Dr. LeRoy Anderson (RiP) How Crucial Was He Exposing The Truths About The Early Stages of YH Fire?
Fred J. Schoeffler primary author, Joy A. Collura (bottom section) and Sonny "Tex" Gilligan as contributing authors.
This preferred Title replaces the Wix website size constraints version - LeRoy Anderson Ed. D. (RiP) - How Crucial Was He With Exposing The Truths About The Early Stages of the Yarnell Hill Fire and the Firing Operations Taking Place in the Sesame Street and Shrine Corridor?
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Abbreviations used below: Wildland Firefighters (WFs) - Firefighters (FFs).
Dr. LeRoy Anderson (RiP) passed away in Yarnell, Arizona on May 18, 2021. This is a tribute to a friend and mentor and fellow truth-teller that was Politically Incorrect when it was required, a faithful fellow Brother in Christ, and a strong Mentor, Leader, and Visionary. An informal local community and Fire Department spokesman and community leader. He was truly a remarkable man with a wide range of interests in politics, education, health, and psychology. He possessed strong leadership and human factors qualities; and was always grounded by God, family, friends, loved ones, and colleagues. Whatever he did, he did it with eagerness, enthusiasm, and he enjoyed it. He was a faithful and good husband and father. And a humble man, consummately respectful who gave due deference to those that truly deserved it. He was completely comfortable "speaking truth to power" as evidenced by his insight regarding the YH Fire and GMHS debacle for the benefit of all in public forums in Yarnell, especially with the Yarnell Fire Department and in Figure 1. and Figure 2. below.
May we honor his life today and everyday. He was the kind of man who will be in my heart and soul forever because he left such a positive impact on my life that I will always remember him. He was truly among the best of the best and I’m honored to have known him for the short time that I did.
He taught us to think critically and intuitively and logically. Dr. LeRoy (RiP) was truly blessed with an incredibly brilliant mind, equipped to reach the highest intellect, and yet still able to identify with and relate the often complex aspects of research to discern what it was telling us. He left us much too soon. Those of us were blessed to have known him and talked with him. Without even realizing it, Dr. LeRoy (RiP) qualified as an "Old School" leader and mentor. Thank you for caring and sharing. God's speed.
To be sure, LeRoy Anderson Ed. D. (RiP) was clearly, boldly, and truly foundationally instrumental in exposing the truths (and lies) about the early stages of the Yarnell Hill Fire, especially June 30, 2013. Much of the data below is derived from our YHFR post (July 29, 2018) on Leroy Anderson Ed. D. (RiP) where he chose the title: "How we got here and why is it that we should speak up?"
Our long-time mentor and trusted friend, former CDF and Riverside Fire Chief John Hawkins reshared a post from his LinkedIn account absolutely identifying the remarkable leadership qualities of men just like Dr. LeRoy (RiP): "One of the most important attributes of a leader is their ability to admit their mistakes. Leaders are called upon to make countless decisions, and sometimes things inevitably go wrong. Unfortunately, many people may see admitting a mistake as a sign of weakness, but the opposite is true in many instances. Remember that mistakes are vital to our growth; we often put way too much pressure on ourselves to seek some unrealistic ideal of perfection.
"As the leader, let your team know that there’s no shame in making mistakes, and most importantly, you have their back when they happen.
I have seen people in leadership positions duck and throw their people under the bus when mistakes happen, and this leads to mistrust, lack of inspiration and the fear to try anything new. However, admitting your errors has the potential to strengthen your relationships with your team. Admitting your mistakes communicates in a powerful way that you believe in the relationships you’ve developed.
"The most extraordinary people in their fields have made countless mistakes; they didn’t give up. Instead, they persevered and inspired
many people to follow their example; as Albert Einstein puts it, a person who never made a mistake never tried anything new, and according to Steve Adubato, Ph.D., [television broadcaster, author, motivational speaker, leadership and communication coach] the sign of a superior leader is not that they avoid making mistakes; it’s that when they do, they are humble enough to admit it and learn from them." (all emphasis added)
Speaking specifically of the YFD (in)actions on the YH Fire, consider now YFD Firefighter LeRoy Anderson's Ed. D. (RiP) poignant letter below in Figures 1, 1a. and 1b. (below) titled: "We could have done more......." addressed to the many Yarnell, AZ residents that were impacted by the YH Fire tragedy to rally to the cause, stand together, and counteract the intentional deception and outright fraud that they were subjected to.
Former Happy Jack HS Supt. and Santa FE HS Supt. and BLM Law Enforcement Officer Gary L. Olson talks about the June 30, 2013, YH Fire and GMHS debacle outcome on InvestigativeMEDIA (IM) and accurately posts, in part, on October 4, 2015 at 1:47 am - " ... 1. Eric Marsh (and Jesse Steed) made the single biggest tactical error in the history of wildland firefighter (sic) in general and hotshots in particular that no one can understand or explain…all by themselves that led directly to their own horrible deaths and those of their crew while simultaneously breaking almost all of the safety rules at once; ..." (emphasis added)
Olson's statement is buttressed by InvestigativeMEDIA avatar poster "WantsToKnowTheTruth posted, October 5, 2015, at 7:16 pm - The Yarnell Hill Fire and what happened to the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew was not the result of just one more disaster fire that can be explained using any of the standard templates. Please let me make one thing perfectly clear…the Yarnell Hill Fire was off the fucking charts. All of them." (emphasis added)
Another IM poster, "Marti Reed says October 5, 2015 at 10:04 pm - OK so I guess I need to summarize this. I think that the fact that SO MUCH of the essential truth-based narrative of what actually happened has been so deliberately hidden from the public and the fire-fighers (sic) and the families (who by now have their own “control-the-narrative” games going on) by those that possess the data says that there is someone who is being protected in all of this." (emphasis added)
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV)
Figure 1. LeRoy Anderson (RiP) former Yarnell Fire Department firefighter wearing his helmet and turnouts stated: "We could have done more ..." Source: LeRoy Anderson Ed. D. (RiP), YHFR
Please consider this trenchant quote from Dr. Leroy's (RiP) statements below (Figures 1a and 1b.) boldly speaking truth to power, Admitting " ... we could have done more. ... IT IS THE FACT THAT THERE HAS BEEN A COVER-UP OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE FROM THE START OF THE FIRE RIGHT UP TO [THE] FINISH," calling out for justice for the dead 19 GMHS calling out "FROM THE GRAVE ... for justice, for truth and for reform," angrily and sternly chastising the alleged Yarnell "leaders" and most acquiescent media journalists acting like puppets (with two known to have quit in protest) while they ignored the key issues surrounding the deadly and destructive YH Fire and GMHS debacle. (emphasis added)
Figures 1a. and 1b. Dr. Leroy Anderson's (RiP) letter tilted: "We could have done more......." in a resounding letter to the Yarnell. AZ community and the Yarnell Recovery Group to do the right thing and seek the truth. Source: LeRoy Anderson Ed. D (RiP)
LeRoy Anderson Ed. D. (RiP) and his wife Carol inspired us to partner with them for the purchase and development of areas within the Sesame Street and Shrine Corridors to develop an informal Lessons Learned Center for wildland firefighting discussions, with the stellar idea of incorporating it into the AZ State Forestry YH Fire Site Visits and Staff Rides; while the Andersons would have one specifically for serving military veterans, i.e. "retreat". The first Shrine property purchase plan in October 2018 fell through (Figure 1c.). And the more recent purchase attempt was successful on Easter weekend, April 2021, with the purchase of 14.1 acres abutting the Helms property and sharing the Boulder Springs Trail - truly a "God Thing." It is in the development phase with alleged fairly consistent interference by the Boss Hogg-like Helms, with alleged obsequious, less-than-impartial assistance from select members of the local YCSO. The authors allege that these noisome detractors both and individually have created a hostile environment in order to do what? Conceal the evidence within their several security cameras in an ongoing scheme to attempt to intimidate the owners to cease and desist with their Truth Teller plans stated above and on this July 3, 2021, YHFR post titled: Welcome, Project 10 & 18 United LLC and Project 10 & 18 Intl. to Yarnell, AZ and the YH Fire area (July 3, 2021)
Figure 1c. Detractors image. Just saying ya know ... Source: Thesaurus.plus (online)
Figure 1d. Real estate 16988 W Shrine MLS (2018) listing photo of the entrance to The Shrine and Youth Camp areas where one of the major June 30, 2013, firing operations occurred. Source: 16988 W Shrine Drive, Yarnell, AZ. ( 85362https://www.flexmls.com/share/1qCTZ/16988WShrineDriveYarnellAZ85362 ) That link is no longer valid from www.flexmls.com.
This quote is from the original MLS: "Own your own private ranch or retreat nestled in a grass valley surrounded by boulder-capped hills. Located just feet off paved roads and only half a mile off Hwy 89 in Yarnell. Beautiful gated entry onto [the] property. Building pads, utilities (sic) lines, pipe horse set up and lush pasture area." (emphasis added)
Figure 1e. Google Earth screenshot of The Shrine with yellow pins indicating The Shrine and Youth Camp areas and Sesame Street and Shrine Corridor areas where one of the major firing operations occurred on June 30, 2013. Source: Google Earth
Dr. Anderson (RiP) emphatically writes from Figures 1a. and b. above: "IT IS THE FACT THAT THERE HAS BEEN A COVER-UP OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE - FROM THE START OF THE FIRE RIGHT UP TO THE FINISH." (capitalized emphasis in original and bold red added)
"MY ANGER IS KINDLED each time I see or hear those in authority speak of their accomplishments, of their goals - and ignore the burning issues." (capitalized emphasis in original and bold red is added)
"FROM THE GRAVE I hear the 19 men cry out for justice. for truth and for reform that others will not suffer their fate. It seems that the unjust know no shame in these matters. Woe to the leaders who hide the real facts, woe to those who seek to cover up the truth and sidetrack those seeking it." (capitalized emphasis in original and bold red is added)
"Those deceiving our community are contemptible, they have been partial in their presentations, in their publishing’s, and in their efforts to shape public focus and promote only sanctioned thought. I pray to the God of judgment to clean our community of anyone who deceitfully and wickedly prevents public—360 degree—knowledge of what happened here, why it happened and the steps needed to correct deficiencies within our community structure, training, and preparations. It is our responsibility to discern between right and wrong, between truth and fiction—we must do our duty here." (all emphasis added)
In a word, this man is incensed with what has happened and continued to mince no words of what occurred, including the apparent apathy and blatant resignation entrenched within his community. Rightfully so, he speaks fervently and with confident authority to these odious frauds.
“When you have eliminated the impossible… whatever is left ( however improbable ) must be the truth” Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle and his created character Sherlock Holmes. The author of the May 22, 2012, source article for this quote (Philosiblog - clarity, discovery, observation, question, thinking, truth) first asked and then stated, among other things: "What does that mean? To me, this is all about logic. If you start with everything you can think of, and then eliminate those that are impossible, you are well on your way to a solution. ... When things don’t go the way you expected, it’s time to figure out what went wrong, why it did what it did, and how to do it better next time. That starts with eliminating all the impossibilities, and narrowing down the remaining possibilities, in an effort to hunt down the truth." (most emphases added)
American progressive political commentator Randi Rhodes posits: "The truth may be difficult and may make you miserable, but it’s a WHOLE LOT EASIER to remember. You don’t have to keep re-deciding how to narrate it, and fix it, and keep it coherent and believable, and whatever."
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called, and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12 (NKJV)
LeRoy Anderson Ed, D. (RiP), a former member of the Yarnell Fire Department, passed away on May 18, 2021, due to lengthy health complications most likely caused by the excessive June 3, 2013, YH Fire aerial fire retardant exposures to the residents of Yarnell, AZ. He is, was, and always will be truly a warrior and mentor, and role model of the highest degree. He was instrumental in allowing us to post his numerous June 30, 2013, photos complete with metadata, which we made into a video (Figure 8. and Figure 8a.). From the outset, he inspired us with his steadfast stance to heed and stay watchful of the Good Lord Jesus and to boldly and courageously stay the course. He strongly encouraged us to do the difficult right thing and to seek and reveal the truth and falsehoods of the YH Fire and GMHS debacle for the world to see.
YH Fire Eyewitness Hiker Joy A. Collura followed those same truth-telling principles and ended up in Court because of it. Consider some of the written Court transcripts from " ... [a] hearing [that] took place in the courtroom of Prescott Judge Arthur Markham on January 8, 2015... in the matter of a request for an injunction against harassment filed a week earlier by Ms. Amanda Beno-Marsh against Ms. Joy A. Collura. the presiding Judge to Ms. Collura and BWS Marsh, who wanted Joy banned from public places like meetings and the State Lands and the GMHS Memorial State Park: "Ms... Ms. Collura... I am gonna basically leave the order in place, but I'm also gonna modify it to say... uh... that... uh... the order is modified to forbid the defendant... that means you, Ms. Collura... from speaking about the plaintiff in any way such as in person, in writing, internet, phone, fax, social media, etcetera. So it's basically... uh... Ms.... Ms... uh... Beno-Marsh is off... uh... is off the... off the radar, shall we say, as far as your talking with anybody. Uh... really... she's asked to be left alone... which means not just... uh... stay away from her residence... uh... It means... uh... It says, basically, do not speak about her to anybody... uh... in any manner... on the phone, in fax, in writing, internets... uh... social media, however one can think about it... you just... ya know... don't talk about her at all.
"Uh... Ms. Beno-Marsh... I... I have to say that basically is it as far as what I'm gonna tell her to... not to do. Uh... I'm afraid that the tragedy that happened June 30, 2013... uh... was something that... that we're all gonna be livin' with the rest of our lives. It's just a... it was a... a kick in the gut for the whole community. Countywide plus statewide, nationwide. One of those great tragedies that just... ya know... it's one of those things that one can remember where one was when one first heard about something like that... and that's gonna be a... a great emotional impact on everybody... and because of it being... uhm... such a... a major event... that means that... uh... uh... people are gonna... well... continue to have opinions about it, talk about it, have meetings about it, have memorials about it... uh... all the different things that... that come along with great... uh... national tragedies like that.
"I'm not gonna tell Ms. Collura to not go to public meetings.
"I'm not gonna tell her to not... uh... hike the mountains or... or go to the site if, in fact, it's open to [the public or not. I'm not gonna... I figure it's up to State land department or, indeed, if somebody buys the property to... to... ya know... have the legal... uh... right... if they do... to say that somebody can or cannot go to the property under what conditions. That's beyond what I'm doing here today.
"And I... I'm not telling her, I'm afraid, to not speak about your... your... uh... husband.
"Uh... ya know... that... that... ya know... the... the fireman Marsh... uh... certainly... uh... was... was a hero... but... ya know... was one of the 19 and... and certainly was a supervisor... and... ya know...
there... there's just things that people talk about or whatever... but... uh... it's... it's something, I'm afraid, that's just something one has to live with... and the fact that there will be... uh... public discussion... uh... public uh... uh... opinions about what happened and why things happened or who... who was or was not responsible or whatever.
"And so I'm not gonna order her, likewise, to not... not speak about your husband... uh... or, indeed, about tragedies or about whatever opinions she might have." (all emphasis added)
The source for the above Prescott Court transcripts is courtesy of the Prescott court system and the world-acclaimed former USFS COF Happy Jack HS Supt. and USFS SNF Santa Fe HS Supt. and BLM Law Enforcement Officer Gary L. Olson's "Our Fire Gods" website: ( http://ourfiregods.com/audiofiles.html ). Please note the additionally helpful and very insightful audio selection options on the tabs on the left of these Court transcripts. These clearly put the entire debacle into perspective. Especially the testimony of Prescott Wildland Battalion Chief Darrell Willis providing feckless, alleged character support for his "friend" Collura, and his less than impartial testimony for Marsh, as he repeatedly stammers and stutters and weasel words his way along as if "he doesn't know whether to s**t or go blind" as the saying goes.
Consider now a recent (April 12 & 18, 2021) email thread from former PFD Fire Chief and Wildland Battalion Chief to current AZ State Forestry (DFFM) Darrell Willis to AZ State Parks Community Relations Administrator Ken "Gecko" Silwa, regarding our Yarnell property purchase and proposed future plans for an informal YH Fire and GMHS lessons learned center providing ADA compliant trails at least closer to the GMHS fatality site for those elderly and or disabled or disadvantaged GMHS family, friends, and loved ones that have never been able to visit and pay their respects to where their GMHS family, friends, and loved ones died.
Figure 2. Email thread (April 12 & 18, 2021) between DFFM Willis and AZ State Parks and Trails Community Relations Administrator Ken"Gecko" Silwa with cc: to Michelle Thompson, AZ State Parks Chief Public Information Officer External Affairs. It mentions Fred Schoeffler, Joy Collura, Tom Ashcraft, and GMHS Mother Deborah Pfingston RE: GRMO park possible new access issue Source: Collura PRR
DFFM Darrel Willis' written transcript of the email above in Figure 2. states making several false and inaccurate accusations and assertions: "April 12, 2021, 10:41 AM I was contacted today by Deborah Pfingston, the mother of Andrew Ashcraft, one of the fallen Hotshots and a member of the design committee for the park’s creation.
"She wanted to let me know that a group of three individuals in Prescott are looking to buy a piece of property along the park boundary with the intention of creating a new entrance for visitors.
"Those three are former Prescott Supt. Fred Schoeffler (who is still suing the state for records related to the event), Joy Collura, a local woman who harassed the state, state land and us for access to the site since just after the fire right up to opening day (she did/does guided séance hikes to talk to the ghosts), and Tom Ashcraft, the father of Andrew.
"I don’t have exact details of the location or the property but Darrell Willis who was initially in charge of the Hotshots and was formerly the board director for the group the governor set up originally create the park in 2014, has more details.
"He is currently working at the AZ Dept. of Forestry and Fire Management.
dwillis@dffm.az.gov
work (602) 771-1400
cell (928) 925-7311
“Quick background. I worked with the 9/14 till we opened the park and disbanded. The original board and committees all agreed to make the one and only entrance where it is now to give people a chance to experience the land that the Hotshots worked to protect, and to learn about them through the plaques and interpretive information along the trail. They never want a “drive-by” or shortcut to get to fatality site. This memorial park is unique in the world as it requires you to work and earn your trip to see the fatality site.”
On April 18, 2021, at 7:58 PM, DFFM Willis responded back to Silwa. “I have been on annual leave and just getting to this. You have outlined the issue well. I have had a number of people contact me about this situation including Mr. and Mrs. Helms (sic) who have significant concerns. I was alerted via a text from Mr. Schoeffler on 4/7 stating the following: “Effective yesterday we officially own this 14.21 acres abutting the Helms property, 0.54 flat miles to the GMHS Deployment Zone. The GMHS memorial trail is non-ADA compliant, a Federal law violation.”
I have additionally heard from the Helms that a fence between the State Land and private land had been cut and flagging was placed directly to the fatality site.
If I can be of further assistance please let me know.
Respectfully, DW” Notice how DFFM Willis intentionally leaves off the part: "We will offer elderly and disabled family members and individuals a site visit opportunity to where their loved ones died." (all emphasis added)
And Silwa totally ignores the fact that Pfingston regularly trespasses on The Shrine property according to the caretakers there.
NFPA Michele Steinberg, clearly hoodwinked by former PFD Willis, gives some effusive praise to him in her May 30, 2018, Staff Ride article titled: A haunting anniversary in Yarnell Hill approaches. What have we learned?
Figure 3. Map of the Granite Mountain Hotshots’ route up and route down on June 30, 2013. The Yarnell Hill Fire: A Review of Lessons Learned Source: McCrae, IAWF
Consider now a 2014 article about a fellow YH Fire and GMHS debacle truth-teller who was a former Smokejumper that repeatedly warned Joy A. Collura to beware the wolves in sheep's clothing, titled: "Tide Track & Field Legend Charley Moseley (Moses) Was Larger Than Life" One of Alabama's all-time greats" passed away recently. May 1, 2014 ( https://web.archive.org/web/20150116005300/http://www.rolltide.com/sports/c-xctrack/spec-rel/050114aab.html )
Consider now this inspiring quote on how to benefit from properly thinking in order to make consistently good decisions.
"One way to spot a poor thinker is to see how many of their decisions boomerang back to them. The reason this happens is that poor thinkers make poor decisions. And because poor decisions need to be watched and corrected, they consume a lot of time. The time used to correct poor thinking comes from the time that could be used for good thinking.
"Good thinking is expensive but poor thinking costs a fortune. 'Good thinkers understand a simple truth: you can’t make good decisions without good thinking and good thinking requires time. If you want to think better, schedule time to think and hone your understanding of the problem.'" (emphasis added) How to Think: The Skill You’ve Never Been Taught. Farnam Street.
Figure 4. Jeremiah 20:11-12 Bible verse image Source: heartlight.org
For the short time that this author knew LeRoy Anderson Ed. D. (RiP), he boldly espoused, and then fully lived, the insightful messages within the following statements, the first by Canadian-American motivational public speaker and self-development author Brian Tracy: "Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position."
"As a leader, you’ve got to live in three time zones simultaneously, the past, the present, and the future. Everything you do has got to honor the past, deliver in the present, set the table for a more prosperous future. And as you think that way, that’s why trust building becomes mission-critical." Daily Management Snippets
Figure 5. Photo of YFD FF Cliff DuPuy and "Troubling Questions" Ten questions about the Yarnell FD and the YH Fire. FF DuPuy talked about YFD Dispatcher Maggie Edmands ripping up her Dispatcher notes after returning from the Yarnell Hill Fire evacuation. Source: LeRoy Anderson Ed. D (RiP)
Dr. Anderson (RiP) was a strong advocate for and defender of our First Amendment rights of free speech and press, doing the difficult right thing, and certainly, fearlessly speaking truth to power. He alludes to the issues of free speech and such discussed above. Unfortunately, the YH Fire Serious Accident Investigation Team (SAIT) seemed to completely avoid this expected and required ethical conduct.
According to author Perry Cohen in a Medium.com article (2017): "An ethical journalist acts with integrity. SPJ [Society of Professional Journalists] has created its own code of journalistic ethics which was last revised in 2014. There are four ethical standards that are outlined in the SPJ code:
1. Seek Truth and Report It: Ethical journalism should be accurate and fair. Journalists should be honest and courageous in gathering, reporting, and interpreting information.
2. Minimize Harm: Ethical journalism treats sources, subjects, colleagues, and members of the public as human beings deserving of respect.
3. Act Independently: The highest and primary obligation of ethical journalism is to serve the public.
4. Be Accountable and Transparent: Ethical journalism means taking responsibility for one’s work and explaining one’s decisions to the public."
The author further accurately notes that "Journalists have been called 'the fourth branch of government,' meaning they are the watchdogs of society and have a duty to inform the public on situations they did not have in-depth or prior knowledge of. Without ethical journalistic practices, we are doing an injustice to society and could potentially damage [our] own reputation and the reputation of journalism as a whole." (emphasis added) That is indeed a high standard to achieve and maintain and one that this YHFR website strives for, unlike a lot of our Government and especially the 2013 YH Fire SAIT and their almost entirely fictional SAI Report (SAIR).
Consider now a telling IM post: WantsToKnowTheTruth says September 26, 2015 at 2:28 pm - directly quoting from the Safety Matters website: "Holly Neill - Gallery July 12, 2015
"Holly Neill fought fire for the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and private contractors for twelve seasons, from 1995 to 2007. Her federal experience includes work on engine and helitack crews, Incident Command Post radio operator, and Fire Use Module member. Her contract experience includes safety liaison for a federally contracted timber faller organization and B certified contract faller.
"Holly Neill is a research specialist and consultant [for author John N. MacLean] on the Yarnell Hill Fire and the tragic deaths of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots on June 30, 2013. She seeks answers to many questions left unanswered by the two official reports, by doing data research, conducting interviews, visiting the fire site and related places, and collaborating with Granite Mountain Hotshot family members and others involved in the fire. She believes that a more complete, accurate and lasting factual legacy can and will be left to the GMIHC and their families, one that can stand the test of time. Firefighter safety and lessons learned can only benefit by a full accounting of the decisions made on the fire and who made them, and most importantly an explanation of why they were made." (emphasis added)
Interestingly, and unsurprisingly, you could very accurately and easily replace Neill's name from the Safety Matters website quote with our own YHFR website posts and quotes ... and get the very same intentions, actions, and conclusions.
But where's the necessary collaboration from these so-called informed and interested individuals and groups?
From IMT Sinclair PowerPoint below, the YH Fire SAIT Briefing video:
"Family members, firefighters and many others will continue to pore over the circumstances of this tragedy for years to come.
"Much thought and analysis will go into reviewing this accident to understand, to learn, and to make sense of how and why.
"This account – the loss of 19 firefighters, our Brothers – is not complete."
And "this accident"? Really? Do you mean like the one former PFD Wildland Battalion, now current DFFM Division Chief Willis mentioned in this July 23, 2013, GMHS Fatality Site News Conference on YouTube?
Willis said (12:30 - 12:40): " … just one of those things that happened … you can call it an accident ... " Clearly, "the predictable and preventable" YH Fire and the GMHS debacle is, was, and will always be everything but an "accident."
Figure 5a. July 23, 2013, GMHS Fatality Site News Conference PFD Wildland BC Willis "it's just one of those things... you call it an accident" Snippet Source: IM John Dougherty, YouTube
And darn right "This account – the loss of 19 firefighters, our Brothers – is not complete." And that's exactly why we post on this YHFR website in an effort to reveal a more complete account of what happened and why.
From IMT Sinclair's Powerpoint titled: Moving Forward With New Information - Suggestive Evidence explained - SUGGESTIVE EVIDENCE • WHEN YOU ATTEMPT TO MAKE THE COMPLEX UNDERSTANDABLE AND POPULARIZE NEW RESEARCH, YOU RUN A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF OVER-SIMPLIFYING, MISINTERPRETING, OR MISLEADING. • IF YOU SUSPEND YOUR CRITICAL THINKING CAPABILITIES IT IS EASY TO BE MISLED. • CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE IS EVIDENCE THAT IS EITHER UNQUESTIONABLE BECAUSE IT IS SO CLEAR AND CONVINCING, OR BECAUSE THE LAW PRECLUDES ITS CONTRADICTION.
For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? I Corinthians 14:8 (NKJV)
This free speech issue fairly recently came to a head in the Court system within the Ninth Circuit. There was a recent 2014 Court ruling where a woman "blogger" in Oregon prevailed, seemingly against all odds, in the lawsuit against her.
Consider now the Ninth Circuit First Amendment ruling on Obsidian Finance Group v. Cox, Nos. 12–35238, 12–35319 (January 17, 2014) (Find Law)
Crystal Cox, an Oregon resident, wrote controversial and contentious blog posts alleging a bankruptcy trustee and his company committed fraud, corruption, and money laundering. The trustee, Kevin Padrick, and his company, Obsidian Finance Group, sued for defamation. This case required the Court to address a question of first impression: "What First Amendment protections are afforded a blogger sued for defamation? They held that liability for a defamatory blog post involving a matter of public concern cannot be imposed without proof of fault and actual damages."
On January 17, 2014, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled, as a matter of first impression, that First Amendment defamation rules apply equally to both the institutional press and to individual speakers and writers, such as bloggers. This was the core issue in the case, noting that the other statements at issue were opinions, which are always protected by the First Amendment.
The Court confronted the issue of whether a blogger like Cox enjoys the same First Amendment protections that journalists do. The Ninth Circuit held that Cox did, in fact, enjoy those same protections. Source: Julia Hilden, Justia.com The Ninth Circuit Holds—Correctly—That a Blogger Has the Same Defamation Protection as a Journalist (February 3, 2014)
The Reporters Committee For Freedom of the Press summarized the case: "Kevin Padrick and Obsidian Finance Group, LLC sued blogger Crystal Cox, claiming that Cox committed libel upon them through a series of postings on her Internet blog. The trial court jury ruled in favor of Padrick and Obsidian and returned a $2.5 million verdict in their favor. Cox moved for a new trial, which was denied. The decision in the trial court below turned on whether she was a journalist and whether her speech involved a matter of public concern – both of which affects the standard of liability under Oregon law. We argued that trial courts must not determine whether someone is a journalist based on what a journalist’s job traditionally has been; rather, any test must be closely matched to the constitutionally protected function journalists perform. We also argued that a matter of “public concern” must be defined broadly as well, to allow for a wide range of speech on topics that affect the public." The Court ruling is posted here: Obsidian Finance Group, LLC, et al., v. Crystal Cox. (emphasis added)
The Media Law Monitor blog post, under the auspice of Davis Wright, Tremaine LLP (Kumar, Chase, Rosenfield) article titled "Blurred Lines: 9th Circuit Applies Same First Amendment Protections to Bloggers as Traditional Media" writes: "The 9th Circuit recently became the first federal court of appeals to find that bloggers are entitled to the same First Amendment protections as traditional print and broadcast media when sued for defamation. Obsidian Fin. Grp. v. Cox, 740 F.3d 1284 (9th Cir. 2014). The court also delivered a victory to online publishers by recognizing that their use of informal and hyperbolic language reduces their exposure to libel claims because such language is often protected opinion. ... Obsidian is a major win for individuals who blog, share, tweet and otherwise publish their views online. ... 'In defamation cases, the public-figure status of a plaintiff and the public importance of the statement at issue—not the identity of the speaker—provide the First Amendment touchstones.'" Media Law Monitor (May 2014)
There is also an informative March 16, 2011, National Law Review article with eight pages of in-depth explanatory legal opinions and rulings regarding First Amendment free speech and press titled: "Defining 'Journalist': Whether and How A Federal Reporter’s Shield Law Should Apply to Bloggers." It will assist the reader to better understand the underpinnings supporting the later Ninth Circuit Cox ruling.
An LA Times article by Jon Healy (Jan. 17, 2014) titled: "9th Circuit to bloggers: You’re all journalists now, kinda sorta" opined the Ninth Circuit " ... concluded that, under the 1st Amendment, it doesn’t matter whether the person accused of defamation is a professional journalist, an amateur whistle-blower or a crank with a Web page. What matters is whether the subject of the piece is a public figure and whether the topic is of public importance." (emphasis added)
This is a very in-depth Catholic University Law Review article (2006) by Nathan Fennessy covering a lot of the prior history of First Amendment law dealing with journalism in general with little mention of blogs and blogging, mostly the history of the then-nascent internet venue. It's well worth reading to garner and understand more of the First Amendment jurisprudence. Here are some relevant quotes and legal citations and holdings: "If anyone posting information on the Internet can claim to be a journalist, a journalistic privilege to provide those actually posting newsworthy information with special protection from compelled disclosure is unlikely. [Berger, Shielding the Unmedia (2003)] The Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment will still protect the amateur blogger who wants to post information.[US Constitution, First Amendment] However, it is still important that the law provide the same protection that the traditional media enjoys for those individuals who are actively engaged in gathering information that constitutes news for public dissemination exclusively through websites. [Carpenter, Response (2005)] (emphasis added)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever Psalm 23 (NKJV)
In a video format, Joy A. Collura has posted a video collage of all of Dr. Anderson's (RiP) June 29-30, 2013, fire photos that provide strong "suggestive evidence" (a phrase used by SWA IC Alan Sinclair) that there was at least one Firing Operation occurring along the Fuel/Fire Break in the Sesame Street and Shrine Corridor. Among other corroborative evidence, the author takes his stance on this probable 'Firing Operation' on the factual-based recent post in the July 23rd article on this website that this is grounded in the fact that Eyewitness Hikers Joy A. Collura and Sonny Gilligan and about 20 others, including an experienced WF Supervisor, watched a video in the Yarnell Library in July 2013 that clearly indicated that a Firing Operation had occurred in this very area.
"Norb Szczurek says October 6, 2015, at 9:09 am - In my experience as a Div. Sup. (10 years) and as a type 2 Ops Section Chief (8 years) I valued the opinions and ideas of the Hot Shot Sup. They were my “go to guys” when things were not going as planned. After all, these guys usually had been there done that more than most of the team players. That being said, on a local level I also recognized the abilities (or lack of) of the local resources. I believe this “hail Mary plan” most likely originated from Div. A, but I also believe it was communicated and bought off on by Ops, thus the emergency scouting for the dozer push. Too many of the dots line up for this to be solely the plan of Marsh with no one else having any clue of what was going on. The dozer push, sending an engine or two to the ranch to make sure GM made it out, asking if they can go faster – knowing that if this operation had any chance of working it was timing sensitive/critical. To me this is the only reason a crew would leave the safe black. And as an Ops Section in this situation it was a long shot for success, but it seems they were out of options.
"So is there fault for trying a last-ditch effort to save the community?
"In my opinion no, as long as the resources needed can get there safely and be safe and effective in conducting the mission.
"As we have stated a number of times, the safety of the crew comes down to the crew leader(s). The decision to move or not to move is theirs and theirs alone regardless of 'the plan'. I do believe that the human factors that Gary has pointed played heavily in that decision." (emphasis added)
WantsToKnowTheTruth says
April 12, 2015 at 5:13 pm AZCENTRAL Article Title: Force out the truth of the Yarnell Hill inferno Published 6:25 p.m. MST April 7, 2015 by the AZCENTRAL Editorial Board ( http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/editorial/2015/04/07/force-out-truth-yarnell-hill-inferno/25439121/ ) (link provided)
Consider now the Eyewitness Hiker Gilligan's detailed description of the missing video. "Sonny says April 14, 2015, at 11:36 am "Exactly-Donut continues to have a hole in it. There are other questions to be asked of Donut if and when our illustrious investigators become willing to put him under oath. One that bothers me is the fact that there were plenty of backfires being lit–those videos of that rock wall [see Figure 3a. below] and those men in the shrine area lighting fires is enough to make me believe that was the reason that Joy and I barely escaped ourselves with a margin of only about 11 minutes. That also would have blocked the escape route of the 19 once the wind whipped around. From where I was seeing the fire when we left the two track where the men went down, Joy and I would have had plenty of time to escape the route I took, yet when we got to Foothills Drive where my car was parked, people were fleeing like flies with only about ten minutes since the fire was already entering Yarnell and a few hundred yards from us."
Figure 6. Sonny, the video. Shrine rock wall with Collura narrative (Feb 2, 2019) Blocked by YouTube Source: YouTube, Collura, Gilligan
Figure 6a. The two working links for the same above video will reveal it.
( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffUfBkSBtmA ) ( https://youtu.be/ffUfBkSBtmA ) Source: YouTube, Collura, Gilligan
WantsToKnowTheTruth says October 2, 2015 at 3:10 pm -
STATE REPRESENTATIVE KAREN FANN ACTUALLY THINKS THE DEPLOYMENT LOCATION IS A ‘GRAVE SITE’.
I know this was discussed below… but in case anyone missed it… it absolutely needs to be pointed out AGAIN. This one statement from Karen Fann ( in one of her email responses to Gary Olson ) lies at the heart of all the consternation regarding ‘access’ to the deployment site. ————————————————————————————————— From Karen Fann: Today ( October 1, 2015 ) at 6:55 AM To: gary olson
…The memorial should be constructed so people cannot trample on the “grave” sites; ————————————————————————————————— State Representative Karen Fann ( and prominent member of the Granite Mountain Memorial Site PUBLIC Advisory Board ) even took the time to put EMPHASIS QUOTE MARKS around the word “grave”.in her email. Anyone who actually believes that piece of ground 640 yards west of the Boulder Springs Ranch contains any “graves” seriously needs an INTERVENTION. I mean it. That’s just 'bat-crap crazy talk'”. (emphasis added)
For those of you that will be seeing it for the first time, get ready for some amazing insight into what happened on June 30, 2013, and what may likely have caused the GMHS fatalities.
DISCLAIMER: Due to the controversial nature of the topic in the following video, some content and/or analyzed content may include subject matter considered by some to be graphic, disturbing, and/or offensive by some standards. YOU WILL BE CHALLENGED! THIS MAY LIKELY TAKE AN EMOTIONAL TOLL ON YOU!
Figure 7. "Lessons Learned"; Yarnell Hill Fire / Granite Mountain Hotshots Part 1. Source: LeRoy Anderson Ed. D., Joy A. Collura, YouTube
Joy A. Collura provides these remarks with the above video in Figure 7. and Figure 8. Update corrections for content in this video: UPDATED (July 29, 2018, 7:04 AM) All references to Leroy Anderson are corrected to Dr. Anderson and all "Source" credits are to be Leroy Anderson, Ed. D. Example at 48 seconds of 13:48 seconds: "Thank You, Dr. Leroy Anderson, for contributing to "Lessons Learned"; Yarnell Hill Fire / Granite Mountain Hotshots." The photos in this video are copyrighted and you must get written permission from Carol Anderson to use them in any manner. -------------------------------------------------------------------Please view his YHFR article titled: How we got here and why we should speak up at ( https://www.yarnellhillfirerevelations.com/post/2018/07/29/how-we-got-here-and-why-is-it-that-we-should-speak-up ) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Figure 8. "Lessons Learned"; Yarnell Hill Fire / Granite Mountain Hotshots Part 2 Source: LeRoy Anderson (RiP) Ed. D., Joy A. Collura, YouTube
This video created by Joy A. Collura will clearly reveal in a detailed Google Earth idealized image the alignment of this Fuel/Fire Break in the Sesame Street and Shrine Corridor and a pair of parallel chutes/washes that lead directly uphill to the GMHS Deployment Zone where they died. This is shown in the Figure 21 Google Earth idealized image Figure 21. Screenshot image in the July 23, 2018 post (link provided). If this is true, then this would totally contradict what the SAIT "investigators" concluded and wrote in their SAIR on this tactical area of concern.
To further clarify and reveal these June 30, 2013, YH Fire photo and video revelations, the authors are looking forward to meeting with Stephen Guerin of the Red Fish Company ( http://redfish.com/ ) within the Santa Fe Complex ( http://www.santafedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Santa_Fe_Complex ).
They are the designers of the "simtable" and the "Yarnell Hill Fire Photo Location Estimates Via LiveTexture" viewed here in this video link
( https://youtu.be/Nx7qj0RHbW8 ) and Figure 8. below in order to render a rather unique and informative, 'lessons learned' product similar to the one in their video. Collura has more crucial photos to share and feels that it would be a most revealing and informative way to create and share them in their unique, innovative format style.
Figure 8. Yarnell Hill Fire Photo Location Estimates Via LiveTexture. Source: Stephen Guerin, Redfish Company, Santa Fe Complex, YouTube (10/21/17)
Mr. Guerin posts this for his YouTube video remarks. "Estimated locations of photos and videos during Yarnell Hill Fire 2013. The first image is mislabeled Air Attack. this video was an early technical test of the optimization algorithms for camera pose estimation. We are assembling a better documented collection for use in [an] after action review."
IM poster Marti Reed's YouTube comments from InvestigativeMEDIA poster Marti Reed (3 years ago): ? "Wow, I just found this, thanks!!! I spent three years citizen-investigating this fire, working over all the photos and videos from it, with the crew on Investigative Media (see my videos). I finally gave up trying to shine the spotlight and ring the bell, since the Myth of the Yarnell Hill Fire completely overtook the Truth of the Yarnell Hill Fire." (emphasis added)
Figure 9. "Being positive ... Don't you dare ..., and Sometimes it is very challenging to stay positive in a negative situation" quote Source: Linkedin, Leadership First website
“It’s not what they don’t know that bothers me… It’s what they know fer sure that just ain’t so.” Mark Twain
Figure 10. Letter (July 28, 2013) from Dr. Leroy Anderson (RiP) to the Yarnell Fire Board members concerning the YH Fire and twenty questions he wants to be answered about the Yarnell FD's (non)involvement. Source: LeRoy Anderson Ed. D. (RiP)
Figure 11. Dr. Anderson (RiP) letter (August 1, 2013) to the Yarnell Fire Board promoting the findings in the Pacific Biodiversity Institute published report about the YH Fire, future mitigations against wildland fire, seeking accountability, and answers after the YH Fire. Source: LeRoy Anderson Ed. D (RiP)
Below is the Pacific Biodiversity Institute (PBI) screenshot of page one of the paper referred to by the prescient and forward-thinking Dr. LeRoy Anderson (RiP) below in Figure 12. titled: "ANALYSIS AND COMMENTS ON THE YARNELL HILL FIRE IN ARIZONA AND THE CURRENT FIRE SITUATION IN THE UNITED STATES." Source: July 2013 Peter H. Morrison and George Wooten - Pacific Biodiversity Institute P.O. Box 298 Winthrop, Washington 98862 509-996-2490 info@pacificbio.org. The full 34-page comprehensive research paper is available at the link here.
