Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Bruce Farquharson, of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, is Scotland's leading proponent of raising awareness of wildfire in Scotland. In a warming climate, which is giving rise to an increasing wildfire risk, Bruce has been working with rural stakeholders to promote awareness of wildfire and to encourage the mitigation of wildfire through a diversity of land management techniques. As the chair of the Scottish Wildfire Forum, Bruce's leadership on an issue of growing concern has been exceptional, and he has encouraged positive action across the divide of stakeholders in a way that is worthy of recognition.
Bruce's impacts have been numerous and far-reaching. His advice and counsel are often called upon by the Scottish Government in response to complex and challenging situations, and he has recently appeared in front of a Holyrood committee to discuss the issue of wildfire. He is universally respected by gamekeepers, farmers, and crofters, and he has made significant strides over the years in formulating productive and conducive working relationships that will make reducing the risk of - and tackling - wildfire more efficient. He has been a stalwart champion of vegetation management techniques like muirburn, which he sees as having a central role in making Scotland's landscapes more resilient to wildfire. Despite Bruce's role at the SFRS extending far beyond wildfire (he is responsible for all firefighter training), his capacity to devote his time to the issue of wildfire never ceases to amaze those who have the pleasure of working with him. This is uniquely demonstrated by the fact that Scotland will host next year's UK wildfire conference - an honour that can be closely linked to Bruce's advocacy.
One of Bruce's foremost successes is the extent to which he has inspired and facilitated collaborative working between stakeholders with a varying range of interests. In spite of the conflict that can exist between land managers with different outlooks, Bruce's capacity to unite and collaborate is unparalleled, and the networks and relationships that now exist between stakeholders are largely a product of his leadership. It is telling that, in recent years, the extent of collaboration in response to live wildfire incidents has increased, and it is fair to say that the relationships that exist between rural communities and firefighters have never been stronger. Bruce has shown leadership on controversial issues such as muirburn, which in turn has inspired critics to take a more pragmatic viewpoint on the issue, thus taking the heat out of the debate. He has been an important and vocal advocate for the development of muirburn training, which is now being rolled out to practitioners across Scotland. Overall, he is thoroughly deserving of recognition, and it is hoped the panel will recognize that he is single-handedly leading the way on addressing what is arguably the most significant threat facing the Scottish countryside.
Find out more about the other finalists for the Helping it Happen Awards 2023