Handcrew

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Handcrews are diverse teams of career and temporary wildland firefighters. The crews consist of 18 - 20 men and women. These crews have the responsibilities of constructing “firelines” – strips of land cleared of flammable materials and dug down to mineral soil. These lines are generally constructed around wildfires to control them, burn out fire areas and mop up after the fire.

Depending on their qualifications and skill levels, crews may be divided into squads (4 or 5 firefighters each). The more qualified crews will have specialized personnel such as sawyer ^{[disambiguation needed]}s and EMTs. Crews and managers must always monitor the fire and consider safety.

A crew's day may start at any hour of the day. After breaking fire camp, crews are transported to the fire. Once on location, crews use hand tools (chainsaws, pulaskis, shovels, etc) for working the fireline. Handcrews may hike several miles or more. Once at the fire, they may spend hours constructing firelines.

Some handcrews work on an on-call basis meaning members do not work unless they are specifically called to work. Other handcrews may spend time clearing brush, prescription burning, or doing other chores while waiting for fire assignments.

Types

• Type I Interagency Hotshot Crew
• Type I Crew
• Type II Initial Attack (IA) Crew
• Type II Crew
• Type III Crew

References

Website - About Handcrews USFS Retrieved July 11, 2006