| The life | | | | tasks allows the team to do more work for longer. |
| This section's tone or style may not be appropriate for | | | | Also, operating the chainsaw is usually a more |
| Wikipedia. Specific concerns may be found on the talk | | | | desirable task, compared to throwing brush and limbs, |
| page. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles | | | | so trading tasks is more equitable. |
| for suggestions. (February 2010) | | | | Physical fitness |
| Redmond Hotshot's crew truck on the Bear Gulch fire | | | | Part of a series on |
| in Washington | | | | Wildland |
| When not on fire assignments, the crew performs | | | | Firefighting |
| project work such as prescribed burning and fuels | | | | Main articles |
| reduction. | | | | Wildfire Bushfire |
| Living conditions while on assignments can be primitive. | | | | Wildfire suppression |
| Hot meals, soft beds, and regular showers are not to | | | | Agencies |
| be expected. Field assignments away from home can | | | | National Interagency Fire Center |
| last several weeks with daily work shifts averaging 16 | | | | USFS BLM |
| hours, but can extend up to 48 - 64 hours. Sleep | | | | CALFIRE CALFIRE Aviation |
| deprivation is probable, as is routine exposure to dust, | | | | New South Wales Rural Fire Service Country Fire |
| smoke, poison oak, extreme weather (both heat and | | | | Authority, Victoria Country Fire Service, South |
| cold) and other environmental hazards. | | | | Australia |
| Hotshot vehicles become a home away from home | | | | Tactics & Equipment |
| during the peak of the season when Hotshots may | | | | Incident Command System |
| rarely spend more than two consecutive days at their | | | | Aerial firefighting |
| own station. These vehicles, also known as Buggies, | | | | Controlled burn |
| Crummies, or simply the Box, carry Hotshots along | | | | Firebreak Fire trail |
| with personal gear, tools, and everything else | | | | Fire lookout tower |
| necessary to make the crew self-sufficient for several | | | | Fire-retardant gel |
| days. | | | | Fire fighting foam |
| Crew breakdown | | | | Fire retardant MAFFS |
| A crew working a fireline in the Grapevine Pass in | | | | Helicopter bucket Driptorch |
| California. | | | | Personnel |
| A hotshot crew consists of 20-22 members. There | | | | Handcrew Hotshots |
| are two national formats certified for hotshot crews. | | | | Helitack Smokejumper |
| The first format is: | | | | Rappeller Engine crew |
| One GS-9 Superintendent; | | | | Lists |
| Two GS-8 Foremans, (also known as Captains, or | | | | List of wildfires |
| Assistant Superintendents) | | | | Glossary of wildfire terms |
| Two GS-6/7 Squad Leaders; and | | | | This box: view talk edit |
| Two - Three GS-5 Senior Firefighters. | | | | In order to effectively perform their duties, Hotshots |
| Approximately thirteen GS-4 and/or GS-3 Temporary | | | | must maintain a high level of physical fitness. |
| Firefighters. | | | | Whenever they are not on a fire assignment, crews |
| The second format will have one GS-8 Foreman, and | | | | devote at least one hour a day to physical training |
| Three GS-6/7 Squad Leaders | | | | (PT). This training can include steep hikes, weight lifting, |
| In addition, Hotshots are assigned various other | | | | and long-distance runs. Traditionally, 5-10 mile runs were |
| specialized roles within the crew. These specialties | | | | the favored PT for Hotshot crews. Recently, there |
| may include: | | | | has been a shift towards more hiking. On these hikes, |
| Medics - certified at the EMT-B level or higher. | | | | Hotshots may climb without stopping for over an hour |
| Swampers and Sawyers - Usually considered a saw | | | | while carrying upwards of 60 lbs. in gear and tools. |
| "team", the sawyers will take turns with one person | | | | At a bare minimum, each Hotshot must complete a 3 |
| using the chain saw to cut, and the other person pulling | | | | mile hike carrying a 45 pound pack in under 45 minutes. |
| and throwing the cut material to the non-fire side of | | | | Other minimum PT standards commonly adhered to |
| the handline. The teams usually trade tasks with each | | | | are, 1 1/2 mile run in 10:35 or less, 25+ push-ups in 60 |
| tank of fuel used in the chain saw. The reason for this | | | | seconds, 40+ sit-ups in 60 seconds, and 7 pull-ups. |
| is cutting with the saw and swamping are both | | | | These standards are an absolute minimum, and most |
| physically exhausting, but in different ways, so trading | | | | Hotshots' capabilities far exceed those numbers. |