Hotshots and Helitacks: What You Need to Know About Fighting Wildfires

Wildland firefighting is an integral and often overlooked part of our system of first responders. These firefighters are often working deep in the backcountry of many states and even some countries.

As a result, they are far away from populated civilizations battling the blazes that people fear. As people run away from the fire, wildland firefighters run straight into it.

Before getting into the other types of crews it is important to cover the basic requirements to become a wildland firefighter in general.

You must have U.S. citizenship, be 18 or older, have a high school diploma or a GED, relatively clean criminal record, a valid driver’s license, a drug test, and or background test, and pass the Arduous Work Capacity Test.

The Arduous Work Capacity Test helps to eliminate candidates who are physically incapable of or unfit for the work. Potential firefighters must demonstrate they can perform the essential functions of arduous duty by completing a three-mile hike through rough terrain while carrying 45 pounds of gear.

The hike must be completed in 45 minutes or less, with no running allowed. There are other types of physical fitness that vary by the crew but will generally be a number of pushups, sit-ups, and pull-ups in a minute along with 1.5 miles run in under a certain time between 10 minutes 35 seconds.

You will be required to get your Red Card which says that you have taken the S-130/190 class. That class trains you to learn fire behavior and the tools and tactics of the job. Then you are required to do the pack test and then be certified by an agency.

Wildland firefighting is a very fulfilling job but there are quite a few downsides. You work long shifts generally 16 hours but can extend to 48 hours.

The pay is not very good at a base rate, but wildland firefighters get the most money from hazard pay and overtime hours. As you will get a lot of overtime hours and assuming they are all on fire, they generally won’t be, you will get hazard pay on those overtime hours as well so in the long run you will get paid quite a lot.

You will get laid off after six months if you work for a federal agency unless you hold one of the permanent positions on a crew like a supervisor. You also work for a long time.

You would be gone for about 19 days at a time depending on where the fire is. It would generally consist of 2 days on the road, 14 days on the fire two days on the ride back and then three mandatory days off.

There are multiple upsides to wildland firefighting you get to travel and it is very fulfilling work. You will travel all over the southwest, northwest, and southeast. You will save people’s homes, and animals’ habitats, and save thousands of acres of forests.

There are many types of crews in wildland firefighting. The main arch is broken into three parts: Type 1, Type 2 IA (Initial Attack), Type 2, and Type 3 crews.

Type 1 crews are on the frontlines closest to the fire and are the ones that battle the blaze in the hottest and worst parts of the fire. Type 2 IA crews are the first to arrive on the scene of a fire.

They assess the situation and move from there. Type 2 crews do not meet the standards to be an Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC) or to be a Type 2 IA crew. Type 3 or the Wildland Fire Module are the commanders that stay and run the base camp and call in crews and other vehicles.

An IHC is also known as a hotshot is one of two types of Type 1 crews. Hotshot crews are the best of the best. They are highly skilled and demand arduous physical standards.

The physical standard they require is the Arduous Work Capacity Test, but there are other physical tests that some crews make you do to see if you are a right fit.

There are not any other requirements to be a Hotshot but there are some things to help your chances of getting on a crew. Standing out is a great way to get on a crew.

Things such as taking a Wilderness EMT certification or a Wilderness First Responder Certification. Having a college degree in things like fire science, environmental science, biology, and forestry all help to secure a spot along with a little pay raise if you have a degree in something related to the job or environment, you’ll be working in.

Another very good way to help is being incredibly physically fit and being more physically fit than other people trying for a spot on a crew.

Smokejumpers are the second type of Type 1 crew. Smokejumpers as their name imply jump from planes into fires that are not accessible. Smokejumpers are a lot like hotshots except for the way they are delivered to the fire, and they are considered an initial attack crew but are Type 1.

There are generally 5-10 people in a crew, and they jump from planes and parachute into where the fire is. You still need all the same qualifications as a hotshot physically and training except you go to a school for it.

It is five weeks of training where you learn to pack your parachute, learn all the gear and equipment, and then learn to skydive along with proper procedures for jumping out of an aircraft onto a fire.

Next are Type 2 crews. Type 2 crews are generally in the back of the fire looking for hotspots or cutting brush far from the fire and creating different lines of defense.

First is a Hand Crew. Hand Crew members implement either direct or indirect fire suppression tactics to control wildfires depending on the size of the blaze.

An Engine Crew is composed of roughly three to ten crewmembers. Engine Crews are primarily responsible for initial and extended fire suppression and patrolling.

Fuels Crews are responsible for accomplishing wildland fire objectives related to fuel, such as hazardous fuels reduction. Their ultimate goal is to restore fire-adapted ecosystems.

Helitack Crews are wildland fire crews that range from  7 to 24 members that are specialized in the use of helicopters for fire suppression. Typically, helitack crews are called on for initial attacks and are often the first responders to a fire. They are also responsible for transporting essential personnel and cargo to further support fire suppression efforts.

Type 3 is Wildland fire modules are a self-contained crew that consists of roughly 7to 10 highly skilled firefighters who must accomplish a wide range of tasks. Their duties may include assisting in monitoring fire behavior, line construction, and the planning and execution of wildfire or prescribed fire management.

I had the opportunity to talk with Rob Carew, a former Hotshot who will be part of a type 2 engine crew. He has been a wildland firefighter for 11 years and was a Hotshot for 6 years on three different crews and has worked on fire modules and Type 2 IA and Type 2 crews.

This year, Carew is working on an engine crew. Carew started the job because of someone he worked with at the time. He had been working at a restaurant and one of his friends was a bouncer at the bar.

One day he had noticed he had rings around his eyes like he had been wearing goggles and when Carew asked about it his friend had explained to him the job and everything about it.

He had always been a very outdoorsy person. The next year his wife had signed him up for classes the next year at the local college in Albuquerque where he completes his classes and certifications.

He spent his first year on a crew in Utah. His favorite thing about working on wildland fire crews is that he gets to save animals and forests and the worst thing about the job is that he is gone for so long.