Any WIldland FF out there?

[dabsllmakerdance]

Hello, I am trying to get any and all information I can about getting out west this year for the fire season. I have applied through usajobs.gov to a lot of places. I was curious if any of you have done the same for this season or seasons passed? I would greatly appreciate any information you could give me. If you dont feel like typing out a huge paragraph you can always shoot me a text at 480 709 1848 Thank you, Brian

[char]

There are a few threads about this I think. I worked for the feds for over a decade, there are people in here with more than that. Started as a seasonal and worked up to a permanent.

You need to call the places you want to work. Today. They get hundreds of applications and the people that pick up the phone and call usually rise to the top. You also need to make sure you very carefully read the usajobs.gov application requirements and make sure your resume and all of the info you are putting into the system is correct. Even a small mistake like an unchecked box will move you off the list.

Also, find out of the way places where you are more likely to get picked up. There are tons of jobs in out of the way places where you can get your foot in the door. Your odds of getting a gig in Central Oregon with no experience are low for example, because everyone wants to work there. This isn't a hard and fast rule as some places that don't appear out of the way hire tons of firefighters.

If things haven't changed a ton places like Vale BLM, Twin Falls BLM etc run large number of engines and hire lots of seasonals.

Don't be afraid of doing a season on a contract crew if required.

Finding a good Type 2 IA crew can be an excellent step towards working on a hotshot crew if you want to go that route.

Also, if you are willing to work in some other area (trails, range, etc) you can often get fire trained and then move over onto an engine/crew the next season.

I would also strongly recommend finding a duty station with government housing if possible. It's usually cheap (~$3-400/month) and makes showing up in a new place much easier and keeps you from getting locked into a lease.

[Bunion 2020]

^^^ all great advice, especially the application process.

[sillyputty]

Pretty much what char said. Stay away from contract crews, most of them are garbage. I've always done timber sales for the forest service. I typically get a longer season than most firefighters here in central Oregon. ( I'm permanent now though). I've always had just as much opportunity for fire assignments as most district firefighters around here.

[ill-advised strategy]

Char gives good advice here. I totally second the advice about contractors, I did 2 seasons with a shitty contractor when I was 20 and 21 and 3 seasons with a very good contractor from 22-25. Even the good one (it was one guy who was a carded type III IC and an old SMKJ and ran one engine himself with me as his crew) kind of fucked me in the sense that I wasn't building a red card or getting any kind of a paper trail to advance a career. I made a living and learned a lot with all that one-on-one time working with a very experienced old hand. but I came away with no real resume to show for that time.

Take care of your body. Take care of your body. Take care of your body. Be in excellent physical shape, far above and beyond any minimums...and don't do any stupid shit. I lost half a very good season to a hernia. I live with lower back pain every day now and I think I could have avoided a lot of that wear and tear by taking PT more seriously. Maybe not, who knows.

[ill-advised strategy]

there's some advice in this thread:
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...rig-jobs/page2

[char]

Char gives good advice here. I totally second the advice about contractors, I did 2 seasons with a shitty contractor when I was 20 and 21 and 3 seasons with a very good contractor from 22-25. Even the good one (it was one guy who was a carded type III IC and an old SMKJ and ran one engine himself with me as his crew) kind of fucked me in the sense that I wasn't building a red card or getting any kind of a paper trail to advance a career. I made a living and learned a lot with all that one-on-one time working with a very experienced old hand. but I came away with no real resume to show for that time.

Take care of your body. Take care of your body. Take care of your body. Be in excellent physical shape, far above and beyond any minimums...and don't do any stupid shit. I lost half a very good season to a hernia. I live with lower back pain every day now and I think I could have avoided a lot of that wear and tear by taking PT more seriously. Maybe not, who knows.

Good advice here. Especially the last part.

Yeti - I think you can be in the best shape in the world and still get messed up. Ergonomics of the job are just set up to destroy lower backs; knees as well.

[dabsllmakerdance]

I greatly appreciate all of this information fellas. Thank you all

[dabsllmakerdance]

I am curious if you can get on a hotshot crew with no wildland experience? I know hotshots are cream of the crop and i feel as if I already know the answer but wanted to make sure. I have two years of volunteer experience here in northern Ohio on rural fire depts. Will this in any way look good or help me out in getting a job this season? Any reason why I should stay away from the SLC Utah area? That is where I am going to make my first push at landing a job. Thanks again

[sillyputty]

I am curious if you can get on a hotshot crew with no wildland experience? I know hotshots are cream of the crop and i feel as if I already know the answer but wanted to make sure. I have two years of volunteer experience here in northern Ohio on rural fire depts. Will this in any way look good or help me out in getting a job this season? Any reason why I should stay away from the SLC Utah area? That is where I am going to make my first push at landing a job. Thanks again

You usually have to know somebody pretty well to go straight to a shot crew. Type 2 IA for a year or two and then your odds should improve. Best of luck to you!

[ill-advised strategy]

I am curious if you can get on a hotshot crew with no wildland experience? I know hotshots are cream of the crop and i feel as if I already know the answer but wanted to make sure. I have two years of volunteer experience here in northern Ohio on rural fire depts. Will this in any way look good or help me out in getting a job this season? Any reason why I should stay away from the SLC Utah area? That is where I am going to make my first push at landing a job. Thanks again

You and I will have a conversation and then I can perhaps try and find out what's new around salt lake. I think that's the best place in the world to fight fire. If you can get a job with Salt Lake BLM it will be a job to keep until you retire IMHO. When I worked in fire I think the smartest most squared-away wildland firefighters I've ever met were Jeff Klein, Gil Dustin, and Steve Jackson of Salt Lake BLM. That's not to mention their whole staff was filled with outstanding people.

[splat]

Anybody have an awareness of or watching fbo.gov/VIPR for solicitations in Region 5?