David Updike is a highly accomplished wildland firefighting leader with over 30 years of dedicated service in the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and beyond. He began his career in the rugged Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California, gaining early experience in one of the nation's most challenging wildland-urban interface zones, where fire behavior is influenced by steep terrain, dense chaparral, and frequent Santa Ana wind events.
Dave advanced through key leadership roles across Region 5 (Pacific Southwest) forests. He served as Deputy Forest Fire Management Officer on the Plumas National Forest before being promoted to Forest Fire Management Officer (often referred to as Chief 1) on the Sierra National Forest and later the Stanislaus National Forest (transitioning to Stanislaus in October 2016). Dave served as the committee chair of the Safety FIRST (Fire Improvement Region Safety Team) which covers safety for Fire and Aviation Management for all of California. In these positions, he oversaw fire management programs, suppression strategies, fuels reduction, and personnel development on large, fire-prone landscapes.
During his Region 5 tenure, Dave chaired the Safety FIRST committee, driving agency-wide safety initiatives and improvements. He led instructional courses for the apprenticeship program and holds elite qualifications including Type 1 Safety Officer (SOF1), Type 1 Operations Section Chief (OSC1), and Complex Incident Commander (Type 1/2 IMT experience). He has served in high-level incident roles, such as Incident Commander Trainee on complexes like the SQF (Sequoia) Fire, and as Safety Officer on National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) teams—currently assigned to WO FAM (Washington Office Fire and Aviation Management) within the NIMO program as a Safety Officer on NIMO Incident Management Team 1.
A passionate advocate for training and workforce development, Dave is deeply involved in national and statewide education efforts. He is a member of the Workforce Development cadre for the National Fire Leadership Development (NFLD) program and annually supports the Roundtable and Apprenticeship Academies. He consistently instructs wildland fire courses at nine different California colleges, including Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) (where he serves as Chief Dave Updike in the Wildland Fire Technology program), Copper Mountain College (lead instructor for wildland certification courses and Fire Academy partnerships), Rio Hondo College, and others—actively recruiting and mentoring entry-level firefighters to build the next generation of wildland professionals.
Dave also contributes to broader curriculum advancement, serving on two statewide committees focused on developing wildland fire education programs, degree pathways, and national apprenticeship standards in partnership with institutions and agencies like the USFS.
With his extensive operational experience, safety leadership, and commitment to education, Dave Updike exemplifies excellence in wildland fire management—bridging frontline response, incident command, risk mitigation, and long-term workforce sustainability.