The Tahquitz Crew is a call when needed Type 2 Hand Crew established in 2003 by the United States Forest Service.
The Crew is activated as needed throughout the fire season. Crewmembers are Administratively Determined (AD) Employees of the US Forest Service. This means that employees will report for duty and get paid only when specifically requested to do so. Assignment length is determined by local and national needs, and can vary between 1 and 21 days. Hours worked on a given day will vary by assignment, but are typically between 8 and 16 hours.
We are based in Idyllwild, California, on the San Jacinto Ranger District of the San Bernardino National Forest. We can be mobilized to be on standby for new fires locally. We can also be available to respond to all types of emergency incidents anywhere in the country. We might start the day at our home base and be across the country by the end of the day.
There are many reasons men and women choose to work with the Tahquitz Crew. Some of the reasons are: for the adventure, service to the country and community, part time summer job, camaraderie, experience, or a stepping stone to a great career in the US Forest Service and the fire service.
Getting into the fire service is very competitive, and many people pay to attend college and training programs to better their chances of getting a career position. The US Forest Service will pay you to attend basic fire training, and provide you with several very desirable certifications from the National Wildfire Coordination Group and Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Through the history of the Tahquitz program, many of our crewmembers have gone on to career positions with the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and many other public safety agencies.
PRIDE - SAFETY - TEAMWORK
U.S. Forest Service hand crews, Type 2 – Initial Attack (IA) Crew which typically consist of 18 - 20 men and women, serve as the infantry of wildland fire forces.
Hand crews are a diverse team with solid reputations as multi-skilled professional firefighters.
Wildfire hand crews exemplify the American spirit. They are self-sufficient. They are expected to work hard. Long days are the norm. They often eat and sleep where they work, without luxury. They face danger daily and are the backbone of the "firefighting army" and earn great respect.
Typically working in fuels such as short grasses , brush cutting and scraping a 12 to 36-inch-wide fire line to halt the advance of the fire. In denser and larger fuels, such as timber, a fire line is typically merely a starting point. It may take a more than 100 feet wide fire line to halt the fire’s spread. To achieve this, firefighters often conduct burnouts. If conditions, such as winds permit, hand crews will start a fire at the fireline to burn towards the approaching main fire. With all the flammable materials in its path depleted and cleared to bare mineral soil to extinguish and contain fire.
Hand crews typically begin constructing fireline from an anchor point. An anchor point can be a road, a lake, a stream or river, or a large rock outcropping. It is used to minimize the chance of the hand crew being flanked by the fire while the fireline is being constructed.
To help construct fire lines, hand crews will work with support from airtankers and helicopters. Drops of fire retardant can reduce the intensity and rate of spread of wildfires while drops of water can cool hot spots.
In addition to digging fire lines, hand crews cut open smoldering trees to put out the sparks and spread water dropped by helicopters or supplied by engine crews. When water is not available, hand crews move everything from a hot spot, separating burning limbs and coals and covering them with dirt. They also patrol fire lines to make sure the fire stays within them.
Safety is the number one priority in wildland firefighting. Safety is based on Risk Management; “Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, and Safety Zones also known as LCES. 10 Standard Firefighting Orders and the 18 Watchout Situations and other concepts, principles, and procedures are part of mitigating safety.