Burned Out on How to Manage Wildfire Debris? Lessons Learned and Tips from Industry Experts.
Wildfires create complex issues for disaster debris clean up and recovery efforts, which can be a big stress point for citizens, city, and county government officials. Hear from debris industry leaders with years of experience responding to a variety of wildfire events, including the 2015 and 2016 California Wildfires, the 2018 Camp Fire, and the 2021 Oregon Wildfires. The panel will discuss lessons learned from recent events to ground the conversation in real world examples and tools. For example, did you know a large percentage of structural wildfire debris is recyclable? Also learn best practices for determining how much soil should be excavated to properly remove contamination, and which fire damaged trees are a hazard, and which trees should remain. Presenters will discuss planning recommendations your community can incorporate to best be prepared for future events. Such as the importance of having pre-positioned debris contracts in place, and having a long-term sheltering and housing plan, should the Red Cross not be readily available. The conversation will also discuss key operational phases and the FEMA Public Assistance reimbursement process, giving audience members an overview of what they need to know as a foundation for disaster debris removal.
About the Presenter
Rob Ray has over 21 years of dedicated service in disaster response and recovery, 20 years of which have been with AshBritt. Currently serving as a Senior Vice President at AshBritt, he is a recognized leader in the field and a distinguished Subject Matter Expert. As of 2023, Rob has been instrumental in managing and assisting in over 200 disaster response and recovery projects in 14 states. Rob has played a pivotal role in managing recovery efforts following some of the most challenging disaster events in recent history, including Hurricanes Katrina, Dolly, Ike, Harvey, and Laura, Matthew, Irma, and Ian; winter ice storms; wildfires in California and Oregon; and tornadoes. As a widely recognized subject matter expert, Rob has led panel discussion on disaster response and recovery at various industry conferences.
Jason Haynie has been in the emergency management industry for the past 20 years, beginning in 2004 during hurricanes Charlie, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. Jason has been with AshBritt since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, serving in the roles of Field Supervisor, Project Manager, Safety Officer, and Senior Project Manager. Throughout his time at AshBritt, Jason has worked many large-scale disaster recoveries including hurricanes, ice and snowstorms, oil spills, COVID-19 response, and wildfires for multiple municipalities, counties, states, and federal organizations.