Questions to Ask in Your Wildland Firefighter Interview
Securing the fireline on an initial attack fire before we went to make camp. You’ll want to ask lots of questions to know who and what to expect from a new fire job
It’s hard to know what you’re getting into sometimes with a new job or even just a new place that you’ve never been.
Google can only help so much. These are questions I liked to ask to get a better idea of what the crew and area are like before I committed to a new job.
Lots of you will need housing if you’re not trying to get a job where you live or know anyone. So make sure to ask:
Is government housing available? If not are there other options available? (Sometimes permanent employees rent out rooms to seasonals, etc.)
Where is the housing in relation to where I show up for work? When I was seasonal, one place I worked at I didn't think to ask and the only available government housing was a 45 minute drive one way at another work station on the forest. That was annoying to deal with until I found other housing in town. It's also good to ask if you'll be sharing a room with someone else.
Here are some other questions that will give you a good idea of what the crew/area are like:
What's your PT program and fitness expectations coming into the season? Do you have minimum fitness standards to be on the crew? This will vary crew to crew and it's nice to know if one crew is really into running or hiking so you can get prepared and show up in killer shape and avoid injuries.
Some types of crews like hotshot or rappel crews have a test you need to pass to be on the crew (example for rappel crew: 85 pound pack out over varied terrain)
Do you have lots of initial attack fires? Do you travel off forest for assignments? Asking straight up how much overtime the crew makes on average each season can off-putting, but these questions will let you get an idea of how busy you'll be/ how much fire you'll see/ how much money you'll make. Three to five 14-day rolls is pretty average for a lot of crews/engines. Seven or more is common for hotshot crews
How many people are on the crew/ engine/ module? What other crews/ engines/ resources are on the forest? Always good to know how many people you’ll be working with and what other fire resources are nearby
Do you have a prescribed fire program? Prescribed burns are common way for a lot of forests to start and end fire season. It’s a great way to get training and fire experience in a structured setting
When do you typically start and end for the season? Helpful for planning purposes if you have a winter job or school
Does your crew do lots of formal and informal training? Good training is HUGE! It would be a red flag to me if they didn't have a solid answer
What can I do to be best prepared for this position before I start the season? Maybe they will recommend online trainings or subjects to brush up on
What is the town and surrounding area like? Especially if it's super small you may not have a large grocery store close and that's always good to know in advance.
Anything else that would be helpful to know before I arrive?
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