Inevitable Skilled Labor Series: Firefighting with James Sedlak
*This episode is part of our Skilled Labor Series hosted by MCJ partner, Yin Lu. This series is focused on amplifying the voices of folks from the skilled labor workforce, including electricians, farmers, ranchers, HVAC installers, and others who are on the front lines of rewiring our infrastructure.
Today's guest is James Sedlak, who leads Operations and Community Engagement at Kodama Systems, a startup developing automated ways of thinning overcrowded forests and utilizing low-value biomass, which we'll learn more about in the episode.
From 2019 to 2021, James was a wildland firefighter for three seasons working on fire suppression and mitigation in the El Dorado National Forest. He has also worked on climate resilience projects for local and state agencies in California, such as the Governor's Office of Planning and Research, and the Tahoe Conservancy.
In this episode, we get into the nitty-gritty of the day of the life of a wildland firefighter and learn about the future of firefighting and what the space will entail. After hearing about the dedication and dangers associated with wildland firefighting, you’ll walk away with a much deeper appreciation and gratitude for the work being done around the mitigation and suppression of fires. And lastly, we at MCJ Collective are proud to be investors in Kodama via our venture capital funds. Enjoy the show!
In this episode, we cover:
- [2:00] James' background and how he landed his current role at Kodama
- [5:43] An overview of the El Dorado National Forest and James' work in wildland fire
- [7:04] Different types of firefighting and how to get started
- [10:31] Courses and the interview process
- [12:02] Career progression for working in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USFS)
- [17:51] An overview of hotshots
- [19:27] What it's like to be a firefighter and the typical experience during a fire season
- [22:41] The importance of pre-season training and supporting mental health programs for firefighters
- [26:43] Challenges with retention in the federal wildland firefighting workforce
- [28:21] An overview of mitigation suppression to prevent wildfires
- [30:27] Wildfire trends from out on the frontlines and within the workforce
- [32:49] James' work at Kodama
- [38:01] Implications of recent flooding on the fire season for this year and years to come
- James’ Earth Refuge interview
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MCJ Podcast / Collective
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Episode recorded on January 13, 2022.
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant