Fire crews...pay disparity.
Hi Wiley, I agree with your sentiments. I have not ever worked as a wildland OR a structural firefighter so I try to limit my statements, but I have always wondered about the same kinds of things as you mentioned. Example, Cedar fire....I was at a checkpoint/chow/refuel area at Hwy79 and japatul road one night. I was allowed to hang out by the S Deputies because I was in my volunteer (non firefiter, I do trail maintnenance) uniform and had suitable id. I was trying to find out if my friends who live and work in the state park lost their homes, and if they were ok. It was dark like only the backcountry gets, so even with the generators and all, I was directing trucks ot the fuel point and explainng the lay of the land to non-locals.
Now here comes a crew from Nevada, who had ridden in from a fire somewhere up like Idaho, in a BRUSH TRUCK(cool blue paint
everybody liked it ). They were about to go into almost mile high elevation, 30 plus year old chaparral OR 50-100 year old timber and fight a fire for relatively low bucks. meanwhile 30 miles away down the hill the careerists with the various city fire departments went on 10 relatively safe medical aid calls but are on track for a nice retirement. I got friends on them departments, and more power to them if they can get a good deal. But this society ought to do more for the wildlands fire fighters who are actually out there with saw or pulaski or macloed or mattock.
I think this is mostly a topic of intrest to rural westerners, thanks for responding back to me, Dave. ps for all the people who dont live around here...even the seemingly simple wild fires get these folks. A few years ago we lost a young man from the Imperial Valley on a "minor" fire in Lakeside. he died from the heat on a 100 to 105 Farenheit day climbing a slope to engage a chaparral fire. May he RIP.
