PHASE I

  I started planning over a year out for Heroes Night 2022. That was after the cancellation of Heroes Night 2021 due to COVID restrictions. So, when I started planning for 2022, I had contingencies in mind. This phase is by far the most time consuming and difficult and in order to try and ensure I did not forget anything I created a checklist (See attached copy). This was extremely helpful in making sure that everything got done. 

The first step in planning and coordinating was to obtain approval from Bear River High School’s administration to include the superintendent and school board. This became necessary due to my desire to have helicopters. I cover the approval process in greater detail under the Safety & Security Tab. Once, I obtained the necessary approvals it was time to get outside agencies involved. 

In contacting outside agencies, I was fortunate to have found Chief James Mathias, CalFire. Chief Mathias supported Heroes Night 100% and his credibility and respect in the community carried a lot more weight than that of a high school senior. So, I made initial contact with many of the outside agencies and Chief Mathias was able to ensure they got on board. I have been asked how I got this all done a lot, the answer is I was persistent. I would send emails, call the contacts at the agencies and then run the request up their chain of command. It was a long process and I had to keep at it keep notes of who I had already contacted.

Remember, I mentioned contingency planning? Well, four days before Heroes Night 2022 was originally scheduled we had the Mosquito Wildland Fire break out in our area. It was so close Bear River had to cancel Heroes Night 2022. The agencies who were attending were working the fire and the smoke in the air made it too dangerous to hold any outside event.  I received the news on Wednesday morning and  had to go into crisis rescheduling and re-coordination mode (Again) all while staying in my classes during the day at school. Keep in mind that Chief Mathias and all the fire crews that were supporting Heroes Night 2022 were also supporting the Mosquito Fire one way or the other. It was an intense time for our community as the wildfire raged on. The smoke plume was billowing in view from our campus and a town near us was threatened,  we were all feeling the gratitude for these amazing firefighters who were risking everything to protect our community. After lots of juggling and phone calls I was able to set a new date, with Bear River’s approval with the hope that it wouldn’t be cancelled due to another unforeseen circumstance. 

This leadership project required an incredible amount of self-responsibility, perseverance and initiative. It is immensely time consuming and frustrating at the same time. I had to receive special permission to make and receive phone calls during my classes to meet the planning and coordinating requirements. There were also countless meetings and presentations I had to provide to obtain the support necessary. This all doubled when the date had to be changed again, just when I thought I was done with the planning portion of the event the new date required me to start again.