Juan Diego Catholic High School symposium to address fire danger in the Intermountain West

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DRAPER — As fires raged in the western United States last summer, filling the Salt Lake Valley with smoke, many Utahns became concerned about the future of this desert state, where water is so vital to survival. Among them was Dr. Galey Colosimo, principal of Juan Diego Catholic High School. As he conversed with Earth and Environmental Science teacher Gregg Alex about the issue, Colosimo determined that something needed to be done — and Juan Diego CHS needed to lead the way.

Out of that conviction was born “Fire & Water in the West,” a Skaggs Science Symposium, which will be held March 15 in the JDCHS auditorium. Colosimo and Alex hope the symposium will raise awareness about the problems faced in the Intermountain West and open the door for more such events to educate students and the public on what can be done about them, Alex said.

At the symposium two experts in the field will speak on “the increased frequency of wildfires, the implications of that in terms of the urban wildland interface as we’re encroaching on wild places more and more air quality, how climate change is affecting it and water resources,” Alex said.

The speakers will be Captain Jon Slatore, the fire management officer for Unified Fire Authority and Camp Williams military base; and Daniel M. Jiminez, a professor at Montana State University and U.S. Forest Service chemical engineer.

The event will discuss “what’s going on with wildfire and how we can become more resilient to it, hopefully help us do more prevention in the future,” Alex said. “It will be science-focused; it’s not going to be a political discussion about fossil fuels, etc. It’s not going to be that controversial.”

Invited to the event are not only the JDCHS community but students from other schools, legislators and civic environmental groups. Slatore and Jimenez, both Judge Memorial Catholic High School alumni, will spend that day on campus meeting with science classes prior to the symposium.

“We’re trying to show students how science is being used to study this stuff,” Alex said.

The event will be preceded by a food truck rally so those who attend may grab a bite to eat beforehand, he said.

The event also will be livestreamed on the Juan Diego Catholic High School YouTube channel.

School officials hope the symposium will be the first of a series that will address similar important topics. A second symposium tentatively planned for fall semester will focus on the water resources available to fight fire. A third in spring 2023 will address air and earth.