Bishop - Boundary Peak fire crew gets a promotion

Inyo County’s own Boundary Peak fire crew has been promoted to Hotshot status. The Hotshots are first responders who battle wildfires from the front lines. The crews go through extensive training with a beefed- up physical fitness requirement due to the hazardous nature of the job. Photo submitted

In mid-August, the Pacific Southwest Region of the U.S. Forest Service announced that the 20-person handcrew of firefighters on the Inyo National Forest has been awarded “Hotshot” crew status and is now recognized as an elite firefighting resource for the nation.
The Boundary Peak Hotshot Crew, based in Bishop, was started in 2001 as a 10-person crew whose primary goal was the completion of fuels reduction projects throughout the Inyo National Forest. In 2002, funding increased for fire suppression resources throughout the U.S. Forest Service, and the White Mountain Ranger District fire staff used the opportunity to increase the size of the fire crew to 20 people, with the eventual goal of certifying the crew as a Type-1 Hotshot fire crew.
After seven years of growth, improvement and hard work, the Boundary Peak crew succeeded in becoming an officially-recognized Hotshot Crew on August 11, 2008.

Twenty members of the Boundary Peak fire crew are now certified Hotshots and will be traveling the country during fire season searching for the hottest parts of the biggest wildfires. While here at home, the crew continues its resource management program, trimming down dead and dying debris before fire season starts. Photo submitted

This process culminated with a two-day review and evaluation of the crew that was conducted by a team of Regional Fire Managers and current Hotshot Supervisors (also known as Superintendents). During the review process, the team made sure that the crew’s administrative and operations procedures are consistent with those set forth nationally in the “Interagency Hotshot Operations Guide”, a guidebook that is followed by all Hotshot Crews nationwide. After the Team was satisfied that the crew was
following the standard administrative requirements, they moved on to some rigorous field tests to see how well the crew performs under wildland fire situations.
At the conclusion of these drills, the review team discussed what they had observed and announced that the Boundary Peak crew had successfully met and exceeded all requirements. After 30 years (in 1970s, the Inyo Hotshots were formed and operated for a few years, but were disbanded due to a lack of funding), the Inyo National Forest once again has a Type-1 Hotshot Crew – the Boundary Peak Hotshots.
A Hotshot Crew, considered among the elite in wildland firefighting, typically consists of 20 people who fight fire by digging “handline” – clearing trees, bushes, duffs and other vegetation away from the fire’s edge using chainsaws and handtools such as shovels, axes and rakes.
Hotshot Crews have stricter requirements for physical fitness, training and experience for their crew members than other types of fire crews, and are expected to perform at a higher level on the fireline.
Because of this, Hotshot Crews are often sent to the most active and hazardous parts of the fire, where the skill and experience of the crewmembers are needed to cope with quickly changing and potentially dangerous situations.
To prepare for the rigorous work of fighting wildfires, Hotshot Crews participate in physical training every day. These workouts often consist of running, hiking and strength training.
In addition to passing the pack test (which is required of all federal wildland firefighters and consists of a three-mile hike while carrying a 45-pound pack in less than 45 minutes), Hotshots have higher physical fitness standards. These include a 1.5-mile run in less than 10 minutes, 35 seconds; seven pull-ups, 40 sit-ups and 25 push-ups, each in less than one minute.
Hotshot Crews started in Southern California in the late 1940s, on the Cleveland and Angeles National Forests. The name came from the fact that those crews were often sent to the hottest parts of the fires. The crews are specially trained for wildfire suppression, but they are sometimes assigned other jobs; including search and rescue missions and assisting with disaster response.
On their home units, when they are not busy fighting wildfires, hotshot crews may also work to meet resource goals through fuels reduction projects, prescribed fire operation and habitat improvement projects.
There are currently 43 Hotshot Crews based in California, with another 64 based throughout the rest of the country, that can be sent anywhere in the United States, to wherever there are out-of-control fires. To help cope with especially severe fires, crews have even been sent to Mexico and Canada. The Hotshot core values of “duty, integrity and respect” have earned Hotshot Crews an excellent reputation throughout the United States as elite teams of professional wildland firefighters.
The physical fitness standards, training requirements and operational procedures are consistent for all Hotshot Crews nationwide.
All crews require that personnel be available 24-hours a day, seven days a week during the fire season, which can last six months or longer.
When crews are sent to a fire, the individual firefighters may be away from home for several weeks at a time. They usually travel to a fire in two ten-person crew carrier vehicles and then hike into a fire work site. Sometimes crews are requested to work at more remote areas, and are often flown into a work site by a helicopter.
Work shifts are generally between 12 and 16 hours, and each member of the crew must carry all the water and supplies they will need for each shift.
During the initial stages of an incident, when resources may still be on their way to the fire or homes and public safety are threatened, these shifts may be extended until additional resources arrive at the fire. In between shifts, the crew members often sleep on the ground and are lucky to get a shower once a week.
To see what it takes to be a Hotshot, stop by or call the crew – they are always looking for tough individuals to introduce to wildland fire.
Contact Ron Riise, Boundary Peak Hotshot Superintendent, at White Mountain Ranger Station, 798 North Main Street, Bishop, CA, 93514 or (760) 873-2506.