Seasonal Firefighter in SoCal

[clark918]

I'm new to the wildland thing. I'm also from Milwaukee, WI so it's not too big over here. I am considering giving this a shot in 2009.

I'm currently 20 years old and will be finishing my AA in Fire Protection Technician in Dec 08. I am in the background stage with LAFD. I don't have the best driving record and after talking with several Captains and Recruiters from LA, they said that I should apply again in 2 years and I should have no problem getting on.(They won't look at my instances since I was a minor and it was over 5 years ago then.)

However, I was considering getting my BS in Fire Prevention Technology at Cal State-LA if I don't get the LAFD job. If I attended college there, would there be a place nearby that I could work as a seasonal wildland firefighter? If so, where could I find information? What would I need?(I'm WI FFI, FFII, National Registry EMT-B, HazMat Tech) Not sure any of those would help. Also what's the average pay for a seasonal FF? Coming from Milwaukee, it would be hard to keep up with the cost of living.

Thanks and I hope this makes sense. Like I said, I'm clueless about the wildland scene.

[kd7fds]

I'm new to the wildland thing. I'm also from Milwaukee, WI so it's not too big over here. I am considering giving this a shot in 2009.

I'm currently 20 years old and will be finishing my AA in Fire Protection Technician in Dec 08. I am in the background stage with LAFD. I don't have the best driving record and after talking with several Captains and Recruiters from LA, they said that I should apply again in 2 years and I should have no problem getting on.(They won't look at my instances since I was a minor and it was over 5 years ago then.)

However, I was considering getting my BS in Fire Prevention Technology at Cal State-LA if I don't get the LAFD job. If I attended college there, would there be a place nearby that I could work as a seasonal wildland firefighter? If so, where could I find information? What would I need?(I'm WI FFI, FFII, National Registry EMT-B, HazMat Tech) Not sure any of those would help. Also what's the average pay for a seasonal FF? Coming from Milwaukee, it would be hard to keep up with the cost of living.

Thanks and I hope this makes sense. Like I said, I'm clueless about the wildland scene.

I glanced at USA Jobs last night and there were a ton of seasonal positions recently posted in Idaho.

BLM and Forest Service around here try to hire their seasonals in Feb and Mar.

Most of the jobs I was looking at were Engine Boss, Engine Crew type positions. The posted salary doesn't reflect the true salary a lot of times because it has no overtime. The initial attack crews in my area tell me that they make most of their money in overtime. Typical Seasonal Engine Boss in my area makes 36k in a slow year and 50k+ in a busy year.

A lot of the Type II Hand Crew positions are posted under titles like Forest Tech. They have you doing a lot of non-fire work most of the time. Type I hand crews will almost never hire a rookie with no experiance.

The other option is contract crews. You don't get paid if you aren't on a fire, but I have friends that make a living as contractors. Type VI and IV are the most common contract engines in my area, and there are lots of Type II hand crews as well. They run postings on the Internet looking for crews. The Engine contractors are always sniffing around the fire station looking for young guys that we have been training that want to see more fire.

[clark918]

Is there a website or something that describes each position? I'm currently a structural firefighter, but have no idea what each "type" or position is. Also, would I need training before hand? Or do they train me if hired? I have time because I wouldn't be looking for a job this summer, but possibly the next. Thanks for the info!

[the1141man]

If you're in LA, the Angeles NF is right in your neighborhood...and they see a lot of fire, too.

You'll need S-130/S-190/L-180/I-100 aka "Basic FFT2" to be qualified for an entry-level fireline job whether on an Engine or Crew... it takes a couple weekends of your time. You can consider that pretty much a prerequisite to your application. Chances are right about now there's a community college, or maybe even your univ fire science program, that's running those classes. Check into it.

You're also relatively close to parts of the Cleveland NF, and San Bernardino NF. There's probably more than a couple NWRs in your area, too, though whether they staff Fire units, I don't know.

Speaking of contractors--NorthTree International has a base of operations in Corona, I believe... they generally run Type-VI CAFS Engines, and are pretty active in FS-R5/R3 (CA, NV, AZ, NM area).

[clark918]

Thanks for the info. I'll check into local colleges in the LA area for those classes. I'd have to make sure that I would have time to take them while going to college full time over there. I live in Milwaukee, WI right now so we have nothing as far as wildland courses.

[kuntrykid]

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[boch32]

Im a fulltimer here on the Angeles. On my district alone, the Santa Clara/Mojave (antelope valley,Castaic Lake, and the high desert) we do see a ton of fire. I work on a type 3 engine and I made 24,000 in the 6 month fire season alone last season as a rookie. I came on with nothing but EMT and no experience and no training. We have our annual 80 hour refresher when the new seasonals come on usually in late May and you will get S-190,S-130, I-100 and a few more certs in the alphabet soup of wildland fire. We have 9 engine companies and two crews on this district, I know several people who got on the Texas Canyon Hotshots or the Valyermo Crew 4 as a rookie with no experience, the crews routinely make upwards of 40 grand in a 6 month season. go to www.avuedigitalservices.com and fill out an application for the 0462 series but make sure to check the announcement to confirm its for fire, if you want hotshot time they have an actual announcement for the hotshot crew, after applying Id call the crew or engine you want to work on and express your interest and your situation so they have that name recognition when the hiring list comes out. Valyermo is 661 944 2188, TC is 661 296 8418. for reference a Type 1 crew is usually initial attack and cuts hot line and is in direct contact with the fire while your type 2 crew usually only gets paid while on fire and does mostly rehab and mop up work. a type 3 engine is a 500 gallon engine outfitted mainly for wildland/structure protection, although on our forest we are all risk so we carry structure gear and SCBAs and we roll to medicals,traffic collisions and vehicle fires as well as structures if we are called to assist LA County on mutual aid. The district office phone number is 661 296 9710. The Angeles is highly regarded as one of the best wildland agencies and we routinely are called up on resource orders nationwide, we sent engines and crews to Idaho,Utah, New Mexico, Florida, and all over California last season, let alone the gajillion initial attack and extended coverage assignments we had last year, hell we've already seen 3 or fires this year. If you want socal wildland ANF is where its at, you can still get an app in if you want.

[boch32]

I make 15 an hour as a GS-4. thats as a full time firefighter with no overtime or hazardous duty pay. We get paid base plus 50% for Overtime and base plus 25% for hazardous duty,night diff, and sunday pay. Plus if you work a holiday its base plus base, so right now it would be a 20 hour day for honly working 10 hours. Its pretty much feast or famine, here, I make 2000 a month during the winter but from June until December it's not uncommon to have a 5000 dollar month. Seasonals get laid off the first week of December or the last week of November.As for college Id recommend night classes and iin the fall or spring even because October and November is our bread and butter. With ff1 you might qualify to fill a 5 spot but Id guess youd come on as a 4. Also November to January is the hiring period for CDF and they pay alot more and they're actually a good agency to go fulltime with, Im actually interviewing with them next week, they are a complete all risk and actually serve as the county department for severalcounties like Riverside County. with your quals you'd have a really great shot with them as a seasonal, but the seasonals in Riverside work 9-11 months.

[clark918]

Thanks for the info guys.

Boch... Can you enable PM's or contact me by email? zclark18@hotmail.com

I have several questions about Angeles National Forest and the job. I don't think I would do CDF though because as of now, I don't want to be a full timer. I want to get a job as a structural firefighter. However, I think that this would be a great experience while going to school in LA.

[the1141man]

Thanks for the info guys.

Boch... Can you enable PM's or contact me by email? zclark18@hotmail.com

I have several questions about Angeles National Forest and the job. I don't think I would do CDF though because as of now, I don't want to be a full timer. I want to get a job as a structural firefighter. However, I think that this would be a great experience while going to school in LA.

CDF has seasonals as well, though the filing deadline for this season with them has already passed. You might keep it in mind for next year, though.

[clark918]

CDF has seasonals as well, though the filing deadline for this season with them has already passed. You might keep it in mind for next year, though.

Okay thank. I'll keep it in mind. I'm actually not trying to get on this summer anyway. I won't be out in CA till 2009. Just want to plan ahead and know my options since I would be leaving two fire departments to go out there for school and this job.

[Paddiegrunt]

LA County Fire Department also hires seasonal wildland fire crews, Look at their web site:www. fire.lacounty.gov/ for info.

[Paddiegrunt]

Try these numbers to talk to someone about LA County Fire Camps
818-952-6269 or 5370
818-790-6434
818-949-4950 Camp Training Office

[Paddiegrunt]

Sorry, The website is:www.fire.lacounty.gov/

[boch32]

Good lookin out paddie, forgot bout the FSA's mainly I think i removed them from my mind cuz I got thrashed hardcore when one of their swampers through a big *** chunk of manzanita down a hill and smacked me as I was squirting water on a log that was still flaming, a**hole