Starting when he was a staffer for Congressman Udall and continuing into his legislative career , Gibbs promoted increased government assistance on forest management issues , particularly in response to the increased fire danger caused by mountain pine beetle infestations . In the legislature , Gibbs sponsored legislation which established the Colorado Community Forest Restoration grant program , setting aside $ 1 million for projects to reduce fire risks . The bill was signed into law by Gov. Bill Ritter and ultimately yielded $ 176,000 for forest restoration projects within Gibbs ' district . Following the legislative session , in order to better understand issues surrounding forest wildfires , Gibbs trained for and received certification in wildland firefighting , becoming certified Type II Wildland Firefighter with Lake Dillon Fire-Rescue . Gibbs ' first deployment as a volunteer firefighter was to assist fighting the Santiago Fire during the October 2007 California wildfire epidemic
Santiago Fire
Santiago Fire
Dan Gibbs