About Wildfire DefenseWorks
California and the Western U.S are more exposed than ever before to the threats of wildfire, and thousands of structures and homes are lost each fire season. The realities of our wildfire predicament have been the focus of my professional and personal life for more than three decades and after my retirement from CAL FIRE. It was a problem that I could not simply walk away from. The result is Wildfire DefenseWorks, the culmination of my 33 years of experience in wildfire operations, risk management, and architectural insights. Wildfire DefenseWorks seeks to provide expert advice and support to communities, insurance companies, and local agencies that are navigating hazards presented by wildfire.
About David Shew
In 1981, I graduated from college with a Bachelors in Architecture and moved to Southern California. After five years of working in architecture firms, I sought something different and began work as a seasonal firefighter for California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). For the next 31 years, I worked to combine these two forms of knowledge as I rose through the ranks in CAL FIRE, from seasonal firefighter up to the Office of the State Fire Marshall.
In 2018, I retired from CAL FIRE as the Staff Chief for the Division of Planning and Risk Analysis. During my five years at the Office of the State Fire Marshall, I oversaw statewide fire prevention programs and came to understand the inner workings of fire policy in California. As one of the leading experts in understanding structural ignition from wildfires, I have helped to develop best practices for wildfire mitigation for communities and property owners. My work has been recognized numerous times: as a recipient of CAL FIRE Director’s Outstanding Achievement Award in 2014 and 2015; and a Medal of Valor from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2007.
Building wildfire resilience is my passion, not only my profession. I have incorporated its advancement into my personal life through multiple teaching and volunteering opportunities, in the hope of sharing the lessons that I have learned with upcoming wildfire personnel. I have received a lifetime teaching credential from California Community Colleges and have instructed numerous courses on leadership for CAL FIRE firefighters. In effort to share my knowledge, I regularly present on the dynamics of structure ignition to professional wildfire and fire chief associations, such as Fire Rescue International and the International Association for Wildland Fire.
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