The Anchor Point Podcast

People have lived collaboratively with fire, and fire has brought and supported life since time immemorial. This was something Dr. Sasha Berleman heard when she was a young adult enrolled in an educational program at a nature reserve that her grandmother used to take her to. This sent her on a lifelong journey to explore and educate others on living harmoniously in a fire-prone environment.   Know...

Explore the thrilling intersection of firefighting and professional boxing in this captivating episode. On today's show, Chase and Sammy Worthington stop by to talk about what it takes to make a strong, lasting relationship through their personal experiences with a wildfire career and a professional boxing career. Chase Worthington , a Squad Leader on the Folsom Lake Veterans Crew and a US Navy Ve...

When discussing or covering wildfire situations, most people and media outlets focus more on their destruction rather than the humanity behind it. In this episode, Brandon Dunham sits down with Gabriel Kirkpatrick Mann to discuss the making of his cinematic masterpiece documentary " Hotshot ," which tells the story of some of the most elite, the most hardened, and the most skilled men and women on...

It’s high time we confront the wildfire crisis head-on while looking at forest health from a holistic point of view. In this episode, we talk with Stanislaus National Forest Public Information Officer, Benjamin Cossel , about the MASSIVE undertaking of a historic fuels reduction and prescribed fire project called the "Initial Landscape Investments to Protect Communities and Improve Resilience in A...

Wildfires are getting bigger and bigger every single year. Those 100-year fires are now happening at intervals of five or ten years, and they are much deadlier to handle. Andy Bozzo wants to arm wildfire fighters with the right technology to give them a much safer time eliminating this kind of fire, saving many lives in the process. This is where Tablet Command comes in. Andy joins Brandon Dunham...

Despite the changes we have made, would you believe that PPE hasn’t been changed in 30 years? It continues to be governed by antiquated rules that no longer best serve what we need today. In this episode, Korena Hallam and Summer Hurd from Green Buffalow dive deep into the changes we need to see, especially when it comes to the different needs between men and women in the field. They explain the c...

If you happen to be a bystander as an emergency situation takes place, would you rather be the person who just stands by helpless and clueless, or the person who happens to be trained and equipped enough to save the day?   Today we’re talking about saving lives, and we have the perfect person to talk to us about the importance of having the right gear, skills, and training to respond to emergency...

Beyond the massive destruction caused by wildfires are the people who risk their lives just to put them out. In this episode, Ben Iverson of the Forest Service shares with Brandon Dunham a glimpse of the wildfire culture beyond the protocols and into its relatable human aspects. He talks about their project Meta Review , which looks back on the commonalities and differences of past wildfire events...

Nutrition plays a vital role in the well-being and performance of wildland firefighters, shaping their physical and mental resilience in the face of demanding and dangerous conditions. In this episode, we continue the previous discussions around human performance and nutrition. This time, we look into the policy changes for how our wildland firefighters are fed during fire assignments. Joining us...

In this episode, we’re going to talk about whole body wellness, and we have just the right guest to speak to that. Paul Tijerina is a master health coach with expertise in functional nutritional therapy and primal health. And boy does he have compelling stuff to share! As hotshots, it is part of our job to make sure we’re consistently operating in our best form. Consequently, things like proper nu...

Welcome to the The Anchor Point Podcast, episode 117 with Jay Walker, a wildland firefighter from Wells, NV. Jay has served on multiple wildland firefighting crews, including Ruby Mountain Hotshots, Jackson Hotshots, and Elko District Engine Modules. He is currently the acting superintendent of Ely Helitack, based out of Panaca, Nevada.     In 2020, Jay experienced a severe rollover accident in a...

Welcome to Episode 119 of The Anchor Point Podcast, where we take a deep dive into the world of wildland firefighting and the culture that surrounds it. In this episode, we'll be discussing the crucial role of aviation and aerial firefighting operations in Nevada, featuring guests from different aspects of the industry. Join us as we delve into the day-to-day operations of the various helitack cre...

Welcome to The Anchor Point Podcast, episode 118! In this episode, we delve into the world of wildland firefighting with a focus on the Nevada Bureau of Land Management Handcrews and Interagency Hotshot Crews.   Our guests for this episode include JP Blair, Justin Zabala, Kris Bruington, and Chase Maness, all experienced Hotshots who have worked on the frontlines of some of the toughest wildfires...

Welcome to the The Anchor Point Podcast, episode 117! In this episode, we dive into the world of wildland firefighting with a focus on the Nevada Bureau of Land Management Fire Engines program. Joining us are Truett, Elliot, Chris, and Austin, who share their experiences and insights into the unique capabilities that the program offers. We explore the different techniques used in wildland firefigh...

The Anchor Point Podcast Episode 116 with, Grant Beebe, Assistant Director of BLM Fire and Aviation. On today's episode we will be discussing Wildland Firefighter Pay Parity, Classification, Mental Health Issues, and much more... The wildland firefighting workforce is currently facing a number of challenges, and these issues are the focus of The Anchor Point Podcast Episode 116. The guest on the s...

Welcome to The Anchor Point Podcast episode 115 with: Lucas Garrett, founder of Landsharks Running Company.  In this episode, Lucas shares some important running tips and tricks, such as proper recovery, the importance of sleep, why supplements and PEDs are dumb, and how to become an overall better runner... Lucas was a football player who wanted to learn how to run faster, but he was told he didn...

Welcome to another episode of The Anchor Point Podcast! In today's episode, we have special guest, Anthony Powers, a former hotshot hailing from Southern California. He has risen through the ranks to become a Captain with the Forest Service, and is now serving as a firefighter for the city of Burbank, CA. Anthony is also the President of the non-profit organization, Hotshot Up, which is dedicated...

Wildland firefighting is a difficult but necessary job, and the Grassroots Wildland Firefighters Union (GWFF) and National Federation of Federal Employees Union (NFFE) have made it their mission to bring about changes for better pay and classification for wildland firefighters. Wildland firefighting can be incredibly dangerous and there's no room for error on the line, yet wildland firefighters of...

Full disclaimer, this episode is pretty NSFW (Not Safe For Work)! Lets be honest with ourselves for a hot second - The topic of sex is pretty taboo... Many folks out there tend to shy around the subject, and even worse: They don't communicate to their partners about the subject. This can cause problems in the bedroom, which can cause other issues within the relationship... And being in a relations...

The Eldorado National Forest is in the house, again! Today on the Anchor Point Podcast: We have the fire "power couple", Kaleena and Matt Lynde, to talk about some of the lesser known career paths in wildland fire, working as a public information officer, fire aviation, and to tell the story of overcoming this shitty thing known as cancer... Kaleena and Matt Lynde met while at WFTC, and started da...

Wildland firefighters are a unique bunch... Especially when it comes to the culture, and how we interact with "outsiders", our mission, and with each other... That's why we have Matt Carroll and Jody Jahn on the show today to talk, more in depth, about the "Deep Dive" project by the USFS and how it can reveal some insights about why we make the decisions that we do... About Matt : "Matt Carroll wo...

Today on the show: Former wildland firefighter, Amanda Monthei, stops by to discuss her wildfire podcast with a podcaster and former wildland firefighter, who podcasts about wildfire... Its like inception, but with wildland fire podcasts? 🤣 But seriously, a lot has changed in the last three and a half years since Amanda was last on the Anchor Point Podcast - And she has changed the game in regard...

Its not too often you hear about someone who's made a career path from being a front line wildland firefighter, to someone who is dropping fire retardant on wildfires, to someone who is coordinating the whole aviation show as an Air Attack... That's why we have Zachary Sullivan on the show today - To tell his story of his unique experience of his career path into fire aviation! "Zachery Sullivan t...

There is something about the healing properties of nature, water, and fly fishing with good people... That's why I'm pumped to have Jon Engle on the show today to talk about the Hold The Line Fly Fishing organization - An organization that specializes in getting people struggling with PTS and PTSI out on the water, and getting people to embrace nature as a restorative outlet. Jon is a 14 year vete...

Its not easy to NOT make that rash decision to go out and blow your hard earned back pay, and future pay supplements, on that new "overland rig", 6 bottles of high grade bourbon, a new rifle, optic, and god knows whatever vice you have... And yea... Before you ask, I know its hard... 'Cause I've been there - And also, this pay supplement may not be permanent... So, if you didn't blow all of your m...