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Firefighters cross the Kern River in California on their way to work.
Handcrews are diverse teams of career and temporary wildland firefighters. The crews typically consist of 18 to 20 firefighters 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. These lines are generally constructed around wildfires to control them. Another type of line handcrews create is saw line. This is line where all trees limbs are removed up to shoulder height and all small trees and brush is cut down. All the limbs and trees are then carried outside the line and scattered. These are also called ladder fuels that allow the fire to climb up into the canopies which makes controlling a fire much more difficult. Sawyers do the cutting and swampers do the moving of the debris. Depending on the size of the crew there can be between 1 and 5 swampers per sawyer. Other jobs include burn outs, gridding for spot fires, and mop up after the fire is controlled.
Depending on their qualifications and skill levels, crews may be divided into squads (4 or 5 firefighters each). The more qualified crews will have specialized personnel such as sawyers and EMTs. Crews and managers must always monitor the fire and consider safety. They will often designate one or two crew members to act as a lookout. This person generally has a few years of experience and is placed at a location where they can see a large portion of the fire. For larger fires there are multiple lookouts positioned around the entire fire. They watch for spot fires (fire that crosses the fireline) and take weather readings using a sling psychrometer or a kestrel typically every hour and relaying them up the chain of command. Aircraft can also serve as lookouts at times, but this is not the preferred option.
A crew's day may start at any hour of the day. After breaking fire camp, crews are transported to the fire. Once on location, crews use hand tools (chainsaws, pulaskis, shovels, etc.) for working the fireline. Handcrews may hike several miles or more per day. Once at the fire, they may spend hours constructing firelines.
Some handcrews work on an on-call basis meaning members do not work unless they are specifically called to work. Other handcrews may spend time clearing brush, prescription burning, or doing other chores while waiting for fire assignments.
Handcrews are diverse teams of career and temporary wildland firefighters. The crews typically consist of 18 to 20 firefighters but can also contain 4...
wildfires. Founded in 2002 as a fuels mitigation crew, it transitioned to a handcrew (Type 2 I/A) in 2004, and ultimately to a hotshot crew in 2008. The crew...
firefighter Fire marshal Fire police Firefighter assist and search team Handcrew Special operations firefighter Volunteer fire department Women in firefighting...
firefighter Fire marshal Fire police Firefighter assist and search team Handcrew Special operations firefighter Volunteer fire department Women in firefighting...
crews are proficient in a range of fire suppression tactics. Like other handcrews, IHCs are primarily tasked with constructing, firing out and holding firebreaks...
detention facilities India Habitat Centre Interagency Hotshot Crew, a Type 1 handcrew of wildland firefighters Interchurch Holiness Convention, an ecumenical...
firefighter Fire marshal Fire police Firefighter assist and search team Handcrew Special operations firefighter Volunteer fire department Women in firefighting...
firefighter Fire marshal Fire police Firefighter assist and search team Handcrew Special operations firefighter Volunteer fire department Women in firefighting...
firefighter Fire marshal Fire police Firefighter assist and search team Handcrew Special operations firefighter Volunteer fire department Women in firefighting...
Crash/Fire Rescue CS Communications Support CT Cycle Team CW Volunteer Type II Handcrew DT Dozer Tender DZ Dozer E Engine EA Emergency Air EM EMS Captain F Aircraft...
calls across 72 miles of coastline. The LACoFD has 10 fire camps with handcrews which are used for both fire prevention and wildland firefighting. In...
firefighter Fire marshal Fire police Firefighter assist and search team Handcrew Special operations firefighter Volunteer fire department Women in firefighting...
Campgrounds and park roads nearby closed and suppression efforts began, with handcrews on the ground and water and fire retardant drops from the air. With the...
firefighter Fire marshal Fire police Firefighter assist and search team Handcrew Special operations firefighter Volunteer fire department Women in firefighting...
firefighter Fire marshal Fire police Firefighter assist and search team Handcrew Special operations firefighter Volunteer fire department Women in firefighting...
Zogg Fire A firefighting handcrew protects homes from the Zogg Fire near Igo on October 2 Date(s) September 27, 2020 (2020-09-27) – October 13, 2020 (2020-10-13)...
firefighter Fire marshal Fire police Firefighter assist and search team Handcrew Special operations firefighter Volunteer fire department Women in firefighting...
full wildland response, including six fire engines, two bulldozers, two handcrews, two water tenders, two airtankers, and a helicopter. Aircraft were overhead...
the Sacramento Valley and San Francisco Bay Area starting July 6. Six handcrew members were injured while working a spot fire on August 6, sustaining...
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