"Call when needed" contractors.

I'd like to find out about the "Call when needed" wildland firefighting contractors. I'm from the east coast and until recently I had no idea such businesses even existed. I'm not refering to contract fire services like Rural-Metro. I'm looking for info about companies like Northtree Fire, Ash Kickers, Red Rock Fire / First Strike Minnesota. The companies that provide equiptment and manpower to fight large scale wildfires. I've seen their websites, but those are really just advertisements. I'd like to know how it all works. Who calls them, and when? Who contracts with them? Who pays them and how much do they pay them? Who trains the employees? How well are they trained? What do the employees do when they're not actively fighting fire? How much does an average employee get paid? Do these companies run actual stations or do they respond all of their equipment from one main facility?
Really the whole concept intrigues me. I don't believe we have these types of companies in the east. We just don't have the fires for them I suppose. Based on what I've seen at some the company websites, I have to assume that somebody is putting back some righteous ducats. This looks like big business. So somebody, PLEASE, clue me in!!

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A friend once told me to shoot first and ask questions later, I was going to ask him why....but I had to shoot him first.

Joker:

Not to give you a short answer to your many questions about wildland fire contractors,
but since you've got some of their contact numbers why not give them a call. They'll answer your questions and with accuracy, too.

RMW

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"Call when needed" wildland firefighting contractors are not limited to just the private sector. Here in Montana, volunteer fire departments also supply "call when needed" units for hire. Lots of small private contractors supply everthing from kitchens to structure trucks. Federal and State Agencys dictate minimum requirements and generally require pre-approval and signup. Lots of money to be made during a heavy fire season but it can get kind of "lean" during a wet year!

Joker

I am from Pa. and here in your state we have volunteer crews that go through training each year to be albe to go out to what ever state that needs them. We are well trained and most of us are very willing to go where ever people need us. I just wish this year would break lose and we would go some where. It gets boring waiting and seening the fire activity going on and you set at home and wait. It is like your mutual aid departments get called to a building fire but you do not you have to set and wait or do not even go. The real paid for hire groups like Hot Shots take all the fun out of it for us guys. If you need more info on the crews from Pa. contact your local Warden of Forest District Office.

AFFF

I worked for a paid for hire crew back in the early 80's. We were associated with a college in Northern California. We trained alongside the forest service crews and had to be red carded in order to be hired. The technical name is an AD crew (forgot what AD stands for but it has to do with the pay codes). We were paid on scale with GS workers (A typical federal wildland fire fighter might be a GS3 while we would be AD3's). Anyway it was lots of fun and a good way to pay for college.

Brian