- Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

Summer 2014 ▲ Vol. 4 Issue 2 ▲ Produced and distributed quarterly by the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
Do You PT?
By Paul Keller
Y
ou know the routine.
If you’re a federal wildland firefighter, every year you’re required to strap on that 45 pounds and get your
fanny around those three level miles in less than 45 minutes. Most state and local agencies have also
adopted this National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) mandatory standard, the “Arduous” Work Capacity
Test (WCT)—informally known as the “Pack Test”.
Why?
We all know the intent of any physical standard. It’s an attempt to test our ability to do our physically
demanding jobs. The overriding challenge: How do you ensure that a person can perform under
adverse conditions (including long work shifts; rough, steep terrain; heat; cold; altitude; smoke; with—
potentially—insufficient food, fluids, and sleep). Sound familiar?
Beginning in the 1960s, the
Missoula Technology and
Development Center (MTDC)
spent decades exploring fitness
performance standards for
wildland firefighters. For a
history of what firefighters faced
before the Pack Test, see page 5.
So, how do you best test one’s physical ability to dig line, pull hose, pack weight, run a saw? And, let’s
not forget the importance of “emergency response” (including a fast pullout to a safety zone, rescue,
or evacuation assistance to others).
Bottom Line: The Pack Test was designed to help ensure that
folks have the capacity to grind out strenuous physical work
without undue fatigue—and without becoming a hazard to
themselves or their coworkers.
Does the Pack Test work? That’s your call.
Are You
Susceptible
to Injury?
You might want to check out the
“Wildland Fitness Assessment Battery”.
Does Your PT Program Prepare You for the Job?
One thing we can all do to prepare for our time on the line is physical training—PT. Does your
PT program prepare you for the job?
These fitness assessment tests are easy
to implement. They test each of the
essential fitness components.
It might help our perspective on this topic to look back a bit at our collective PT history. How
and why we started doing PT. Early on, the smokejumper organization recognized that fitness
was critical to the specific and unique demands of smokejumping.
They can provide a baseline of your
current fitness, your incentive for
improvement, and can also help to
determine if you’re susceptible to
injury.
In the 1960s, a standardized fitness program was established throughout the smokejumping
program. A series of tests was instituted in 1969 that consisted of: a 1.5 mile run in 11 minutes,
7 pull-ups, 25 pushups, and 45 sit-ups. Today, in addition to the “Arduous” Pack Test, the
mandatory national smokejumper physical fitness standards are the same as this 1969 package,
with the added new requirement—for rookies only—of packing a 110-pound load three miles
on level ground in less than 90 minutes.
Visit the “FireFit” website (its link is
provided on page 6) and also check out
the video link on page 6.
[Continued on Page 3]
In this Issue
What’s cool—and not so cool? Page 2
Which firefighters must soon meet an even higher fitness bar? Page 4
Links to physical fitness training tips and insights Page 6
His crew is a consistent regional PT winner Page 7
South Canyon to Yarnell Hill—one old hotshot’s perspective Page 101
Ground
Truths
By Travis Dotson
Fire Management Specialist
Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
[email protected]
What’s Cool?
Culture: A way of thinking, behaving,
or working that exists in a place or
organization (such as a business).
Merriam-Webster
Online Dictionary
W
ildland fire has a culture for sure.
Within this culture is a series of subcultures
which we embrace, promote and defend
without even realizing it. We can all throw in our two cents
on exactly what is and isn’t part of the culture.
Will we all agree on one perspective—or will each of us
have our own slight variation? It depends on if you’re a
hotshot or smokejumper. (Ha! It’s in our collective culture
to joke about our subcultures!)
idea, but boy did I feel like part of the cool kids’ club! It
took me nearly 15 years to break that nasty habit! Do I still
get partial credit for the permanent black circle on my
Nomex shirt pocket? (See how I still want to be cool?)
Alcohol. Whether we want it to be or not, it’s part of our
culture, and it’s problematic. It’s odd that many of us put a
premium on physical fitness while operating throughout
the season as functioning alcoholics. Trust me, I get the
“work hard/play hard” mentality. Many of us feel we’re
not cool if we aren’t waist deep in the party. But how
many folks do you know with multiple DUIs—or
consequences far worse. This is a bad deal on so many
fronts, yet we continue to sit back and nod our heads at its
prevalence.
Avoiding Mental Health/Emotional Wellbeing Issues. At
least we talk about these things now. But talk is not action
(just like reading is not learning). We experience stress and
So What Am I Getting At?
trauma on a regular basis and are notorious for dealing
I won’t bore you with the generic elements you hear on
with it poorly. (Those previously mentioned topics are
“in-depth specials” rampant in the media after every
some of our crutches.) Seems as though “toughing it out”
tragedy. You know, all those pieces on “who are these
is real handy on a brutal night shift on Day 13, but not so
people and what makes them tick?” They all mention the
much with
love of outdoors,
repeated trauma
hard work, sense of
and ensuing life
adventure, being
I’m not trying to be a downer or saying we’re bad folks. I’m just
stressors. I’m
part of a team,
saying not every part of our culture is healthy.
telling you, it does
physical
not feel cool to ask
fitness…blah, blah,
for help.
blah.
I don’t disagree. Those are most certainly part of our
culture. But I’m after the stuff they don’t mention—but we
all know.
Shift What ‘Cool’ Is
I’m not trying to be a downer or saying we’re bad folks. I’m
just saying not every part of our culture is healthy.
Here’s a few:
Can we change it? Absolutely. How? Shift what “cool” is.
Horrible Diets. What do I see on every other engine and
crew rig dashboard? Gas station burritos, mini-doughnuts
and “energy” drinks. Hmmm, keep that up and it won’t
end well. (Heart attacks kill a whole lot of firefighters.) I
don’t claim to know what the right way to eat is, but I’m
certain we all have a pretty good sense of what “wrong”
looks like. And we seem to head right toward it like a moth
to flame!
It’s not cool to eat crap “food.” That just sets you up for
more uncool stuff like dying of a heart attack. It’s not cool
to waste money on cancerous lip dirt. It’s not cool to do
the job hung-over. It’s not cool to stoically struggle
through traumatic life events on your own.
Chew. How did we jump on this train along with baseball
and rodeo? I started chewing as a 20-year-old hotshot.
What a horrible decision. Granted, I made horrible
decisions on a daily basis as a 20-year-old hotshot. But
that’s exactly what I’m getting at here. I knew it was a bad
We all play a part in endorsing what is and is not
acceptable. Think about what you’re promoting.
I continue to struggle in all of these areas. Trust me, it’s
not cool.
Be cool, Tool Swingers.
2
[Continued from Page 1]
Likewise, due to its arduous job requirements, the hotshot program also became
an early proponent of ensuring that hotshot crew members established and
maintained a high level of physical fitness. Today, most hotshot and rappel crews
have their own fitness tests/goals and place a strong program emphasis on
physical training.
And, let’s not forget that our 2014 Red Book (Interagency Standards for Fire and
Aviation Operations) deems that all folks in wildland firefighter positions—who
must take the “Arduous” Pack Test—are also “authorized” one hour of duty time
each day for physical fitness conditioning.
“Physical standards, especially difficult physical
standards, show heart. Difficult standards,
whether or not they show immediate relevance,
do show who is devoted enough to train hard
and earn their place every year.”
Murry Taylor
Retired Smokejumper
who jumped for 27 years
Fighting for a Fitness Program
Bequi Livingston started campaigning for more emphasis on wildland firefighter
physical fitness training back in the mid-1980s. The former Nike “Body Elite” representative and Nike-sponsored runner was working on a
district engine crew. “I was amazed at how there was such a lack of a structured wildland firefighter fitness program,” she recalls. A multisport
athlete, certified aerobics and certified group fitness instructor, personal fitness trainer, and national aerobics-fitness consultant, Livingston
was motivated back then to start “Fireline Fitness”—a new approach to physical health and conditioning for wildland firefighters.
Unfortunately, at first, it was difficult for her efforts to gain programmatic traction with the powers-that-be. In 1990 Bequi temporarily left the
federal ranks to operate her own business, BodySense. “In 1995 I started the fitness fight again,” she says. By this time Bequi had worked on
the Smokey Bear Interagency Hotshot Crew and on Sandia Helitack in Region 3, was an Assistant Fire Engine Operator in Region 5, and
Communications Center Manager for the National Park Service. In 1995 she was a District Fire Communicator in Region 3. This time around,
the interagency Federal Fire and Safety Team (FFAST) at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise recognized and supported her
efforts to establish a national fitness and wellness program for wildland firefighters.
“NWCG also realized that despite having great research being done by MTDC, there was a disconnect between academia/research and fieldlevel application,” Bequi points out.
Next steps: In 2004 Bequi was delegated as the NWCG “Firefit Committee Chair”. She moved forward by incorporating what she had already
developed on the fitness training front and combined this with Dr. Brian Sharkey’s research at MTDC, as well as implementing insights from
the field. “FireFit” was born. (See link on Shop Talk page 6.)
Today, “FireFit” has evolved into an internationally recognized premier wildland fire fitness program. “It’s intended to bridge the gap between
the great academia and research with the field by applying helpful information in a practical way to the field,” Bequi explains. “And while
FireFit is intended to provide a framework and guidelines for firefighters, it also
encourages individuals and crews to augment it to make it their own.”
From the Cedar City
Interagency Hotshot Website
http://www.cedarcityhotshots.co
m/physical-fitness.html
Physical Training
As part of the fireline performance required of IHCs, the
physical ability to perform arduous labor is critical to
crew morale, personal health and safety standards.
Crewmembers must be physically fit and have the
agility to perform in a safe and efficient manner on any
hotshot crew. After a crew member has passed the
Work Capacity Test, given on the first day of work, the
crew begins a rigorous Physical Training (PT) program.
Physical Training cannot be stressed enough. Only
physical conditioning, proper nutrition, and adequate
rest can help you make it through a busy fire season.
Every crew member is required to come into the season
in top physical condition. A rigorous off-season fitness
program is highly recommended.
Every year firefighters around the country fail because
they assumed their natural abilities were adequate, or
their preparation was sufficient, and they
underestimated the hotshot physical fitness training
program. Once again: Physical Fitness cannot be
stressed enough. Nobody comes into the fire season in
“too good of shape”.
PT Related Injuries
Wildland firefighter fitness guru Bequi Livingston, who is now the Fire
Operations Health and Safety Specialist for the Forest Service’s Southwestern
Region, is concerned about the increasing number of PT-related injuries that
are occurring with wildland firefighters. She reports that one Forest Service
region recently saw its PT-related injuries triple in the last few months.
“I see this as another great opportunity to educate and empower folks to take
control of their personal fitness and wellbeing,” she says. “We are still all over
the board when it comes to fitness and PT programs. Some are superb. But
others are horrific.”
Bequi’s concern includes what she calls “an epidemic” of Rhabdomyolysis
and Compartment Syndrome cases that wildland firefighters are
experiencing. (For an insightful discussion on these topics—that includes
myth busting—check out this March 2014 webinar that features medical
and physiology experts as well as a Rhabdo victim/survivor:
http://bit.ly/ExertionRhabdoWebinar.)
PT Advice
“There are always risks and dangers associated with physical fitness training,”
Bequi assures. “However, I see more risks and dangers associated with not
doing PT training—especially for wildland firefighters and their support
personnel.”
Bequi says that some of the biggest risks include injuries and illness such
as heat stress and even Rhabdo and Compartment Syndrome—and, of
course, sprains and strains. “I’m convinced that if we educate our
firefighters on how to best develop a consistent and balanced fitness and
wellness program, it would mitigate the majority of these injuries.”
[Continued on Page 4]
3
Smokejumpers, Rappellers, Hotshots
Must Meet Higher Fitness Bar
Smokejumpers, Rappellers, and Hotshots are expected to have greater physical
capabilities than other firefighting resources. “The performance expectations
placed on these three resources by wildland fire managers is very high,” says
Larry Sutton, U.S. Forest Service Fire Operations Risk Management Specialist.
As required by the U.S. Department of Labor’s “Uniform Guidelines on Employee
Selection Procedures”, the Missoula Technology and Development Center
(MTDC) is currently performing a study with Rappellers and Hotshots to
determine the physical job requirements for firefighters as a condition of hire in
these two programs. (A similar MTDC study—that started in 2008—by Dr. Joe
Domitrovich, MTDC Physiologist and Project Leader, helped to determine Forest
Service and Bureau of Land Management Smokejumper physical fitness
standards.)
Domitrovich is also conducting this current fitness requirements study—that got
underway in 2011—for Rappellers and Hotshots. “Our first stage of the project
was to conduct a Job Task Analysis with these two resources,” Domitrovich
explains. “Based on our results from this JTA, MTDC designed pilot tests to test
specific physical abilities related to those job tasks.”
He is working with the NWCG Risk Management Committee to ensure that all
federal agencies are involved. His study—due to be sent to Forest Service Fire
Risk Management this winter—is the first step for implementing this new
physical fitness standard for Rappellers and Hotshots.
Monument Helitack rappellers on a training exercise in
the Pike-San Isabel National Forests in 2005.
Photo by Kari Greer.
Once these job requirements are documented, a suite of fitness tests (over and
above the mandatory Pack Test for all firefighters) can be developed that are
designed to more accurately measure an individual’s ability to perform the jobspecific tasks of hotshotting and rappelling.
“This will support a higher fitness standard for Hotshots and Rappellers which
would be more in line with the expectations for the higher-level performance for
these ‘elite’ resources,” points out Risk Management Specialist Sutton. “This is similar to other organizations. For example, in the U.S.
Army, the fitness requirements for Rangers are significantly higher than for other types of soldiers.” Sutton adds that for Forest Service
crews, that agency will be working on any formal changes to fitness standards through its Union.
Domitrovich predicts that the new Rappeller standard will be similar to the Smokejumper standard: a run, push-ups, pull-ups, and a heavy
pack test. He says the Hotshots will most likely have some sort of upper body exercise (push-ups) and a pack test with a little more
weight—55 pounds—over mountainous terrain. “To standardize the test over mountainous terrain,” he explains, “we are creating a chart
that takes into account the elevation that will have adjusted mandatory hike times to maintain an equal work rate.”
[Continued from Page 3]
You Need to Incorporate the All-Essential
Components of Fitness
Bequi continues: “For example, we are seeing many injuries that are directly
related to ‘Overuse Syndrome’—doing too much too soon, or doing repetitive
activity without adequate recovery. We’re also seeing muscle imbalance. Overtraining one muscle group and not training the opposing muscle group equally.
“Another huge issue is not incorporating the all-essential components of fitness.
These include: Aerobic Fitness, Muscle Strength/Power, Muscle Endurance, Core
Strength/Stability and Flexibility—and also Rest.”
Bequi informs that all these components are part of the FireFit program.
You still think you’re fit for fire? Do your homework. Get fit.
Physical Training Injury Prevention
Webinar for Wildland Firefighters
Would you be interested in a webinar that would
present the basic principles of an exercise plan and
some common injuries wildland firefighters experience
during PT? This webinar would also provide you tools to
evaluate your PT program. Such a webinar, currently in
the planning stages, would be hosted by Dr. Joe
Domitrovich, Physiologist and Project Leader at the
Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC),
and Dr. Jennifer Symonds, the Wildland Firefighter
Medical Qualifications Program Manager and Medical
Officer with the U.S. Forest Service.
When the date/time is determined for this webinar, if
you would be interested in receiving registration
details, please contact Josh McDaniel at:
[email protected]
4
Before Pack Test:
Physical Fitness Standard Timeline
How—and why—did we evolve to today’s mandatory Pack
Test?
Turns out, it was a transitional undertaking that was years in
the making—the result of a whole lot of aerobic and
muscular fitness research and testing. So, what came before
the Pack Test?
Several decades ago in the last century, crew bosses
assessed a firefighter’s potential physical capability by
observing performance in preseason training. If you
measured up, you made the crew. If you didn’t, you were
reassigned or let go.
Then, circa 1962, the Missoula Technology and Development
Center (MTDC) along with the University of Montana Human
Performance Laboratory started researching how to best
determine a person’s fitness to perform arduous
firefighting tasks. This ongoing study included field measurements of the metabolic (production of energy), cardiovascular, and thermal demands
of firefighting on firefighters working on prescribed fires.
In the early MTDC research, it was determined that “aerobic fitness” was the primary
factor for determining a firefighter’s ability to sustain hard work throughout long shifts.
Primary Factor: Aerobic Fitness
This long-term research, that incorporated both outdoor and indoor lab testing, also
explored the average “kilocalorie” expended by a firefighter per minute (7.5). Finally, it
was decided that “aerobic fitness” was the primary factor for determining a
firefighter’s ability to sustain hard work throughout long shifts.
It was decided that “aerobic fitness” was the
primary factor for determining a firefighter’s
ability to sustain hard work
throughout long shifts.
Next, in 1975, after validations and modifications, the Astrand-Rhyming “Step Test”
was adopted as the standard for determining federal firefighter fitness for duty. This
annual mandatory preseason test required the firefighter candidate to step up onto a box/step down/step up again (at a rate of 22.5 steps per
minute) for five minutes. Your pre-exercise pulse rate was then compared to your post-exercise pulse rate. This stat was entered into a
mathematic formula that included your body weight and age to determine your “aerobic capacity”.
In this way, the Step Test was designed and intended to screen out folks who may be susceptible to cardiovascular problems during rigorous
physical activity. In addition to this aerobic capacity test, folks could also choose to
perform a 1.5 mile run in less than 11 minutes/40 seconds. These mandatory physical
fitness tests remained the NWCG standard from 1975 through 1998.
Pack Test Replaces Step Test
In 1994, the MTDC began reviewing alternative ways of testing firefighter work capacity.
During the 1995 fire season, field trials were conducted on 320 firefighters from three
federal agencies, three U.S. Forest Service regions, and one state.
Unlike the Step Test, the Pack Test was
designed to measure muscular strength and
endurance as well as aerobic fitness.
After exploring various field and laboratory tests to develop and validate a more “job-related” work capacity test, the “Pack Test” was initiated.
Unlike the Step Test, the Pack Test was designed to measure muscular strength and endurance
as well as aerobic fitness. Therefore, it was determined that the Pack Test correlated much
“Fit workers can do more work with less better to the job of firefighting. Additionally, because it didn’t include the questionable
fatigue and still have a reserve to meet components of age, weight, and pulse rate, it was believed the Pack Test would be preferable
unforeseen emergencies. They perform to the Step Test.
better in a hot environment and recover
faster from adverse firefighting
conditions, such as long shifts and
reduced rest. In short, fitness is the most
important factor in work capacity.”
2003 NWCG Work Capacity Test
Administrator’s Guide
[For more information, insights, and tips on
firefighter physical training and fitness
programs, see Shop Talk on page 6.]
In 1998, the NWCG adopted the Pack Test to replace the Step Test as the mandatory physical
fitness standard for federal wildland firefighters. The federal agencies also began implementing
the companion Medical Qualifications Program. This requires the Pack Test participant to
complete a Health Screening Questionnaire (HSQ) prior to taking the test. Based on their
responses in the HSQ, some folks are required to have a medical examination to clear them for
taking the Pack Test.
“Sound risk management requires that we determine whether or not we can safely assign
arduous and hazardous duties to any individual who may have a medical condition,” explains
Larry Sutton, U.S. Forest Service Fire Operations Risk Management Specialist. “If we don’t have a
medical qualifications program like this, we will likely be putting people at risk in the field—both
the person with the medical condition as well as their co-workers who may have to provide
medical treatment and perform an emergency medivac under remote field conditions.” Sutton
points out that such medical qualifications programs are authorized under the federal Office of
Personnel Management (OPM) regulations, 5 CFR 339.
5
Shop Talk
“Improving the experience level,
training, and physical fitness of
firefighters.”
One of firefighters’ top priorities
identified in the 1997 Wildland
Firefighter Safety Awareness Study
(Phase II TriData report)
“Wildland firefighter risk-reduction strategies
include year-round physical activity, weight
control, attention to blood pressure and
cholesterol.”
Dr. Brian Sharkey, Missoula Technology and
Development Center (MTDC) (now retired)
From his 2007 Cardiovascular Risks of Wildland
Firefighting report
Looking for insights and tips for physical fitness training? Check out these resources:
FireFit http://www.nifc.gov/FireFit/fitness.htm
“Wildland firefighters are a special breed of professionals who
deal with complex, high-stress situations that require not only
muscular strength but also muscular endurance, cardiovascular
conditioning, and flexibility for prolonged periods of time while
under duress.” This great resource includes information on preseason, fire season, and post-season fitness training.
BLM National Fire Operations
Fitness Challenge
http://bit.ly/BLMfitchallenge
The BLM Fire Operations Fitness Challenge
provides a common system by which
firefighters can measure current fitness,
establish fitness goals, track fitness improvement, and receive recognition for their efforts. While this program was designed for BLM firefighters, it’s a good resource for everyone.
2013 Fitness Challenge Results: http://bit.ly/BLMfitresults2013
Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre http://www.wfx-fit.ca/training/
What are others doing for wildland firefighter fitness? Included on this Canadian
website: a checklist to help you prepare for fitness activities, strength training
exercises and stretching video, and info on firefighter nutrition.
Lessons from Others – Examples of Physical Training Medical Emergencies:
PT Rhabdo and Heat Stroke LLR
http://bit.ly/PTRhabdoLLR
Rapid Lesson Sharing (RLS) on Rhabdo Incident During Physical Training
http://bit.ly/PTRhabdo2014
May 2014 SAFENET from the Central Oregon Rappel Crew
http://bit.ly/SafenetOrRappel
VIDEO
FireFit:
Wildland Fire
Fitness
Assessment
Battery
http://bit.ly/Wildl
andFireFitAssment
Battery
12 minutes
6
One of Our Own
Gerad Montoya
Photo by Eli Lehmann
Listen to This Guy’s
Proven PT Advice
By Paul Keller and Alex Viktora
Y
ou thinking about starting a physical training
program for your crew?
Or maybe just looking to improve your crew’s
current PT program?
You might want to talk to
Gerad Montoya.
The Station Manager at the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s
Bosque Del Apache National
Wildlife Refuge in New
Mexico, this guy has proven
that he knows a thing or two
about PT.
“If you’re starting a new fitness
Gerad Montoya (center) and two of his crewmembers, (on left) Rick Rios, Senior
program, my advice would be
Firefighter; and (on right) Edward Godinez, Seasonal Firefighter.
to get to know your folks first.
Start off slow,” Gerad advises. “Figure out what people are good at. You don’t want to force people to do stuff.
But you need to get some kind of buy-in. Provide some sort of incentive.”
When it comes to PT, Gerad knows—firsthand—how incentive can benefit both you and your crew.
His New Mexico unit, that includes the fire shop on his national refuge along with those on the neighboring
Sevilleta and Bitter Lake refuges, recently brought home the Drip Torch Award Trophy after earning the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service’s Southwest Region annual physical fitness award (officially known as the “Region 2 Safety
Award”).
Not just one year. But five years in a row!
This physical fitness award competition is held among crews in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s entire
Southwest Region, including national refuges in New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma, and Texas. (This year, the
competing Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge in Texas took away the Region 2 Safety Award’s “Fire
Fitness Champions” Drip Torch Award Trophy—with their name proudly displayed on it. [See photo on left.])
This competition is much like the BLM Fitness Challenge [see Shop Talk on page 6]. U.S. Fish and Wildlife crew
members keep tabs on their fitness progression, establish fitness goals, and track their improvement. The
competition includes: a one and-a-half-mile run, push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups. Stats are taken at the beginning,
middle, and end of the season. “This program,” Gerad says, “provides us the incentive to take something home—
The “Fire Fitness Champions” Drip Torch Award Trophy. Gerad’s that trophy—and kind of brag about it. It’s a good
thing,” he assures. “I hope the agencies who sponsor
Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge crew earned this
and promote these types of fitness award programs
five years in a row—before the Balcones Canyonlands National
continue to do so.”
[Continued on Page 8]
Wildlife Refuge crew took it away.
7
Gerad Montoya’s True Confession
Gerad Montoya has a true confession.
“I love the heck out of running a chainsaw.”
That passion for power saws helped seal the
deal for Gerad to becoming—and staying—a
wildland firefighter.
Even though he graduated from New Mexico
Highlands University in 2005 with a degree
in human performance, leisure and sport—
and a minor in secondary education—Gerad
explains that running saws “drew me in” to a
career where he could work outdoors.
Today’s Station Manager at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Bosque
Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico started out
“I love the heck out of running a chainsaw.”
spending six seasons working on the U.S. Forest Service’s Pecos/Las
Vegas Ranger District on the Santa Fe National Forest on a natural
resource crew. This job included lots of thinning projects, as well as
training in and responding to wildland fire.
In 2006, Gerad signed on with the Bureau of Land Management as a
seasonal employee on a Type 6 Engine and fuels crew.
Then, in 2007, Gerad got his permanent appointment as a Senior
Firefighter on a Type 4 Engine on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s
Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico.
In 2010, Gerad transferred to his current Station Manager position on
the Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
[Continued from Page 7] No doubt about it, Gerad and his folks
are training and performing hard this year to get that Drip
Torch Award Trophy back again—with their name on it.
Providing Good Incentive
Gerad explains how participating in the fitness challenge provides
an incentive for his crew—both individually and as a team.
“Because people are ‘competing’ against their own individual
stats—their own times—no one feels like they’re the lowest on
the totem pole. It’s a healthy competition that provides good
incentive.”
How does Gerad define “fitness”?
“To me, ‘fitness’ means being fit for duty—being able to do your
job. And to be at your best capability for doing that duty.”
Good Advice
What advice can Gerad offer to a crew member who—based on
their PT performance—might feel isolated?
“First off, don’t adopt a physical fitness program that is going to
scare people away,” Gerad assures. He points out how everyone is
different.
“For instance, some people are sprinters,” he says, “and some are
long-distance runners.” Gerad explains that’s why “compromise”
is important. “So, we’ll do long-distance running some days and
run sprints on others.”
In the past, Gerad says, they’ve had folks who initially didn’t
consider themselves to be very good “runners” but ended up
surprising themselves. “And, remember, they’re running against
their own times. So everyone has their own incentive to improve.”
Gerad continues: “I’ve had people who didn’t come in so fit. But
once they get going, it’s like—wow—they were surprised at what
they can accomplish when their PT is somewhat structured.”
We Used to Run, Run, Run
What does Gerad’s unit’s PT program look like?
“So, on our first week—day one—we’ll do a three-mile run—and time it. After that week we’ll target certain muscles with specific exercises and
workouts. We also do weight training. And, obviously, we’re always doing our push-ups, crunches, sit-ups, and pull-ups. We’re always keeping
track of these for our testing criteria.”
“We used to just run, run, run,” Gerad reflects. “But we’ve actually incorporated hiking into our PT training.” He says this includes pack vest hikes
and full-gear hikes, too. “We’ll throw on our fire packs, grab a tool, and hike one of the trails here on the Refuge.”
Gerad is also a proponent of constantly assessing your PT program—and, if necessary, modifying it.
In the past, he says, his crew would do six and seven mile runs. “We’ve knocked back that distance and really concentrated on our times. So now
we’ll run the mile and-a-half, and the two and the three mile runs. We’re trying to stick to those distances.”
Gerad adds that he usually tries to provide a day where folks can concentrate—target—their individual PT on whatever they choose to do. “The
rest of the week,” he says, “is pretty structured.”
What about Gerad’s own history with PT?
“When I first came in, I was strictly into weightlifting. That’s all I wanted to do.” Gerad
says he finally realized that there’s other aspects to maintaining your fitness, including
cardio activities—as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Keeping your fitness
program a year-round endeavor is also important, he assures.
Physical Injuries
This 34-year-old firefighter also knows about physical injuries.
Gerad is a proponent of constantly
assessing your PT program—and, if
necessary, modifying it.
[Continued on Page 9]
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[Continued from Page 8]
He says the wear-and-tear of his physically active year-round lifestyle has
“caught up” with him. Back in May, he had to have surgery on a torn
meniscus in his knee. His other knee had, likewise, previously experienced a
meniscus tear.
“I actually started running again a couple weeks ago,” Gerad informed in midJuly. “I’m coming back slowly, doing a couple miles here and there.”
He says he likes to use the Sports Tracker app on his iPhone to keep track of
his distances and times. “We keep track of our times on paper and on the
computer. But by also keeping track of my times on my iPhone, I always have
that information with me.”
“I like understanding the differences in how people learn and
how students react when they understand new material. I still
get that same satisfaction after teaching fire classes.”
Among Gerad Montoya’s many outdoor activities: Bow Hunting.
Please
Provide Us
with Your
Input
https://d
bit.ly/2mcfeed
back
PT and Hiring
Does PT factor into his crew’s hiring decisions?
“Yes,” says Gerad, “that’s actually one of the questions we ask our applicants: ‘What kind of PT have you been involved with
in the past?’ ‘Did you play sports in high school?’ So, yes. PT is definitely taken into consideration when we’re hiring.”
Speaking of playing sports, Gerad played basketball and baseball in high school. He also ran cross country. “I would say I
was an average runner—nothing special.”
What’s in Gerad’s Future?
Looking to the future, Gerad says when and if his body finally gets worn down in his current profession, he’ll fall back on
his college education. He’ll pursue becoming a physical education teacher at the middle or high school levels.
“I enjoy teaching because of the rewards. I know that sounds like hundreds of other responses that you’ve
probably heard before. But, to me, teaching truly is rewarding.”
Heat Related Illness Report Form –
Your Info Will Help
Heat and exertion illness can show up anywhere: during
training, while digging line, or doing PT. The wildland fire
service needs more data on these illnesses. If you
experience, respond to, or witness a heat or exertion
related illness, please use this simple, easy-to-fill-out
report form. It's two pages. It will only take about five
minutes of your time to complete.
http://bit.ly/HRIform
The info collected in the report is anonymous. And, your information will help—it
will definitely be used and analyzed. In 2013, 47 of these heat illness reports were
completed.
Here’s what we learned from them:
 62 percent of these incidents were from Type 2 or Type 2 IA crews.

The operational tasks associated with the most incidents: line
construction or hiking.

Signs and symptoms reported in more than 80 percent of the cases
were: undue fatigue, weakness, nausea/vomiting, dizziness.
For this teacher-at-heart, his pursuits always
steer back to fitness.
“My overall interest is in how the human body
works and how it can be manipulated with diet
and exercise. That was my attraction for getting
my degree in human performance leisure and
sport.”
Gerad continues: “I like understanding the
differences in how people learn and how
students react when they understand new
material. I still get that same satisfaction after
teaching fire classes.”
And, no doubt about it—thank you, Gerad—the
wildland fire service is better off for it.
Got a potential
“One of Our Own” candidate?
Contact: Paul Keller
503-622-4861 [email protected]
9
South Canyon to Yarnell Hill – One Old Hotshot’s Perspective
By Brit Rosso
I can remember the shift like it was yesterday.
I was a young hotshot captain working on the Rattlesnake Fire down in the southeast corner of Arizona. This was
th
my 11 fire season. Surrounded by good friends, I was feeling like this was the best job in the world.
Brit Rosso, Director
of the Wildland Fire
Lessons Learned
Center, served as
Superintendent of
the Arrowhead
Interagency Hotshot
Crew for 10 years,
after which he
worked as Fire
Management Officer
at Kings Canyon
National Park. He
worked in the field
of fire management
at Sequoia and Kings
Canyon National
Parks for 25 years. In
2005, he received
the national Paul
Gleason Lead by
Example Award in
recognition of his
wildland fire
mentoring and
teamwork skills and
achievements.
We had been on the road chasing fires across the Southwest for at least 40 days away from home. Other than a
few minor injuries, the crew was jelling. We were now in our hotshot groove. That 1994 fire season started off
strong and just kept rocking. We were always heads up, but also feeling pretty darn invincible—up until the night
th
of July 6 .
We had tied our handline into a dirt road and were now dragging fire down the road toward the desert floor. I
bumped out to the Superintendent’s truck to shuttle more burn mix down to the firing teams. As I drove down the
road, I remember flipping on the truck’s AM radio. It was the top of the hour news broadcast. The lead story was
about 30 to 50 firefighters missing on a fire in Colorado.
I stopped the truck in the middle of the road and just stared at the radio. I turned it up. Through the static of that
distant station, I listened to every word. But the voice moved on to the next story. I wiped the sweat from my face,
shook my head in disbelief, and drove down to the firing teams—wondering what I should do with this
“information”?
We were always heads up, but also feeling
pretty darn invincible—up until the night of July 6th.
Do Not Tell the Fellas
I found my Superintendent, pulled him aside and told him what I had just heard on the radio. He looked me in the
eye and said: “Do not tell the fellas. We need to focus on this burn show. You make sure you’re back at the truck at
the top of every hour to get news updates. Then you report back to me.” Copy that, Boss. Good copy.
As the night went on, the firing show continued and bits of news from the South Canyon Fire trickled in on the
radio. By midnight, I knew that 12 “hotshots and smokejumpers” had been killed and that two firefighters were
still missing. My mind was racing. Which hotshot crews were in Colorado? How many of my old hotshot brothers were now smokejumpers?
Who was still missing? What the hell happened? (Remember, back in 1994, cell phones were a pure luxury. Coverage was spotty at best.
The Internet barely existed. There was nothing like Facebook or Twitter for folks to rapidly share information.)
He Had Some Bad News
We worked through that night into the next morning until relieved on the line. We drove to a forest guard station and tossed our bags down
looking for what was left of the shade. Our Superintendent drove by himself back to base camp to find out what was going on in Colorado.
th
In the early afternoon of July 7 , our superintendent returned to find us chasing the shade and swatting flies there at the guard station. He
gathered us up and told us he had some bad news. “Boys, there’s no easy way to say this. So I’m just gonna say it. Fourteen firefighters were
killed yesterday on the South Canyon Fire in Colorado. Nine Prineville Hotshots, three Smokejumpers, and two Helitack. Roger Roth was one
of the jumpers killed.”
Bam. A direct gut punch. I couldn’t look at my Supt with tears welling up in his eyes. I briefly looked around at the rest of my crew. We were
all frozen like deer in the headlights. Nobody said a word. Everyone slowly wandered off into the woods. I sat behind a tree, wiping tears
from my eyes, trying to make sense of what I’d just heard.
Roger Roth
Roger Roth was a good friend of mine. He worked on our hotshot crew in 1989. We worked and played hard together that summer. Roger
went on to chase his dream of becoming a smokejumper. In 1994, his dream came true. He was hired by the McCall Smokejumpers—where
a few of our other hotshot brothers had ended up. He was among friends at the base and had great support there. [Continued on Next Page]
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[Continued from Page 10] I sat behind that tree thinking if Roger and 13 of our best and
brightest could be killed on a fire, it might just be possible that it could happen to us. To my
crew, to my friends—to me.
That young hotshot captain sitting behind the tree ended up becoming the crew
superintendent at the end of 1996. I ran the crew for ten years, and then accepted a District
FMO position after 21 years as a hotshot. After four years as an FMO, I was offered the
opportunity to lead the national Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center, based in Arizona.
June 30, 2013
It is June 30, 2013. I’m sitting on the porch on this warm Arizona summer night with my wife
eating supper. My cell phone starts buzzing. I look down to see it’s my boss in Boise calling. My
wife looks at me and asks: “Aren’t you going to answer that?” “It’s Sunday night,” I reply.
“Let’s just enjoy our supper. I’ll call him back later.”
After supper, my wife is headed back into the house. “You know, honey,” I say, “it’s probably
not good news.” She looks at me kinda funny and asks: “Why would you say that?” I tell her:
“My boss would not be calling me at home on a Sunday night with good news.”
I call my boss back. Right away he asks: “So what are you hearing?”
I respond with the standard: “So what are you hearing?”
Roger Roth
The day after the South Canyon Fire
tragedy, Brit learned that his good friend
Roger Roth, who had worked on Brit’s
hotshot crew in 1989, was one of the
smokejumpers killed on the fire.
For a few seconds, he’s quiet. “Well, up in Boise we’re hearing it’s either 18 or 19.”
I have this strange flashback to staring at the AM radio in that old superintendent’s truck 19
years ago.
Honor our fallen
through learning.
After a long pause, I ask my boss: “Firefighters—are you saying 18 or 19 firefighters?”
“That’s what we’re hearing in Boise. You’re down there in Arizona. What do you know?” I’m
thinking aircraft or bus accident. How else could we lose that many firefighters on one
incident in 2013?
That is how I first learned about the tragedy on Yarnell Hill.
My boss and I chatted briefly and agreed to catch up in the morning.
I sat there on my porch, alone in the dark with a warm beer and a thousand-yard stare—feeling gut punched once again. All I could
think:
“Is it possible that—nineteen years later—this could have actually happened again?”
July 2014
th
Here we are on the South Canyon Fire’s 20 Anniversary. Think about all of the positive changes we have made in the way we do business
since that tragic incident. Last month was the first anniversary of the Yarnell Hill Fire. Over the next 19 years, I wonder what fundamental
changes we will make in the way we do business.
th
What will the wildland fire service look like in 2033 on the Yarnell Hill Fire’s 20 Anniversary? What changes would you like to see in our
business? How can you reduce the risk and complexity in your wildland fire environment?
You can focus on becoming a student of fire and reducing your overall exposure to the inherent hazards in our business. Ask the hard
questions. Always strive to do better. Many of you reading this—while you may not realize it now—represent the future leaders of our
wildland fire service. Don’t be afraid to step into that next leadership role. Honor our fallen through learning.
The 2013 Granite
Mountain
Interagency
Hotshot Crew.
Where were you
and what were
you doing on
June 30, 2013
when you heard
the tragic news
about the Yarnell
Hill Fire?
11
Your
FEEDBACK
Acknowledge and Encourage
Good “Ground Truths” article by Travis Dotson on the words “Be
Safe” in your last Two More Chains issue.
Coincidentally, I just gave a presentation to the Region 6 agency
administrators regarding the risk communication successes on the
2013 Manastash Ridge Fire. At the end of my talk, I told them:
“Please don’t tell me to ‘Be Safe’ anymore. We work in an
inherently unsafe environment”.
Instead, I encouraged the managers in the room to “Acknowledge
and Encourage”. “Acknowledge” that we are taking risks to
accomplish your objectives, and “Encourage” us to communicate
risk intelligence up to our leaders.
I received a lot of good feedback from the group. People are
starting to listen with intent.
Kurt Ranta, Superintendent
Baker River Hotshots
Firefighter Safety Degraded by the Culture of the ‘16s’
Firefighter safety can be degraded by the culture of 16-hour shifts.
This is a serious safety issue for firefighters. “Shift Pay” for crews
could solve this issue. If the fire is going “Big Box”, why does that
mean longer shifts? Long shifts become the objective and drive
crew supervisors to reward their crews with the long shifts—a
carrot.
shifts were forbidden and required a talk with the IC. Twenty-four
hour shifts (working 24 hours on and then having 24 hours off)
were experimented with in the mid-80s then dropped. (For
example, this 24-hour type shift was utilized on the 1985 Wheeler
Fire in Region Five.) Crew fatigue and production issues—as well as
safety concerns surrounding night shift work—helped to terminate
this strategy.
As an Operations Branch Director (OPBD)/Operations Section Chief
Type 2 (OSC2), I had to discuss Crew Time Reports with crew
supervisors who had regularly posted 16 hours. I often heard
references to those hours (16) being the standard—so why was I
concerned? If the standard is a shift, then offer Shift Pay with no
expectation of on/off time. Meet or exceed the 2:1 work/rest ratio
and you're paid by the shift. Obviously, shift start times would be
dictated by briefing schedules.
If crews had a Shift Pay, they'd be in camp often in 12 to 14 hours.
This was the case when day and night shifts were the standard. The
result would be healthier, rested firefighters. Exceptions, of course,
would exist (on the occasion of getting line tied-in at night or
extended shift to complete firing, etc.). The current system lets the
personnel “pay themselves” and some IMTs and home agency
administrators don't deal with it or know about it.
A crew superintendent who really cares about the crew will want
them healthy. Food, water, and rest are vital parts of the health
component.
Believe me, I'm on the side of the firefighters. I want them to be
compensated for their work without degrading their safety. On the
th
20 anniversary year of the South Canyon Fire, I am concerned that
firefighter safety is not well served by the 16-hour shift culture.
I am not naive to the opportunities to “let the fire run, we'll rest in
the black and pick up the flank as the evening settles”. Been there;
done that. We battled the same rules about time when 24-hour
Gene Rogers, Wildland Fire Technologies, Inc.
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Two More Chains, published quarterly by the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center, is
dedicated to sharing information with wildland firefighters. For story tips, questions,
or comments, please contact: Paul Keller, [email protected], 503-622-4861.
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