Often overlooked fact; the world of aerial firefighting can be quite competitive. From bidding for contracts to crew performance, everyone is trying to stay ahead of the game. Yet despite the “competitive nature” of this field of work an underlying truth will always remain the same, anyone who fights fires works to serve and protect. Nonetheless it is imperative to have strong leadership to perpetuate the growth of any company, and 10 Tanker is no exception. When beginning to work in this industry the company needed someone who understood fire operations, and with 38 years of firefighting experience, John Gould was the perfect candidate.
For most of his career he worked in Alaska or Boise, and as an Alaska smokejumper for nearly 20 years he got the opportunity to work all over the country. John got to see firsthand as the world of fire aviation developed, which lead him into another part of his career, Aerial Supervision. As an Air Tactical Group Supervisor, he was responsible for managing all incident airspace, including helicopters, single engine air tankers, and large air tankers. Air Tactical Group Supervisors aren’t only in charge of aerial assets, they’re also required to have several years of experience working on the ground in order to develop the best tactics to coordinate aircraft operations.
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