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Before joining a forest fire crew, one should first
recognize that fighting wildfires is no simple walk
in the woods; it is a very dangerous business; more
firefighters are lost each year fighting wildfires
than house fires. This is why the 10 Fire Orders
and the 18 Situations That Shout Watch Out were
adopted, to help make Wildland Firefighters more
aware of the dangers. One should also be in good
physical condition. The rigors of hiking through
the woods, often on steep terrain, over rocks and
through streams while carrying several pounds of
equipment demand it. Although this does not
represent the conditions on all fires, it does
happen. You could also find yourself in a situation
in which your only option is to dump your equipment
and run. In some conditions, wildfire behavior can
be difficult to predict, especially if you are not
familiar with terrain and changing weather
conditions. With the passage of a front, you will
experience a 90 degree shift in the wind. Suddenly
the flank you have been working is now the head fire
and it's racing toward you at high speed and with
great intensity. You will need to be alert and
observant. There are a great many other things that
can cause you harm, that aren't covered by the Watch
Out Situations. "Widow Makers" -- dead trees or
tree limbs which when burned become weakened,
creating the danger of them falling (ON YOUR HEAD),
downed power lines, "Ash Pots" -- stumps which have
burned out, leaving an ash filled hole in the ground
which you could step in and break your leg or even
worse ash pots can be filled with white hot embers
that will cook your foot right off. Wild animals,
caught by and/or fleeing the fire are already
frightened and can present a real danger to the
would-be firefighter who happens to be in the way.
These are just a handful of the potential dangers a
wildland firefighter will face. This is not
meant to scare you off, but it is meant to scare
you. It is what I like to call "Scare You to
Prepare You", because these dangers are very real
and you WILL come across them at one time or
another.
Now that we have taken time for the reality
check, let's talk about the meat and potatoes of how
you would join a crew. If you know of a Forest Fire
Warden (or Special Assistant) in your area, you
could just simply talk to him or her. (Yes, guys
there are female Wardens and they are just as
knowledgeable and fight fire just as aggressively as
the men.) Perhaps you know someone who is a crew
member, they can certainly put you in contact with
their Warden. If you don't know anyone, then the
best way is to contact your local Bureau of Forestry
Field Office for the District in which you live.
(i.e. Carbon County is in Weiser Forest District
18) Refer to the
District Map
and Field Office List for your location. They
can tell you who your local Warden is and how to
contact him or her.
Once you have signed-up, you will need
training. Your Warden can provide some of this
training, but you will still need to attend some
classes such as Basic Wildland Firefighting and
Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior. There are
many classes you could take, but these are the two
most important. You will also need to obtain some
basic equipment; a list of this equipment is
available on this site, see
FORMS & DOWNLOADS. Your Warden may be able to
help you obtain some of the items on this list. The
gear on this list will be required, for you to
attend the training classes.
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