Welcome Back

Crew starts tomorrow... May 11th! I'll report back soon enough to let you know how things are progressing. Sounds like we will be spending some time down at the park completing grass burns for several days, week 1. Stay Tuned...

The Drop Zone 2008!

It is great to see the various methods by which aviation helps to conquer our wildland fires today...

I wished to post this video in order to remind all of us firefighters that there are a group of men and women that pilot these aircraft, whom take their job as seriously as we do... they often don't receive much in the way of "Thanks" from us, as they are hear and then gone again! In light of the recent crash of a firefighting Tanker (P2V) in Utah... and to the many other men and women who have lost their lives in aviation incidents, I say "Thank You" and God Bless!

Another Crew Update!

We are only a week away from the crew arriving at the base in numbers! The Lead's have been frantically preparing for the first three weeks of train-up that will begin on May 11th! We are down in numbers this season... Alicia Tanrath (Assistant Helitack Supervisor) is still battling medical issues resulting from her Helicopter crash nearly 3 years ago. She will be working with the heavy helicopter from HTI... a part of the Big 34 exclusive national ships... it is a skycrane that will be based in Cedar City, but be available for National deployment! Lacey Crawford will also not be joining us this season. Unexpected to her and us, she needed to decline her position this season due to some personal issues... She hopes to rejoin the crew as an A.D. if needed towards the end of the season, or possibly next year when life challenges finally allow her to do so. So below is the updated list of crewmembers that will be joining us this season... what is not listed is the names of those who will be filling our two detailer slots throughout the year. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we have two slots for detailers each pay period. The applications for those slots are coming in fast... so if you are interested, please contact our Senior Lead Crewmember (Ben Thayer) his contact info is listed below...

Michael Reid (Supervisor)
Ben Thayer (Senior Lead)
Ben Suerig (Lead)
Norman "Iceman" Allen ( Senior FFT)
Thea Hamm (Senior FFT)
Chris Jensen (Crewmember)
Paul Damron (Crewmember)
Todd Bevans (Crewmember)

We are excited to invite Hillsboro Aviation back for their 4th season with Zion Helitack. We are also excited to have Nicole Ludwig back as our Pilot and her sidekick Randy Tatton as our Fuel Driver. Helicopter 420RL will return as well, completing the team!

Zion Crewmembers!...
a note of warning to those of you returning to and joining our crew over the next couple of weeks. Come ready to work! I expect that you will start on day one with Physical Training... you should arrive at work in your P.T. clothing ready for a solid 3-4 mile run... needless to say we will "hit the ground running" right off the bat! You can expect two-a-day P.T.'s for the first three weeks that you are on... prior to the ship arriving on the 28th of this month! If you haven't started getting in shape already... I feel for you, but it doesn't change that we will push you and push hard... So drink plenty of water over the next week... and prepare yourself mentally, It's time to step up to the challenge of getting ready for another season.

Cheers,

Ben Thayer / Senior Lead Crewmember
435-865-4642

First Fire!

We always wait for that one defining moment to give us hope that fire season is just around the corner. This year that moment came early! Late April brought us a 35 acre fire just south of the Park. It was located in the newly designated wilderness area of the BLM land which is above an area called the "Eagle Crags". Very rough country that is difficult to get into unless you truely know where you are going.

We brought in a helicopter from Sundance, out of Las Vegas, that assisted in delivering firefighters to the fire. It was intense on day one, but quickly fizzled in the cool evening temperatures (understandable for April). The burn was due to low moisture levels in the dormant brush models. Most of the grass is in green-up now... so I don't expect too many fires until a dryer weather pattern hits us (probably in June). However, this could be foreboding of a very good season for Color Country!

Stay Tuned...

Side Note: If you are a member of Zion Helitack or simply have an interest in how our season is progressing I urge you to become a fan of this sight... there should be a link below our "followers" application that will allow you to follow what is happening. I would encourage anyone who is on the crew and has a family member that would like to know what is happening with you during the season, that they too become followers of this sight! I will update the sight nearly weekly (as fires allow) once the season begins!

Cheers,

Detailers

We often get asked the question, " do you take detailers"? The answer is yes! We have a very structured detailer program set up for the 2009 season. We will start taking on detailers at the beginning of June (around pay period 13). We have 2 slots for each pay period! Each detail is a 14 day opportunity to engage in the activities and training that Zion Helitack is also engaged in. It is an opportunity for those who are working on Position Task Books, to accomplish some of the training needed to sign those PTB's off. Whether you are looking to get experience as a Helicopter crewmember, Helicopter Manager, or Incident Commander... chances are good that you will get most if not all of the experience you need in order to qualify at that position.

We spend our days waiting for the fire call! However, waiting does not mean sitting around. When not on fire assignment we keep very busy doing cutting projects, resource managment work, Search and Rescue (as needed), and a lot of training. Our days are usually very full of activity. Even if you detail onto the crew and we don't see a single fire, there is a very good chance that you will gain a signature on many of your experience blocks in the PTB as we will design a training schedule around your needs.

If you are interested in getting a Detailer slot for the 2009 season there are a few things you need to do. First you will need to contact us to obtain an application and supervisor permission form. you can do that by e-mailing our senior lead crewmember, Ben Thayer at the following address (ben_thayer@nps.gov). Second you are going to need the permission of your supervisor. He/she will need to approve the travel and additional costs that may be associated with your trip to Cedar City Utah. Not to mention the time away from your own crew - remember we are looking for a 2-week detail. Third, if you are not a HECM or HECM trainee you will need to get to the class and become one... we don't teach the Helicopter Crewmember class during the two weeks you are detailed with us.

We are looking for a strong group of highly motivated individuals looking to keep current or gain qualifications in the aviation world... come enjoy a two week roll with us!

Again please contact Ben Thayer with any questions you may have:

Ben Thayer
Senior Lead Crew
435-865-4642
ben_thayer@nps.gov (there is an underscore between ben and thayer, don't leave it out)

Cheers,

Hiring is done!

Every year it seems that the challenge for management is to pick through the many applicants and find the right candidate to fill only a handful of positions. Sometimes we do a great job, and other times we find ourselves lacking. Only time will tell whether this years batch of selected candidates will live up to the challenges which will face them on Zion Helitack. It is often times fairly easy to seperate the many applications according to qualifications. The more difficult thing to do is determine work ethic and personality. The 2008 season brought us a large group of new recruites, all of whom worked very well together. We didn't lose to many for the 2009 season.

We restructured the crew slightly. This has been an ongoing effort for nearly 3 years. Looking for the right mix of permanent supervisory positions and seasonal slots. We also took a good look at what other helitack crews were doing and did our best to match that. The Region, has finally designed a standard module based on many of the things we were already pushing for. In the end we took a small step which will lead to much greater efficiency and ability of the crew.

The crew is made up of the following:
Crew Supervisor - GS-9 (Permanent Full Time)
Asst Crew Sup. - GS-8 (Permanent Full Time)
Senior Lead Crew - GS-7 (Permanent Subject to Furlough)
Lead Crew - GS-6 (Permanent Subject to Furlough)
Senior Firefighter / HECM- GS-5 (Seasonal)
Senior Firefighter / HECM - GS-5 (Seasonal)
Firefighter / HECM - GS-4 (Seasonal)
Firefighter / HECM - GS-4 (Seasonal)
Firefighter / HECM - GS-4 (Seasonal)
Firefighter / HECM - GS-3/4 (Seasonal)

We have several positions that are co-funded by the U.S. Forest Service Dixie National Forest and by the B.L.M. Cedar City District. We are a true interagency crew, serving all lands within the Color Country area. This season, due to the new strategy and make-up of the crew, we did not fill very many positions. In fact, only one crewmember will be new to us this season. Everyone else is a returning crewmember from last season, or seasons past. The following people will join Zion Helitack this season whether new or returning!

Michael Reid
Alicia Tanrath
Ben Thayer
Ben Suerig
Norm "Iceman" Allen
Thea Hamm
Chris Jensen
Lacey Crawford
Todd Bevans
Paul Damron

So welcome back everyone...

The season is just around the corner, and hiring is finally done. We will begin training soon! Stay tuned for updates and training schedules.

Cheers,