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,

"Slingin' Poo"

Well we accomplished our first helicopter project of the season, last Friday (Feb 20th). You know how some days you feel as though you have done nothing but deal with "Crap" all day long. Well in this case, that is exactly what we delt with. Our job was to fly 12 barrels of human waste from Scouts Lookout toilets down to Big Bend turnout. The 55 gallon drums are rigged with a special clamp that allows them to be hooked to the helicopters remote hook. It required a 100' long line to get into the area safetly. Here you can see the helicopter decending down to our location at the turnout, hauling a drum full of waste...

Once down at the turnout... it was up to a waste pumper truck to suck the barrels dry. We did our best to keep our distance during this operation. Once those lids were removed from the barrel, the smell permiated the area... some found no problem eating their lunches during this process, I on the other hand had a hard time keeping my lunch down... if you know what I mean!

The barrels are brightly labeled for all to see... I am curious how much they pay the employee that must shovel the waste into the barrels? That is a job that could possibly be left for the person that draws the short stick... Kudo's to the trail crew in Zion National Park for their work in accomplishing this task

In the end... it was a successful project! We brought down 12 barrels of human waste... and flew 18 cleaned out barrels back up to Scouts Lookout, where they will await the mass crowds who will visit Angels Landing this season. So if you have ever wondered how we get all of that "Crap" out of the toilets and off the hill... now you know!

It was a gorgeous day in the park... we are appreciative to Sundance Helicopters out of Las Vegas Nevada and their flight crew which made this project possible. In talking with the pilot he now has something new to add to the list of his aviation accomplishments. I believe the saying of the day was "Same old shit... different day"! I couldn't agree more... what a way to kick off the season.

cheers,

M.L.

Fitness Standards

The history of Zion Helitack is rather short in comparison to many outstanding programs that have been in existance for a lot longer. It takes several years for a program to evolve, and grow into something worthwhile. Often times there are set backs in the forward progression of a crew, as management moves on or attrition happens in key crewmember positions. In time, and with the proper direction and effort by management, a program finds its niche and a voice. By this I mean that a good program is well established in it's capabilities, it finds a niche amongst a sea of many programs filling many roles within our wildland fire community. It also finds a voice, it speaks to a certain type of firefighters. When talking about Helitack, most understand that there are many roles that a crew can fulfill in support of wildland fire. Some crews specialize in large helibase support. This takes a certain type of individual to be able to fulfill the needs of running a large helibase efficiently and safely without losing your mind or becoming complacent during, what can be, long hours of being idle. In a similar fashion, some crews are excellent Initial Attack crews. They spend their days also waiting and training for the moment the fire call comes. These days can often times be tough on the moral, and despite best efforts to remain alert and ready, most crews struggle with not letting their gaurd down... but when that fire call comes, these crews are quick to respond and typically ready for the fast paced action of Initial Attack. There are still yet many crews that specialize in other aspects of aviation support, and many crews that are at home doing a combination of many things. The point being that there are many crews, all called Helitack, which have varied missions and different focuses. If you are looking to join a Helitack crew, or perhaps have been a crewmember for some time, you need to know that each crew has a personality and a focus. It is important to know that not all crews are alike in what they do or the roles they play.

Zion Helitack is proud to be a contributer to the various roles that a Helitack crew provides. We spend hours each year providing support on Helibases, prescribed fire, doing aerial ignition, search and rescue, resource management projects, GIS missions, and many other aspects of aerial support in wildland fire. However, in the end we are an exclusive use Initial Attack crew! We spend most of our time preparing for and executing Initial Attack of small fires within and around our coverage area. In order to be good at what we do, the members of Zion Helitack realize that two things are essential. They must be in great physical condition, and they must keep their minds sharp and attention focused.

So what are the expectations for crewmembers on Zion Helitack? In order to be hired into a crewmember position, applicants need at least some experience on wildland fires. They need to have their basic training as a FFT2 completed. This typically occures within a single season of fighting fire on an engine or with a squad / hand crew. Interested firefighters do not have to be helicopter crewmembers. We will put our "rookies" through initial HECM training. Applicants that are excepted need to be able to and achieve successful completion of the "Work Capacity Test" at the arduous level. Commonly known as the "Pack Test". Pass a physical and possible drug testing and you have completed all the requirements for being on the crew... On Zion Helitack, as with other crews, we strive for more than just these basics...

Initial Attack Standards for Zion Helitack are as follows:

Physical Standards - 1.5 mile run in 11:00 minutes or less / 45 sit ups in one minute / 25 push ups in one minute / 7 pull ups done consecutively / 85 pound pack out 3 miles over level terrain in 90 minutes or less / successful completion of the WCT at the arduous level.
Additional Standards - crewmembers must commit to memory the "10 Standard Firefighting Orders" and recite any given order upon request from management.

We take very seriously our ability to attack wildfires in a quick and efficient manner. We are often landing on fires in some of the most rugged and unforgiveable country in Southern Utah. We are committed to everyone coming home safely and uninjured. This can only be accomplished if our crewmembers are in the peak of their physical condition and are trained well in tactics that will keep them safe on the fire line. We do not make our Initial Attack Standards part of the hiring criteria, however we do give preference of who gets what assignment to those that meet the Initial Attack Standards. This simply means that if you fail to achieve the high standards as stated above, and others on the crew do... you may find yourself driving the chase vehicles more often than you find yourself flying on I.A. It may seem like a harsh judgement to make, but in the end these standards are set to keep our crew safe and free from injury. We expect 110% of our crewmembers! For those that achieve such, we reward them highly with opportunities, growth, and shared achievements that are often recognized not only by Zion Helitack Management but many others outside of the crew.

A closing note: I hope that those looking for a position with Zion Helitack this year, have had the opportunity to submit an application to USAJOBS! I am unsure of the openings that will be available at this time, but hope to start our hiring process within the next few weeks. If you have questions about the crew or the hiring process don't hesitate to call Zion Helitack Management (435/865/4640). If you have not yet submitted an application, it is most likely too late for this season. We typically accept our new "rookies" from the group of applicants who get their resume's online before the first cut-off date. That date was January 20th. Please feel free to give us a call and discuss next years opportunities, if you missed this cut-off date, but there are few possibilities for us to accept applications for the 2009 fire season after this date has passed. To everyone else who has applied and are hopeful for a position, my recommendation would be to start your physical training program now... Should you be given a position with our crew, we will expect you to be in top physical condition.

Cheers,
M.L.