9: Director Ken Pimlott

Join Host Christopher Baker and guest CAL FIRE Director (Retired) Ken Pimlott as they discuss the challenges of leadership during a time when wildland fires became more intense and destructive, and fire seasons evolved into a year-round reality. The conversation explores the pressures of leading through escalating risk, limited resources, and the growing demands placed on firefighters.

Director Pimlott also reflects on several noteworthy accomplishments from his tenure, including advancements in the Employee Support Services (ESS) Program, the Aviation Program, firefighter PPE, wildfire mitigation through prescribed fire and fuels treatment, and the development of Exceptional Leadership Courses.

Throughout the discussion, Director Pimlott shares hard-earned leadership wisdom: the value of partnerships; the importance of building strong teams—sometimes over a shared box of Cheez-Its—because no one can do it alone; the courage to try new ideas, make mistakes, and course-correct; and the responsibility to share successes as a team while owning failures as a leader.

Biography:

Chief Pimlott began his fire service career in 1984 as a reserve firefighter in Contra Costa County, California. He joined CAL FIRE in 1987 as a seasonal firefighter, and ultimately worked his way through the ranks to Director and California's State Forester, a position he held from 2010 until his retirement in December 2018. Chief Pimlott has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Forest Resource Management from Humboldt State University and is a Registered Professional Forester in California. Under his leadership, CAL FIRE and the State of California battled historic wildfires and an unprecedented bark beetle epidemic while at the same time increasing the pace and scale of forest management and fire prevention. Chief Pimlott participated in numerous committees at the State and national level and testified before Congress on numerous occasions. Chief Pimlott continues to work on fire and forest management initiatives and is currently assisting El Dorado County with wildfire preparedness and resilience programs.

Show Notes: https://www.thebakerpodcast.com/blog/9-director-ken-pimlott