On-call Wildland FF

[cla123]

I used to know a municipal FF from NH that would get called up for large wildland fires, sort of like how a USAR team would be called. He would usually be gone for a couple of weeks. Anybody know anything about this? I always see people in these forums talking about seasonal employment, but not this sort of thing.

[Captain Hickman]

I'm a full time structural fire fighter in Missouri and have been called out three times for what we call out-of-state fire duty. Here in Missouri, we have to have the National Wildfire Coordinating Groups, Classes S-190 and S-130, Introduction to Fire Behavior and Standards for Survival. These classes are put on by the Department of Conservation and the U.S.Forest Service in Missouri. Other agencies such as: National Parks, Bureau of Land Management,and Bureau of Indian Affairs, sometimes offer these classes also. We then have to pass a physical test: Pack Test, Step Test, or a 1&1/2 run. The pack test at present is on hold. We are then placed on a list which is maintained by the State Conservation Commission of individuals which have completed and meet the minimum requirement for out-of-state fire duty. If the fire season developes, where additional resources for manpower is needed. A call is placed out to the Regional Area from the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Id. The Regional Offices contact the states within their region and the state starts calling the individuals which have met the requirments. Those individuals need to be able to drop whatever they are doing and be ready to do a maximum of three weeks of fire duty.
If you wish to know more I would suggest you contact your State Forestry Department or nearest U.S. Forest Service Office and request information.

Good Luck
Capt. Hickman

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[cla123]

Thank you much for the info,Captain Hickman-great web page, by the way!(I have to admit, though, I'm a little jealous of any dept.with a Lay-Z-Boy factory in their district!)
Chief Winston, do you know a point-of-contact in MA for this?

[SWIDFCWINS]

Dear CLA123:
Yes I can give you a contact for out of state
fire assignments. They are with the Mass.DEM Bureau of Fire Control at these numbers:
617-727-3180 Ext.665 or 978-544-2760. After the Florida Fires of 1998 A request was sent out to every Mass. Fire Dept. looking for firefighters that would be interested in training and testing to obtain a Red Card and
becoming a part of Mass. Wildfire Handcrews.

RMW