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 3.
Lone Peak Hotshots
Entiat Hotshots
Engine 2401 Crew, Wyoming
Diamond Mountain Hotshots
Snake River Hotshots
Oh my, I saw them digging line without gloves on. That crewmember doing pump and roll didn’t even have a shroud. Back in the day when we had to wait for 45 minutes for a 5 minute phone call if we were lucky, we didn’t need no stinking crew videos. Morale was just fine, 21+ days were the norm, being miserable was life, shut up and dig we said. Who cares about telling the story of what they do for 6+ months, when we did it for half that.
Job going down the toilet, ha, that’s a good one.
Some of y’all should really lighten up a bit.
I hope this is not falling on deaf ears. This is some serious stuff that needs to be corrected. The integrity of the work is at stake here, and I know that Bill wants to portray these crews as proud and hardworking, but they are only leaving themselves open to criticism that is deserved. I’ve seen enough of these videos to know that it’s not just one or two crews that are lacking, but I’m afraid that’s not the case. I’ve seen the lack of fundamental practices out on the line, and it makes me sick to think that they all think it’s normal. Not sure how to get this turned around except for leadership to take a stand and correct this at lowest level.
Did you contact the crew Sups Jeff?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I was led to believe that any photography or other visual and audio media recorded on fed time is the property of the fed agency for whom the photographer is employed and needs to have official permission to be released. Am I wrong?
This rise in fire resources’ presence on social media motivates crews to self glorify. Videos of slapdicking around- while surely everyone does it- might distract younger firefighters from the fact that effective firefighting isn’t always fun and requires a serious sense of duty and personal sacrifice. Also, it’s safe to say the one holding the camera likely isn’t the one swinging their tool. Let’s keep hotshotting miserable, please – for the sake of the taxpayers that fund us and out of respect for the previous.
Alex thanks for saying what I was trying to but better. All of these crews on social media make me sick. Posting about 16s and H on dead fires and making the rest of us look like attention whores w their posts. I actually saw a crew post a thank you to all the local businesses that gave them free stuff. It turns out if you have a strong overhead you can shut down any online presence and focus on what’s important. I’m happy to see others on board with this line if thinking
Wow, well at least the engine crew was fighting fire while they were working. This lack of fundamentals is so widespread, I’m wondering who is teaching all of these bad habits. Supervisors need to change these habits and start setting good examples. 130 teaches all of these basic concepts, but it seems that no one enforces them. Wear your PPE properly, practice 10 ft. working/walking distance and start getting some expert saw instructors in place.
And does anyone but you really want to see you screwing around?
Wow.! Way too much Covid time at home. Only makes me invest some Monday morning time on #1, #2 and the funfilled #3.
Here we go again. Some new favorites, like the botched cuts segment. Cutting thru holding wood, over cut face cuts and being too cool to look at the tree your escaping. Way to pay attention to lessons learned! #lookatme. These is all garbage and a direct reflection of or business going down the toilet. Do your job for the right reasons.
I love now when I’m on a fire and I know a crew is doing nothing, but the instagram feed looks like they are saving the world.
One crew even has a dedicated camera guy who barely works.
Then it’s take 3 days to travel home for a trip that should take a day and throw on an extra day off while your at it. Then cry about not making enough money.
Thanks for sharing Bill I love too see what these crews are up to and how bad ass they think they are.