Bill Waln
State Fire Management Officer
Bill Waln is the State Fire Management Officer at the Kansas Forest Service. Bill's primary responsibility is to coordinate wildland fire management assistance to local fire departments across Kansas. Bill has been a wildland firefighter since 1987, working for the US Fish & Wildlife Service in Nebraska and Kansas. Bill has been active on Incident Management Teams for many years responding to wildfire incidents, and All-Hazard incidents, in many states, as well as internationally. Currently Bill serves as the Incident Commander for one of the 44 Complex Incident Management Teams in the United States. Bill represents the Kansas Forest Service on many regional and national committees.
Bill is a graduate of Fort Hays State University, Colorado State University's Technical Fire Management program, and Bishop Kemper School for Ministry. Bill lives in Hutchinson, KS, who with his wife raised three children. Bill's professional and personal core values include providing service, continual learning, and active communication.