Mill Creek Hotshots, Idaho City Hotshots, Baker River Hotshots, & Feather River Hotshots
Mill Creek Hotshots. Screenshot from their video below.
Fire crews and organizations have produced some excellent videos showing the highlights of their fire activities in 2020. We like to post them each year, and we used to be able to do it with one article, but so far this year we have found 28 — too many for one article. So this year we will do it intermittently over a two-week period.
Here is Volume 2.
Mill Creek Hotshots
Idaho City Hotshots
Baker River Hotshots
Feather River Hotshots
Typos, let us know HERE, and specify which article. Please read the commenting rules before you post a comment.
After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.
View all posts by Bill Gabbert
13 thoughts on “Fire crews and organizations produce videos summarizing their activities in 2020; Volume 2”
I hope the home units and line officers and these crews take a good hard look at the videos. The other posts were spot on! Poor felling technique and less than stellar moments to be sharing online fir public consumption. Some of these crews with these videos and the amount of garbage I have to see on instagram is gross. When do you work to have all this time for photos and videos. Talk about being underpaid then show videos of your crew sleeping. Good way to get the public on board. Again I have been an am a career Hotshot and with 1,000 season the pay is excellent. I’m about to do my taxes and not one sunset will show up.
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Well I’m not sure if the line officers have enough time between zoom meetings teleworking from home to review these vids LOL….
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Gs 4 is 35248 a year, cut that in half for a 1039, then guaranteed/contractual/advertised wage is $17624 per year….yes there’s OT, yes hazard pay and yes if u live in a blue state there’s unemployment…This is a great job and people can make a good living, but my point was mostly about recruitment and retention. We have thousands of vacant positions with a flurry of early 2000 hires retirement up ahead. If a crew wants to make a video to recruit why get up in arms about it.
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Great Videos…I looked and didn’t see any fence post drivers, clinometers, tape or forestry vests for that matter. Just saying maybe they should learn to do their jobs and stop stealing all the glory from the foresters of the world 😉
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Having been a Hotshot for five years, looking at these videos makes me want to pick up a chain saw again and lend a hand.
I am very impressed with the quality of some of these videos — in many cases, excellent camera work and editing. Thanks, folks, for your service on the fires and producing the videos.
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I sat a fire tower back in the late 1970’s… and fought on the ground for years after that. I so wish I could do that again but at 63 I don’t think they would want me anymore as much as I still feel like I am only 21.
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Having been a Hotshot for 15 years I find these videos the direct antithesis of a humble professional. It’s great to do this for your crew but why share far and wide? It’s a job like any other job and no more important or worthy of sharing your videos than that of any other job. The amount of garbage Crews share online now is embarrassing. #lookingforattention
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kJ, these folks get paid in sunsets as was stated before. Then crawl back into their caves during the winter months with no pay or benefits. Sorry these attention seekers are proud of what they do. Plus we are having a tough time recruiting, turns out people aren’t lining up to do this job anymore…Maybe the gov should make a recruiting video, or just let the gs 3’s do it to so show off their accomplishments…I say pay Hollywood.
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Wow… I do not know anyone who can survive by getting paid on sunsets! How do they pay for all there fancy cameras / smart phones /go-pro’s to make those awesome videos? Do they not eat, have vehicles, smart phones, rent, mortgage, all the up to date state of the art out door adventure equipment. What caves do these folks actually crawl into in the winter??? Ahhh yes, know I remember where my buddies went every year… Costa Rica, Mexico, Bali, and a million other places around the Globe. Or they just stayed home and spent quality time with family and friends drawing on unemployment, which by the way most of the ones that travel around the globe do as well. I’m not condemning any of this, just stating facts.
I do not want to take away from what they do, what I did for the majority of my career, but I’m sick and tired of our profession portraying itself as a victim of under paid, under appreciated, and down right mistreated! It is a hard job, but it is a good job with great pay and good benefits.
As far as sharing their pictures and videos… I have no issue with that. It is this generations way of being proud of what they do for a living. I understand what KJ is saying and I see his point, I’m just not as passionately opposed to it as he is. I do know that if I were still in the IHC world I would not be posting anything. I was always too busy and or too tired to even think of pictures, let alone videos.
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I’ve been on the fence about this issue for a long time. I agree with being proud of the work we did, and even approved of one of our crewmembers doing a season video several years ago. But, I too, was also way too busy actually fighting fire to even think about taking pictures or video, or standing by, and nobody wants to see that. And even though the lounging, resting and sleeping is a result of the hard work, I would never be proud to show any of that. In my opinion, if you’re going to do this, show the actual work, but then you wouldn’t be working, you’d be filming (unless you have a go-pro attached to your hard hat). I do the work for myself and my peers, not for anyone else. My peers are right there along side me, so I don’t need a video.
As far as the work, I agree with you, sick of the complaining. Use the seasonal time to figure out if this is what you want to do, then stick with it or move on. If you stay, do something positive about your complaints and make the job better.
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And once again, wear your PPE (ICHS), sleeves down, gloves on. And for crying out loud, spread out. If your going to be in this profession, start with the fundamentals and teach them. I agree with KJ, don’t be showing off if your not going to do it right.
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Agreed Jeff, maybe some of the most glaring indifference to safety by an IHC I have seen in some time. Some of that tree felling was downright cringe-worthy.
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Watching the videos of the men fighting the wildfires, sure provides an even greater appreciation for the work they are doing. I currently have a great concern that if we do not receive more moisture in Colorado, we are going to have another season of wildfires in 2021. Sure hope I’m wrong. A big thank you to all the firefighters for the work they do. It is very much appreciated.
I hope the home units and line officers and these crews take a good hard look at the videos. The other posts were spot on! Poor felling technique and less than stellar moments to be sharing online fir public consumption. Some of these crews with these videos and the amount of garbage I have to see on instagram is gross. When do you work to have all this time for photos and videos. Talk about being underpaid then show videos of your crew sleeping. Good way to get the public on board. Again I have been an am a career Hotshot and with 1,000 season the pay is excellent. I’m about to do my taxes and not one sunset will show up.
Well I’m not sure if the line officers have enough time between zoom meetings teleworking from home to review these vids LOL….
Gs 4 is 35248 a year, cut that in half for a 1039, then guaranteed/contractual/advertised wage is $17624 per year….yes there’s OT, yes hazard pay and yes if u live in a blue state there’s unemployment…This is a great job and people can make a good living, but my point was mostly about recruitment and retention. We have thousands of vacant positions with a flurry of early 2000 hires retirement up ahead. If a crew wants to make a video to recruit why get up in arms about it.
Great Videos…I looked and didn’t see any fence post drivers, clinometers, tape or forestry vests for that matter. Just saying maybe they should learn to do their jobs and stop stealing all the glory from the foresters of the world 😉
Having been a Hotshot for five years, looking at these videos makes me want to pick up a chain saw again and lend a hand.
I am very impressed with the quality of some of these videos — in many cases, excellent camera work and editing. Thanks, folks, for your service on the fires and producing the videos.
I sat a fire tower back in the late 1970’s… and fought on the ground for years after that. I so wish I could do that again but at 63 I don’t think they would want me anymore as much as I still feel like I am only 21.
Having been a Hotshot for 15 years I find these videos the direct antithesis of a humble professional. It’s great to do this for your crew but why share far and wide? It’s a job like any other job and no more important or worthy of sharing your videos than that of any other job. The amount of garbage Crews share online now is embarrassing. #lookingforattention
kJ, these folks get paid in sunsets as was stated before. Then crawl back into their caves during the winter months with no pay or benefits. Sorry these attention seekers are proud of what they do. Plus we are having a tough time recruiting, turns out people aren’t lining up to do this job anymore…Maybe the gov should make a recruiting video, or just let the gs 3’s do it to so show off their accomplishments…I say pay Hollywood.
Wow… I do not know anyone who can survive by getting paid on sunsets! How do they pay for all there fancy cameras / smart phones /go-pro’s to make those awesome videos? Do they not eat, have vehicles, smart phones, rent, mortgage, all the up to date state of the art out door adventure equipment. What caves do these folks actually crawl into in the winter??? Ahhh yes, know I remember where my buddies went every year… Costa Rica, Mexico, Bali, and a million other places around the Globe. Or they just stayed home and spent quality time with family and friends drawing on unemployment, which by the way most of the ones that travel around the globe do as well. I’m not condemning any of this, just stating facts.
I do not want to take away from what they do, what I did for the majority of my career, but I’m sick and tired of our profession portraying itself as a victim of under paid, under appreciated, and down right mistreated! It is a hard job, but it is a good job with great pay and good benefits.
As far as sharing their pictures and videos… I have no issue with that. It is this generations way of being proud of what they do for a living. I understand what KJ is saying and I see his point, I’m just not as passionately opposed to it as he is. I do know that if I were still in the IHC world I would not be posting anything. I was always too busy and or too tired to even think of pictures, let alone videos.
I’ve been on the fence about this issue for a long time. I agree with being proud of the work we did, and even approved of one of our crewmembers doing a season video several years ago. But, I too, was also way too busy actually fighting fire to even think about taking pictures or video, or standing by, and nobody wants to see that. And even though the lounging, resting and sleeping is a result of the hard work, I would never be proud to show any of that. In my opinion, if you’re going to do this, show the actual work, but then you wouldn’t be working, you’d be filming (unless you have a go-pro attached to your hard hat). I do the work for myself and my peers, not for anyone else. My peers are right there along side me, so I don’t need a video.
As far as the work, I agree with you, sick of the complaining. Use the seasonal time to figure out if this is what you want to do, then stick with it or move on. If you stay, do something positive about your complaints and make the job better.
And once again, wear your PPE (ICHS), sleeves down, gloves on. And for crying out loud, spread out. If your going to be in this profession, start with the fundamentals and teach them. I agree with KJ, don’t be showing off if your not going to do it right.
Agreed Jeff, maybe some of the most glaring indifference to safety by an IHC I have seen in some time. Some of that tree felling was downright cringe-worthy.
Watching the videos of the men fighting the wildfires, sure provides an even greater appreciation for the work they are doing. I currently have a great concern that if we do not receive more moisture in Colorado, we are going to have another season of wildfires in 2021. Sure hope I’m wrong. A big thank you to all the firefighters for the work they do. It is very much appreciated.