Michael Curtis
reporter2@greenepublishing.com
Alan Whigham worked for the Sheriff's Department from 1997 until 2015. He left the department to accept the position of Emergency Management Director (EMD) for Madison County. He served as EMD until September 2019, when he left to work for the Florida Forest Service. "I miss the emergency management part of being the director. However, I don't miss the political aspects of the position," Whigham said.
Public Information Officer Travis Pike published an article, titled, "Local Wildland Firefighters Graduate Challenging Fire School." In the press release, Pike stated, "Alan Whigham has graduated Basic Fire Control Training (BFCT). The course this year has been particularly difficult with the arrival of the COVID-19 virus."
The course typically lasts one month, with participants going home on the weekends. This year, the course was in October. However, COVID-19 caused participants to remain the whole time. "Extra kudos to the Withlacoochee training center that hosted BFCT training," said Whigham. "The safety and precautions they took, including remaining on property the entire month, was in response to the hardship. I appreciate the actions taken to accommodate us. We were effectively quarantined, including masks, feeding and social distancing."
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than one million acres of state forests. It also provides forest management assistance to more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. "Whigham has proven to be a capable wildland firefighter and faced unpredictable and what appeared to be insurmountable challenges," Pike added. "His patience and tenacity pushed him through this difficult school and on to become a valued member of the Florida Forest Service team."
Headquartered at 2229 S SR 53, in Madison County, Whigham is assigned to District 5, which consists of Madison, Taylor, Lafayette and Dixie Counties. Besides these local counties, he can also be deployed throughout the state. In fact, he was deployed earlier this year to assist with the immense wildland fires near Pensacola. "The job of actively moving and protecting forests is something I have always aspired to perform," Whigham said. "I really enjoy the dynamics of fighting and preventing forest fires."