What is a hot shot fire crew?

What is a hot shot fire crew?

Hotshot Crews A hotshot crew consists of 20 specially-trained firefighters. They provide an organized, mobile, and skilled workforce for all phases of wildland fire management. Hotshot crews receive top-notch training, adhere to high physical standards, and have the ability to take on difficult assignments.

What is a helitack crew?

Helitack crews provide land managers with a safe, highly skilled, and productive aerial firefighting resource. Crew members are specially trained in the tactical and logistical use of helicopters for fire suppression. These crews are a primary initial attack resource transported to wildfires by helicopter.

What is a Type 1 hotshot crew?

Type 1 are known as Interagency Hotshots Crews (IHC), faster production, highly skilled, extensive training, advanced qualifications, and arduous physical standards.

How do you train to be a Hot Shot?

Federal Hotshot Standards

  1. Sit-ups. 40 in less than 1 minute.
  2. Push-ups. 25 in less than 1 minute.
  3. Chin-ups based on bodyweight. Less than 110 lbs — 7 reps. 110–134 lbs — 6 reps. 134–169 lbs — 5 reps.
  4. Cardio. 1.5-mile run in less. than 10:35. 3-mile hike with a 45-pound pack in less than 45 minutes (walking, not running)

How many hotshot crews are there?

As of 2018 there are 113 hotshot crews across the nation.

What is the purpose of a backburn?

A backburn is a fire lit close to the edge of an active bushfire, which burns out the fuel between the bushfire and an established control line. The removal of fuel halts the fire’s spread, providing suitable conditions for firefighters to finish suppressing the fire.

What is fuel crew?

Fuels crews are skilled in a variety of hand tool and chainsaws use. May participate prescribed fire and wildfire activities, which may include: burn unit prep, fire operations, maintenance of equipment and supplies, mop up, and monitoring.

How long is hot shot training?

60-120 minutes
These training sessions are specifically designed to be completed in 60-120 minutes. The Weekday Sessions are designed to take 60-90 minutes depending on you running and step up fitness.

How do firebreaks work?

Firebreaks are strips of bare soil or fire retard- ing vegetation meant to stop or control fire. Fuel Breaks are strips or blocks of vegetation that have been altered to slow or control a fire. A home spared from a wildfire by creating a de- fensible area around it.

What are the benefits of controlled burns?

Controlled burns are lit for a number of reasons. By ridding a forest of dead leaves, tree limbs, and other debris, a prescribed burn can help prevent a destructive wildfire. Controlled burns can also reduce insect populations and destroy invasive plants. In addition, fire can be rejuvenating.

What is a fire hand crew?

Handcrews are diverse teams of career and temporary wildland firefighters. The crews typically consist of 18 – 20 men and women but can also contain 4 to 6 and 8 to 10. These crews have the responsibilities of constructing firelines – strips of land cleared of flammable materials and dug down to mineral soil.

How much do hotshots make in a season?

How much does a Hotshot Wildland Firefighter in United States make? The national average salary for a Hotshot Wildland Firefighter is $37,808 per year in United States.

How do you maintain firebreaks?

The plant community should be tolerant of mowing, haying, or grazing closely (generally within 3-4 inches) without damaging the stand. Firebreaks should be as straight as possible to predict fire and smoke behavior and enhance visual monitoring of the fire’s edge.

How are firebreaks made?

Fire-breaks are often constructed with a machine such as a dozer, front end loader, grader, tractor or skid-steer loader. In some situations, a suitable fuel-free area may be created by other methods such as hand tools, ploughing, herbicide treatment, grazing stock and controlled fire.

What are the advantages disadvantages of controlled burning?

Controlled burns carry many ecological benefits. However, there are downsides to igniting an ecosystem, mostly due to the sometimes unpredictable nature of fire. Many of these drawbacks, like lower air quality, are short-term and would be worse in the case of an uncontrolled wildfire.

How are controlled burns done?

A controlled fire must be carefully planned and is usually executed in the early spring or late fall. The fire team will establish a firebreak and set a downwind backfire to create a blackline of burned area, reducing the amount of fuel the primary fire will come into contact with before the firebreak.