Covid Whistleblowers About Last Year's Fire Assignments

[slowp]

Nate, it's a massive improvement compared to what it was. I've seen it evolve. There are still jerks out there, but now we know who to go to (channels) if there are not enough showers for the amount of women on a fire (example).

Another problem encountered due to fires. This log would be a nice one to sit on for a snack, but only if you have black pants on. I stopped here for a snack and butt rest so didn't want to sit. Foolishly rode 44 miles yesterday. Even with an E-bike, that's a lot of miles when you haven't worked up to it. I find snacking spots and restrooms to be scarce in this area. We need bigger trees for the latter!!! And fewer fences.

 

[madhatte]

And thus the More Snacking Spots caucus was formed

 

[catbuster]

And thus the More Snacking Spots caucus was formed

Consider this Kentucky not-so-redneck as part of it to give it some coast-to-coast credibility.

 

[Jacob J.]

Federal agencies have to do better. I see GS-3s starting out working the line and getting paid $11.49 an hour and wonder why I’d ever consider getting into it as a federal employee now. That’s less than an intern gets paid at KYTC to do “construction inspection.” It’s an embarrassment, but that’s another discussion for... Maybe some time.

In 1994, I was a GS-04 working for Bureau of Land Management and I was a qualified helicopter manager. I was making $8.12/hr to manage million-dollar aircraft, sometimes two or three at once. Whoulda thunk?

Interesting factoid, when I started in fire, at chow line there was a big plastic tub full of silverware - we all put our grubby, dirty, greasy hands in it and fished out what we wanted. There weren't any hand-washing stations on the way into chow either.

From my observations, camp crud didn't really spread any worse back then than it does now, but we've come a long way. I can't speak to the COVID19 response protocols in fire because I don't work in fire anymore, but from what I've heard, teams
generally did a pretty good job.

 

[Jacob J.]

As far as women working in fire, in 1995, I worked alongside a squaddie on Redmond Hotshots. She could do 200 push-ups without stopping and ran the mile-and-a-half in 7:14. There were only a couple guys that keep up with her.

I also worked with a Grangeville Jumper that had the rookie best time in 1996 on the jumper pack-out (110 pounds, 3 miles, in 90 minutes or less). I'll bet she was less than 7% bodyfat that year.

 

[Woodslasher]

As far as women working in fire, in 1995, I worked alongside a squaddie on Redmond Hotshots. She could do 200 push-ups without stopping and ran the mile-and-a-half in 7:14. There were only a couple guys that keep up with her.

I also worked with a Grangeville Jumper that had the rookie best time in 1996 on the jumper pack-out (110 pounds, 3 miles, in 90 minutes or less). I'll bet she was less than 7% bodyfat that year.

Yeah, I know a woman who was a hotshot a few jobs back and I'll bet she could mop the floor with me if I tried to pick a fight with her.

 

[slowp]

I ran into a guy I'd worked with a few years ago. He told me a well kept secret.

In 1981, I was a permanent part time timber crew person. I got a phone call in February that I could come back to work and work on a precommercial thinning crew. It was a small crew made up of a couple of full time timber guys and a couple of non timber but funding in their depts. was short so they had to work in timber, guys. I showed up. I guess that was shock number 1 for them.

I wondered a bit when all that happened on the first day was that I was given a chainsaw to use, a pair of chaps, ear plugs and safety glasses ( I had a hardhat already) and told not to hurt myself and what species to favor. It was a rough day. Thank goodness I had learned to start a saw in Forestry school and had cut some firewood with my dad's little saw. Otherwise, I knew nothing about cutting trees. I noticed some odd looks at the end of the day. I bought some whisky on my way home because I was so sore and had a drink. This lasted for the first week. I was soooo sore. Things improved drastically. I needed no more alcohol muscle relaxant when I got home, and I was keeping up with the guys. I finished out the season.

I ran into the Junior Forester that I had worked with--the one who handed me the saw and said don't get hurt, a couple years before I retired, as did he. He said he owed me an apology. He followed up by saying that the guys had a bet--a how long will she last pool. That's why there was no help or "training" the first week because they had money bet on how long I would last. He said nobody won and it was a major surprise to them. They had all kept this quiet for years.

I actually kind of enjoyed dumping lodgepole pine. Oh well, after that year, a certain president decided that all such work would be contracted out, and that was the end.

 

[old CB]

Yep, my current work assistant is female. Lauren is the toughest 120 lbs you'll ever meet. On a neighborhood/volunteer tree removal work day that I led, I saw her dragging an entire ponderosa tree down a hill, and thought "Yeah, she'll do." I think it's four years now that she's been working with me. It helps that her other gig is teaching rock climbing, so she knows rope, safety matters, and how to stay in shape.

The daughter of a friend also worked with me briefly a few years back, a very capable young woman. She went on to summer gigs on a hotshot crew. After which she worked with me one day when I was short on help. While stopped for lunch I asked about her fire crew work: "Do you get any crap for being female?" I knew the answer before she said it, but of course she did. I told her, every crew has its aszhole(s).