Last updated: August 6, 2025
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2025 Director's Fire Achievement Awards
The Director’s Fire Achievement Awards are the highest awards bestowed by the National Park Service (NPS) for outstanding achievements in reducing risk, preventing fires, and effective wildland fire management.
The awards recognize significant achievements that advance the mission and contributes to fire safety and prevention within the structural fire and wildland fire programs. Award recipients are nominated by fellow NPS staff and selected by a panel from the Division of Fire and Aviation Management.
Want to learn more about fire in the NPS? Visit NPS.gov/Fire
The awards recognize significant achievements that advance the mission and contributes to fire safety and prevention within the structural fire and wildland fire programs. Award recipients are nominated by fellow NPS staff and selected by a panel from the Division of Fire and Aviation Management.
Want to learn more about fire in the NPS? Visit NPS.gov/Fire
Vision and Empowerment Award
The National Park Service (NPS) Wildland Fire Program Vision and Empowerment Award, recognizes individuals associated with NPS Fire and Aviation which encourage and assist others in the accomplishment of personal and professional goals. Individuals with this ability often possess skills of vision and empowerment. It is individuals with these skills that the Vision and Empowerment Award is designed to honor.
Fire Prevention and Protection Award
The NPS Structural Fire Program Fire Prevention and Protection Award recognizes the achievements of an individual, team or group, and an external partner at the park, regional, or national level who has demonstrated a commitment to the prevention of structural fires throughout the previous year. This could be through the completion of a single project, such as overseeing the installation of smoke detectors or fire sprinklers, or promoting fire protection through an effective education or communication program.
Achievement in Fuels Management Award
The NPS Wildland Fire Program Achievement in Fuels Management Award recognizes a group or individual that has contributed to the NPS fuels program’s ability to effectively manage fuels in fire-adapted ecosystems which includes Wildfire Management, Adaptive Management, Adapted Human Communities, and Restoring and Maintaining Fire-adapted Ecosystems.
Vision and Empowerment Award
Cedar DrakeFire Ecologist, North Pacific-Columbia Basin Fire Ecology Program
Cedar Drake receives the Vision and Empowerment Award for being a true visionary and fulfilling the NPS fire management mission through extensive work coordinating the Resource Advisor (READ) program in the Pacific West Region. For several years, he has had an impact on the effectiveness and capacity of resource advising in every NPS region and across other agencies and partners in fire management. Showing outstanding leadership, Cedar’s efforts have built bridges and alliances between NPS fire managers and resource managers.
Cedar’s specific accomplishments include spearheading and leading the Local Unit READ Guide (LURG) template and READ Atlas project which are tools that promote the rapid and effective protection of sensitive natural and cultural resources, designated lands, and other values. He influenced decisions from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s Resource Advisor Subcommittee and created the NPS regional READ coordination call group. Cedar identifies, advertises, and supports excellent training opportunities for resource advisors and campaigns for collaborative, realistic, and professional actions on behalf of treasured landscapes and critical values. All of these efforts have empowered hundreds of individuals in their careers to serve the NPS mission. Due to his vast knowledge and respect for the resources we protect, Cedar’s leadership has positively transformed resource advising and improved fire management.
NPS/L BRANNFORS
Vision and Empowerment Award
Windy BunnFire Ecologist, Intermountain Region
Windy Bunn is an outstanding achiever in Fuels Management and a visionary and empowering fire manager. Windy’s approach to making NPS Fire a success is refreshing and insightful, and she makes the buzzwords “adaptive management” a reality. She is a super-organized critical thinker with brilliant ideas and a talent for articulating realistic and meaningful goals. She challenges assumptions and aligns core values to achieve the NPS mission.
Windy successfully builds community across all disciplines in fire and resource management in the Intermountain Region and across the NPS. She inspires teamwork and leads by setting an example of high integrity, respect, and duty. In doing this, she elevates others to success.
Windy’s visionary and empowering accomplishments include leading task groups for the Intermountain Region strategic plan, mentoring new employees and colleagues, coordinating excellent workshops for fire ecology and fuels, co-leading the NPS Fire Climate Working Group, teaching geospatial wildland fire modelling, assisting parks completing fuels treatment data entry, lending a sympathetic ear on a hard day, and helping out whenever she can when she sees a need. All of these talents are brought together for the benefit of the parks, which makes Windy Bunn deserving of the Vision and Empowerment Award.
NPS
Fire Prevention and Protection Award- Individual Structural Fire Champion
Steve LyonFire Inspector, Yosemite National Park
Steve Lyon consistently works above and beyond reaching outstanding achievements in park fire safety. He has achieved notable results beyond conducting building inspections and fire trainings. Steve also serves as the lead driver operator and officer for the Yosemite National Park fire protection staff. He essentially doubled the Yosemite National Park engine company through successful recruitment. He created and nurtures partnerships with local fire departments benefitting NPS and local firefighters. The firefighters benefit from continuous training and keeping compliant with policy and codes.
Steve often finds creative ways to acquire gear and equipment which increases safety and capacity for the Yosemite fire staff. He reaches out to mentor others and takes opportunities to further assist the NPS by participating as an instructor for regional and agency-wide trainings. Steve cultivates a passion for the NPS Structural Fire Program and embodies duty, respect, and integrity. He is a person that all structural fire staff should strive to emulate and for this, Steve Lyon is bestowed the Fire Prevention and Protection Award.
NPS
Fire Prevention and Protection Award- Structural Fire Group
Kevin Ross, Doug Gillum, Nick Mann, Chad HunterGrand Canyon National Park
The Grand Canyon National Park structural fire crew continues to clear new paths for structural fire in the National Park Service. They are the first to try new ways to accomplish the mission. The staff always sends instructors to national structural fire trainings to share their experience with the next generation of structural firefighters. They are committed to mentorship and growing capacity in the National Park Service to protect lives and increase safety.
The crew represents a wealth of knowledge and experience; they are engaged in sharing this with others and cultivating partnerships. They are an exceptionally skilled HAZMAT crew serving as an example to others in the National Park Service. The Grand Canyon National Park structural fire staff are able and willing to hosts several structural fire trainings that increase the knowledge base of the National Park Service, but also all other participants. They maintain relationships with local fire agencies which builds capacity and keeps safety in the forefront. Grand Canyon National Park structural fire staff operate at the highest level and serve as an excellent example for others to follow, for this they have earned the Fire Prevention and Protection Award.
Photo courtesy of Ginny Gragg
Fire Prevention and Protection Award- External Partner or Volunteer
Ginny Gragg, Classification SpecialistWashington Office; HR/SPARK Team
Ginny Gragg has worked above and beyond to help increase capacity and recruitment within the National Park Service’s Structural Fire Program. She dedicated many hours to finalize and publish 21 Standard Position Descriptions for various structural fire positions. She has worked closely with experts within the fields of structural fire and related programs to create, format, validate and process these position descriptions and to include necessary review from the Department of Interior. She has accomplished this while balancing other workloads in direct support to the National Park Service’s human resources “SPARK” team which provides support to fire positions. Within this timeframe, she was also working on the transitions for wildland firefighting positions to a new series which was also a heavy workload.
Her efforts have and continue to support parks and regions, particularly the ability to rapidly recruit, place, and employ a critical public safety workforce. Her specific knowledge has led to rapid development of position descriptions while ensuring alignment with policy and guidance for challenging job series. Her efforts validate minimum standards for all positions, ensure quality ready to work candidates, and reduce recruitment efforts for structural fire. Without her contribution we would not have the recruiting capacity that we have today in the Structural Fire Program. Her efforts have positively impacted the National Park Service’s ability to meet the Director’s priorities to reduce fire loss in the NPS.
Achievement in Fuels Management
South Florida Parks and Preserve Fire and Aviation DivisionEverglades National Park, Big Cypress National Park and Preserve, Biscayne National Park
In 2024, the National Park Service (NPS) South Florida Fire and Aviation Division achieved a remarkable milestone in wildland fuels management. The team acheived successful prescribed fire ignitions on 233,960 acres at Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park. These actions safeguard vital NPS infrastructure, major highway corridors, private in-holders, cultural sites, and numerous threatened and endangered species. This success story is a testament to the power of strategic planning, effective communication, and robust interagency collaboration. Deputy Fire Management Officers Jack Weer from Everglades National Park and Orlando Genao from Big Cypress National Preserve orchestrated these operations with precision and care.
The strategic placement of prescribed fire creates defensible space around buildings, roads, and other key assets, reducing wildfire damage risk and safeguards lives and property. These selective fuels management actions also minimized wildfire threat and protected endangered and threatened species, and cultural and historical values ensuring these treasures are preserved for future generations. These accomplishments are a shining example of strategic planning, collaboration, and the effective use of prescribed fire. This initiative not only resulted in significant cost savings but, more importantly, enhanced the safety of firefighters and surrounding communities.