Wildland firefighters are our best defense against wildfires. They put their lives on the line to save our lives and our possessions. They work extremely long and demanding hours and spend great amounts of time away from their family and friends. Most of the time they spend their nights on the job and wake up the next morning to begin their rigorous work again. There are several types of firefighters and each has a special job to perform. Only a few types of firefighters are mentioned here. The USDA Forest Service employs many but others are employed by different agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, and several Native American tribes.
Engine crews are used for initial attack, suppression of large fires, support of prescribed burns, and providing structure protection. An engine crew consists of three to ten firefighters that use specialized firefighting equipment. They construct fire line with hand tools, mop up hot spots, and conduct burnout operations. Engine crews are trained to use fire to create fuel breaks between the actual fire and unburned fuel. When there are no fires, engine crews perform project work such as managing trails or thinning brush, maintaining equipment, and performing practice drills. The engine itself carries special equipment that is used to spray water, foam, or chemicals. Some engines can carry up to 800 gallons of water to a fire. Some engines are four-wheel drive and are made for off-road use. Tools that are carried on an engine include hose lines and water, hose packs, Pulaskis, chainsaws, shovels, portable pumps, and radios.
Helicopters have been used in firefighting since 1947 and helitack crews help to keep the operation running smoothly. Helicopters can transport personnel and cargo as well as be equipped with buckets or tanks to drop retardant or water onto a fire. Helicopters can be equipped with special instruments to generate digital maps of fires. Helicopters have the ability to remove injured firefighters from the front line and transport them to local hospitals or other medical emergency facilities. Some firefighters are specially trained to rappel from helicopters into remote locations allowing quick access to a fire.
Hand crews consist of about eighteen to twenty men and women who come from all parts of the country and all walks of life. They construct fire line or strips of land that are cleared of all flammable materials and dug down to the mineral soil. Hand crews burn out fire areas and mop up hot spots near the edges of fires.
Smokejumpers travel all over the country and are trained to parachute from planes into rugged terrain to fight forest fires. After they have landed in their target area tools, food, and water are parachuted down after them. Smokejumpers are self-sufficient for the first 48 hours. Smokejumpers must be in excellent physical and mental condition.
Firefighters on the front line are not the only fire management personnel working to protect our lives and our possessions. Behind the scenes are several people that are just as dedicated and work just as many long and tiring hours. These people are the dispatchers, fire managers, safety specialists, electronic technicians, researchers, timekeepers, purchasing people, and others. They all work toward a common goal.