Mack of all trades…what doesn’t this guy do?

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Malcom “Mack” McFarland has another feather to add to his cap. The safety, health, and wellness manager at Grand Teton National Park, was also named wildland fire safety specialist for the National Park Service (NPS) branch of Wildland Fire. McFarland fills the position left vacant last year when Jennifer Rabuck became a safety officer on a National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) team.

McFarland began his federal service at Grand Teton National Park in 1992 as the leader of a hazardous fuels reduction crew. Since then, Mack worked his way through the fuels program, including serving as an interagency fuels specialist and deputy park fire management officer.

In 2017, he moved into his current position as the safety, health, and wellness manager for the park serving as a member of the senior leadership team and as the park’s structure fire coordinator. McFarland has extensive experience in wildland fire holding qualifications as a Type 2 Operations Section Chief and Incident Commander Type 3.

These qualifications, coupled with his communication skills, demonstrated teamwork, and immersion into the world of OSHA, industrial hygiene, NFPA code, public health, hazardous materials, accident investigation and human resources as the safety, health, and wellness manager, made him a natural fit for the wildland fire safety specialist position.

“Mack’s experience in occupational safety and health is a great complement to his skills in wildland fire,” said wildland fire branch chief Chad Fisher. “He also has experience leading the National Wildfire Coordinating Group Hazardous Tree and Tree Felling Subcommittee where he has demonstrated his ability to lead effective change on a national, interagency, basis. I am looking forward to Mack assuming his new duties and further assisting the wildland fire program on a national level.”

McFarland and his family live in Moran. He has served as a volunteer firefighter for 17 years, including as a structure fire station captain. Mack is an avid horseman and assists 4H leaders in teaching horsemanship and horse care to several age groups of 4H participants. In recent years, Mack found a knack as a volunteer auctioneer for several Wildland Firefighter Foundation fundraising events each year.

While the wildland fire safety specialist is part of the Branch of Wildland Fire headquartered at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, McFarland will remain in Wyoming. He begins his new position on August 1.