s thoughtprovoking and challenging “Immunity to Change” exercise.