Adam Carr started as the Seeley Lake Ranger District Fire Management Officer June 20. He is learning quickly that his job includes managing the fire crew, facilities and fleet.
SEELEY LAKE – On June 20, Seeley Lake Ranger District Fire Management Officer Phil Shelmerdine officially handed off his duties to incoming FMO Adam Carr. While District Ranger Quinn Carver said, "Phil leaves some big shoes to fill," Carr is up to the task.
"I'm happy to be here. I still have a lot to learn," Carr said. "Phil has a lot of years under his belt in this community and has been through some pretty large events that were publicly and politically challenging."
Carr grew up in Libby, Montana. He started with the US Forest Service in 1992 at the Fernan Ranger Station on the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forest. He worked three years in timber.
"I was very fortunate back then," Carr said. "There weren't a lot of jobs to be had at the time."
Carr took his first permanent timber position on the Kootenai National Forest in Libby. He moved back to the Idaho Panhandle National Forest on the St. Joe River Ranger District from 1996 – 1998. He filled in with the St. Joe Hot Shots before taking his first fire position in Lakeview, Oregon in 2000.
Carr moved up in his fire career working on the Idaho Panhandle and Kootenai National Forests. He worked on the Cabinet Ranger District from 2008 – 2019 until taking a detail to the Seeley Lake Ranger District as the Assistant FMO of operations.
"I was looking for a change, broaden my skill sets and continue with my operations background," Carr said. "Quinn Carver gave me the opportunity to detail and I just kind of fell in love with the program and the place."
Carr said the Seeley Lake Ranger District has the "old school feeling," something he was raised with and appreciates. But it also has the technology available for people to grow. He thinks that because the District has been through leadership changes, it seems that people are open minded and willing to grow in all different directions instead of just being linear. He looks forward to building relationships with new people and agencies, specifically the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, to help work together.
While Shelmerdine announced his retirement, Carr said it was a tough decision to apply for the FMO position since his wife still works out of Trout Creek, Montana.
"I knew it needed a change kind of like I did, to me those are perfect opportunities to jump in and either grow yourself or help the program grow," Carr said. "I applied and was very fortunate to get it. I've spent two years under Phil's leadership and I decided this is where I would like to cement my career."
Carr wants to instill a constant leadership value of trust with the crew. The Forest Service's core values are duty, integrity and respect. By adding trust, the crew created the acronym DIRT which stands for duty, integrity, respect and trust.
"I've never just been a fire guy, or just a timber guy, I've always done everything for the District's entire program. That is what I want to bring to here. To make sure those doors stayed open, make sure that those opportunities are available [to the crew members]," Carr said.
Carr looks forward to cross training with the different disciplines including recreation, biology, engineering and prevention at the District to help build the fire crew and their skill set.
"I'm going to keep it programmatic, it is not just yours, it is everybody's," Carr said. "We need to stay within those boundaries and learn how to work with them and continue relationships."
Carr added he is also excited to work in a new community. He looks forward to learning from Carver what the community wants and finding common ground where needs can be met.
"I hope to always be professional and have the citizens' concerns at the forefront," Carr said. "We always will work for the people. That is what I want to continue to build."
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