DOINews: BLMers Giving Back: Ty Humphrey

BLM Alaska smokejumper Ty Humphrey serves in Monrovia, Liberia, earlier this fall as part of a Disaster Assistance Response Team. Photo courtesy of BLM.

Ty Humphrey stands in front of supplies and equipment that will be used to construct treatment units for Ebola patients in Liberia. Photo courtesy of the BLM.

As logistics officer, Ty Humphrey coordinates the ordering, transport, and receipt of needed commodities in-country. Photo courtesy of the BLM.

Ebola treatment units are being constructed as part of the United States' disaster-relief effort in Liberia. Photo courtesy of the BLM.

This story is the first of a series appearing during the holiday season about Bureau of Land Management staff who go the extra mile to serve their community or otherwise help those in need.


With the Ebola virus raging through West Africa earlier this fall, BLM Alaska smokejumper Ty Humphrey selflessly and courageously stepped up to help do something about it. Serving as logistics officer on a Disaster Assistance Response Team (also known as DART), Humphrey voluntarily worked in Monrovia, Liberia, from Sept. 7 – Oct. 10 to support the United States' disaster-relief effort.


Humphrey's assignment came as part of the U.S. Forest Service's Disaster Assistance Support Program, which provides the U.S. Agency for International Development with technical support in international disaster response, management, planning, operations, and risk reduction. One way the program does so is by providing trained personnel from the Forest Service and the BLM who are kept on call for when help is needed at disaster sites around the world.


As a smokejumper with experience in logistics and operations on wildfires throughout the Western United States, Humphrey is no stranger to difficult assignments in remote settings. Nevertheless, the call to serve in Liberia on the Ebola DART was a unique challenge.


“I was very excited about this opportunity and immediately asked for approval from my supervisor and my wife – both were extremely supportive,” Humphrey said. Of course, he and others also had initial reservations about the assignment, but through intensive communication between the Forest Service, BLM, DOI, and other key parties, these concerns were addressed and Humphrey's travel authorization was approved. For security, the Ebola DART was based in the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, and the team was required to follow rigorous physical-safety protocols to prevent exposure to the virus. Furthermore, no personnel were involved in providing medical care to Ebola victims.


While in Liberia the team focused on constructing and supplying treatment units for use in caring for Ebola patients in the devastated region. As logistics officer, Humphrey was responsible for coordinating the ordering, transport, and receipt of needed commodities in-country, along with various other duties.


“The complexity of this mission, the intensity of the workload, and the dire consequences of failure reached a new level for me on this response,” said Humphrey. “That being said, I believe that BLM and U.S. Forest Service employees, especially those that work in wildland fire, are better suited to respond to this sort of assignment than many other federal employees.”


For Humphrey, who returned to the United States in mid-October, the trip was definitely worth the effort. “I believe the work of the DART in conjunction with other government agencies is helping to save lives," he said. "I am proud to be a small part of the effort, and will never forget the experience, the team, and the people of Liberia.”

Submitted by: BLM National

Dec. 5, 2014