Climbers that are wildland fire fighters

Im looking into starting a career instead of barely scraping up enough dough to go climbing. I am wondering how conducive a seasonal wildland fire fighter job would be for a hardworking climbing dirtbag. I have questions about the first levels of certifications getting on with agencies, When do you have a chance to climb. Experiences ( good bad and the ugly). Please help me get started if you have a lot of info. I am grateful and really appreciative for any advice.

Thanks Tippy Tappy

( posted iun the community form but no luck , trying to get more eyes on it )

Hey William, I worked for the USFS as a seasonal firefighter on an engine and hotshot crew in the past and I can tell you that you will working during the best climbing months (in the West at least). Great job though, lots of fun, hard work and some of the best people you will ever meet. The agencies will train you themselves, but it helps to have certs already (esp EMT cert and basic wildland) but it is not necessary. It really helps if you are a veteran.

Fighting wildland fires is much more conducive with skiing/snow sports and most importantly going to school. BUt you can always travel to places that are warmer in the winter months to climb.

Hope this helps. Stay safe out there.

LC

Did wildland for 4 years...doesn't work with climbing. Works great with skiing.

Hey Laine and Name, thanks for the advice. So im getting a little bit more understanding with my research but im still a little confused on some of the application process. From what i have gathered one must first flood all the agencies with my application, then they will train you ( at a entry level?) and if i have other certs that helps getting on and higher pay? now discussing those other certs like chainsaw hours, WFR or WEMT are those certs that i would want to have before applying or does it matter when i do them? Thank you guys for helping me get started. If you want to help further guide me or help me get in contact with a crew boss please feel free to email me at rhyne.william@yahoo.com any advice like always is greatly appreciated. Cant wait to get on board.

I will definitely add that one of the reasons i left wildfire was so that i would be able to climb more. My ranger station was 10 minutes from ten sleep canyon, but that doesn't mean anything when you get sent to fight wildfire in idaho.

the application process is frustrating and rarely do the people that deserve jobs actually get them...a few things that will help are being a veteran, volunteering for the USFS for a season, or having a college degree can help.

good luck to you and it is a great job for adventurous folks, but climbing will not likely be on the list of adventurous things you do regularly. I was lucky to get a day or two in a week

i would be happy to email you some more info and advice here in the next few days or so

definitely a great job for skiers and ice climbers though!

no money in wildland..

Couple years with Left Hand Fire. At the most basic level you would generally be working with a Mit Crew cutting down beetle kill and making and burning piles. During the main fire season you may get to actually fight fires, but without advanced training and a dedication to Wildland Fire you would probably be SOL for climbing time and money. 1 cent right there..

I'm also a wildland firefighter/climber and it really sucks how little climbing I do during fire season. It pairs much better with ski bumming. Or spring/fall dirtbag climbing before/after fire season (for example I plan to spend this fall after I get laid off at indian creek..)

If you're past 25 years old, there are probably half a dozen 24 year olds who have been fighting wildfire for 5 or 6 years who want the same slot you do on an engine or hand crew. Then there are all the veterans who have to get hired before you too. The competition is tough in a lot of areas and as everyone else is mentioning, you'll be working all summer through most of the climbing season. Sucks too if you're in a relationship because you're likely to be away from your SO all summer.

I investigated this and even spent countless hours filling out applications for all the agencies and getting to know people who might help me get a job. They also provided me with lots of good advice and what I posed above is a brief summary of what I learned. I got one call this spring to work in BFE Nevada this summer and passed on it. YMMV.

I've been doing it eight years. I'm trying to get out of the business now. It works well for the winter road trip circuit, such as Joshua Tree ect, as well as with skiing as previously mentioned. Six months on the road can definitely be worth the six months of work if you get a warm winter, but depending on the program you work in you may not climb much at all during the period in which you are working. I'm talking twelve climbing days in six months, even if you are stationed close to climbing. It also kicks the living piss out of your joints, and as you move up the ladder you have less and less time off in the off season. Personally, I would recommend doing it if you are psyched, since the job is so fun and unique. However, I would not recommend doing it for more than five years. Oh yeah, and definitely work for an agency, not private industry. Agencies supply steadier work and paychecks.

Hey guys, not to revive an old thread but I couldn't help coming across this. I've got offers with Nevada division of forestry ($33k-38k a season which they said in the job posting), an engine crew in Idaho as a GS-3, and the Northstars training program which is 3 months including room and board. This will be my first season as a firefighter. 

I am seriously considering doing this for a while, my buddy has done it for 3 seasons and just travels the world in the off-season. He said he walked away with 25k as a new hire on an engine crew in region 4, and has made mid 30k every season after. Maybe the numbers have changed significantly? maybe other people aren't having the same experience? 

I know that walking away with that kind of money would be WAY better than just barely making it through the month doing guiding work, and then having to scrape by the rest of the year working crappy jobs. I'd much rather have the ability to travel to south america or the far east and climb than be tied down in one place bumming 365. opinions?

I just retired after 30 years with the Los Angeles Fire Dept.   skip the wild land and go straight to a bigger city.   Good pay and 20 days off a month, plenty of time to climb if you don't get sucked into the trap of making bank in overtime.

http://www.joinlafd.org/index.cfm?section=salary

Kevin Mokracek wrote:

I just retired after 30 years with the Los Angeles Fire Dept.   skip the wild land and go straight to a bigger city.   Good pay and 20 days off a month, plenty of time to climb if you don't get sucked into the trap of making bank in overtime.

http://www.joinlafd.org/index.cfm?section=salary

I second this man. I just started my career as a firefighter with a department up in Washington. I love the job itself but the time to climb and pursue skiing and mtb is incredible. 

Depends how frugally you want to live in the on season/how much you can save. Also depends how many rolls your engine will go out on. This is a very important question to ask, but also a crapshoot...if you get rat holed on your local unit on severity half the season, and only get a roll or two you’ll definitely be making the lower end of that figure.

that being said, an engine is how lots of folks get their start in fire, if you want a career you can move up from there to a handcrew, shot, helitack etc...plenty of existing forum posts online about this though. As far as climbing though, yes you can enjoy the seasonal lifestyle if you want an travel in the off season to wherever. That being said, plenty of firefighters I know work winters or find winter fire gigs too. If you’re busy in the summer though, you’ll make more cash, but have pretty much no time to yourself, so don’t expect to finish your season in peak climbing shape.

as for getting on engine crew, experiences vary wildly from what I hear. Never been on one myself but they’re often slandered engine slugs for a reason. But if you’re looking to get your start, it’s better than nothing.

Thanks for the wisdom guys. Yeah definitely seems like municipal is the way to go in terms of time off and salary/retirement etc.. I was asked to join a helitack crew, seems like they do more rolls and traveling than an engine would in Idaho. Even after scouring the internet for hours, seems like I can't get a solid answer on which situations would benefit more in terms of action and OT and upward mobility. 

I was chatting with the crew bosses and they say they have a gym in the station and encourage/require daily training. Worst case scenario, I'll come out of the season in great shape to do alpine stuff or big walls! ;P

@hector Luevano-- That bilingual bonus is a real thing?? haha awesome  @Kevin-- Ever had any experience with CAL FIRE? I heard they are a blend of those two

Evan Gerry wrote:

as for getting on engine crew, experiences vary wildly from what I hear. Never been on one myself but they’re often slandered engine slugs for a reason. But if you’re looking to get your start, it’s better than nothing.

No Engine slugs in LA City Fire.  Most engines in LA run an average of 15 calls a shift with the busier engines running 25 plus a shift.  When I was younger I worked at a station in Skid Row where my Rescue ran 30 plus calls in a 24 hour shift.  Back then I could be up all night and climb all  the next day but I couldn't imagine doing that now.  There are a few stations that run an average of 5 a shift and thats the type station I retired out of.  Those stations are normally in the outlying areas and when summer and Fall roll around we get busier with brush fires but I always enjoyed that work anyway. Thats why I joined LA City, I could work downtown high-rise areas, the harbor, South Central, East LA, Hollywood, The San Fernando Valley, Venice and everything in between, never a dull moment.

Kevin Mokracek wrote:

No Engine slugs in LA City Fire.  Most engines in LA run an average of 15 calls a shift with the busier engines running 25 plus a shift.  When I was younger I worked at a station in Skid Row where my Rescue ran 30 plus calls in a 24 hour shift.  Back then I could be up all night and climb all  the next day but I couldn't imagine doing that now.  There are a few stations that run an average of 5 a shift and thats the type station I retired out of.  Those stations are normally in the outlying areas and when summer and Fall roll around we get busier with brush fires but I always enjoyed that work anyway. Thats why I joined LA City, I could work downtown high-rise areas, the harbor, South Central, East LA, Hollywood, The San Fernando Valley, Venice and everything in between, never a dull moment.

Hey Kevin, so I'm still trying to decide between a BLM GS 3 in central Idaho or a Firefighter 1 out of Vegas with the Nevada forestry. Seems like from talking with both of them, that I'd come out with a lot more $ with Nevada (40k as opposed to 25-35 with Idaho) but then again its right in the middle of the city. I don't have any gambling problems, but Idaho's location seems way cooler. Do you know much about that organization? I can't tell if it's legit or if I should just stay on the safe side and go with the BLM government job.. 

MasterBeta . wrote:

Hey Kevin, so I'm still trying to decide between a BLM GS 3 in central Idaho or a Firefighter 1 out of Vegas with the Nevada forestry. Seems like from talking with both of them, that I'd come out with a lot more $ with Nevada (40k as opposed to 25-35 with Idaho) but then again its right in the middle of the city. I don't have any gambling problems, but Idaho's location seems way cooler. Do you know much about that organization? I can't tell if it's legit or if I should just stay on the safe side and go with the BLM government job.. 

I’m not too familiar with either but I would think the Nevada gig would look better on a job application.  Do they provide the Firefighter One training or do you already have it?   Vegas has some world class climbing but a little hot in the summer.   

Kevin Mokracek wrote:

I’m not too familiar with either but I would think the Nevada gig would look better on a job application.  Do they provide the Firefighter One training or do you already have it?   Vegas has some world class climbing but a little hot in the summer.   

They provide training, I'm essentially being hired on without experience. And yeah, there's red rocks but I don't plan on climbing a whole lot during fire season anyway. I can always go to one of the 4 gyms in town if I absolutely feel like it..  Not sure how movement between agencies would look, if I were to apply for a federal job next season either.

If they pay you to get your FF1 you can’t beat that.  I would also assume the longer you stick with it the more training and certifications you will get.   As far as movement between agencies, I worked 30 years for  Los Angeles City and I couldn’t transfer to say San Diego or Boise.  If I decided to work for another department I would have to start all over again and lose seniority and pay.   Switch while you are young so you have less to lose.