Field researcher's early evacuation decision safeguards team from wildfire threat
12 February 2025
Colleen Sutheimer was recognized at the Culture of Care Safety Summit late January.
At the second annual 海角社区 Culture of Care Safety Summit in late January, the university community came together to learn from one another, brush up on safety skills and celebrate wins for physical, psychological and cultural safety. Two Culture of Care Safety Champion Awards were given at the event, including one to ALES field researcher in the renewable resources department, .
Colleen was recognized for evacuating her research team in advance of the official evacuation orders during Alberta’s wildfires last summer. As an experienced field researcher conducting high-risk studies involving helicopter operations and remote area access, she was unwavering in her commitment to safety protocols.
Safety is important to me because no matter what work you are doing the number one priority is always to get ourselves and our crews back home safely at the end of the day,” Colleen explained after receiving the award. She credits support from field research safety advisor and faculty safety advisor in helping her prepare her field activity plan in advance.
It is everyone's responsibility to promote safety and preparedness, so we can prevent near-misses or respond quickly and effectively to incidents that can’t be avoided. Safety is more than just a checklist in a field activity protocol: it's something we should think about every day and cultivate so everyone feels safe and supported.
Congratulations on this well-deserved award, Colleen, and thank you for your dedication to safety. Read Colleen's Culture of Care Safety Champion Award statement below.
Colleen Sutheimer demonstrated exceptional judgment and proactive safety leadership during her field research activities in northern Alberta. As an experienced graduate student with extensive field work background, she made a critical safety decision by pulling herself and her research team out of the Cold Lake and Fort McMurray area due to increasing wildfire activity, even before official evacuation orders were issued.
Her field work was particularly high-risk, involving helicopter operations and remote area access. Despite these challenging conditions, she developed thorough Field Activity Plans (FAPs) that demonstrated her commitment to safety protocols. When the wildfire situation began deteriorating, she made the proactive choice to cease operations and evacuate, showing excellent risk assessment capabilities.
What makes her actions especially noteworthy is that she maintained clear communication throughout the situation, keeping the ALES Faculty Safety Advisor informed of her team's status and location. This allowed for proper documentation and tracking of her team's whereabouts through the ALES Trip Notification Form. Her quick response to the peer reviewer's comments and collaboration with HSE and ALES' safety advisor further exemplifies her dedication to maintaining robust safety protocols.
Her years of experience in field research, particularly in fire regime studies and ecosystem management, likely contributed to her ability to recognize and respond to the emerging wildfire threat before it became a critical situation.