Private resources call out frustration

General Discussion
#1

Every year as a fire contractor I struggle with the when are they or why are they not calling me? How do you guys deal with this?

So it’s July in Northern California. The Dozeris loaded and chained down. New battery’s in all the radios. Shake n bake Shelters are in place. Got shoe polish for my soon to be E number. Coolers with water and gatoraid some MRE’s and beef jerky. Red bags loaded and at the door 1FD7B14F-CBB2-4A07-81F1-BE618E3A181B
Ok so I’m chompin at the bit here. Watching WildfireIntel and http://www.fire.ca.gov/about/hiredequipment/HiredEquipRotation like a hawk. We are having a very early start this year and have had many fires around us (Red Bluff CA) yet it seems the list isn’t rolling much.
I know I know just wait it’s coming.

So how do you guys deal with it? Private and Agency guys and gals?

On edit I have been doing this for 5 seasons now it’s just frustrating

Thanks in advance
Steve

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#2

The state still needs to have more draw down of resources. Still plenty of state and fed resources available. It will pick up I’m sure.

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#3

Maybe this is not going to win me any friends but I don’t understand the business model of having a dozer for fire only in the summertime. I know it pays well but work is not guaranteed and you are always at the risk of being sent home for some silly thing or other by some cranky manager or a breakdown taking too long to continue on the fire. It seems like with the economy picking up you could be out doing construction? At least in construction if you break down you call a mechanic, he fixes it and you continue with the job. Help me understand how this works, don’t worry, I am not going to go buy a dozer and compete.

#4

So fire isn’t my only work. I run the transport and other equipment year round. But with being private I’m limited to a 1 hour response time in my local unit. This makes it hard to make plans ( kids want to go boating camping etc) we have had some big fires early so I have been staying close to home.

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#5

I have played this game for 20+ years, not as a private hire but under local governments assignments, in the beginning I was alway glued to the radio or any other means of informational tool to find out what fire is burning where with the hopes of getting the call for a Strike Team. Over the years I have learned that if you wait for the fires not taking the opportunities when you have time to go camping, boating and family activities it will start to drive you crazy and make you and your family miserable. My advice is, the call will come in and if you are able to go than go, but if you are outside that 1 hour window spending time with family there will always be another call, another fire. That’s just my 2 cents

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#6

That’s what I have been learning these last few years. Being a private guy on the State wide planned need list if you miss the call it could cost you your whole season as there are about 260 contractors on the Dozer side.
It’s a double edged :dagger: for sure. Fire in my unit isn’t that big of a deal too miss however we prepare all year long.

Thank you

#7

If you are a Car Fire vendor, you should monitor the rotation list published on the departments website. (I cannot speak for feds) Every year vendors come and go. If you are not at the top you don’t need to be that close to home as you say. Having a go bag and keeping current to what is going on around you will help you through out the summer. If you have other concerns or questions you should contact your hired equipment coordinator.

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#8

Watching the list like a :eagle:

#9

I wait. I’m semi-retired. I have other interests. I help when asked. I’m never disappointed.

#10

On me if you are looking to cover shifts I have dozers and water tenders ground sup etc

#11

After 12+ years as an A.D. Commo guy going out on fires and selling equipment to a lot of private contractors as well as govt. I can tell you the only contractors who are still around have never left all their eggs in the fire basket. Fire contracting is boom-bust and even in the best of years fickle.
The only fire contractors I know that are still around from that time are ones who found either year around fire work, which meant going south in the winter to do contract burning or finding other work for the equipment. Some went to work for the insurance agencies, some branched into construction, and a lot went broke when they couldn’t pay their equipment loans, either because of a dry year or they lost favor with the contracting officers and teams. I finally quit putting my equipment out on contract after the rules changed making it very,very hard to claim damages to my rigs on fire.
Its one thing to go out because you love the lifestyle and the work, but its another when the house payment depends on going out and staying out for a whole season.

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#12

Watching the rotation list like a hawk…only to see yourself move backwards a place or two on it? How does that happen, does anyone know? Our phone is constantly being forwarded to whoever in the group is close to the equipment… but we never stop working our ‘regular’ jobs

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#13

Just so you know, got the call out for “any type, all you got” at 4am today…still showing 197 on the state list… USFS is also hunting down “anything you have” for a fire in Nevada. Keep your phones handy!

#14

To where what incident?

#15

Turned down an all expenses paid vacation to the Perry fire in Nevada for a trip to the CARR. Hope theres still a hotel room somewhere left up there in a day or two so they can get a few hours in a real bed!

#16

We got a call for the Carr they only took 1 of our 3 dozers?

#17

Interesting, request was for type 1 or 2’s preferred…are you signed up with USFS too?

#18

Yes we are all type 2 D5,D6 & JD750 they took the 750 but not the other two

#19

Have you looked at this mornings IAP? Huge number of TBD dozers inroute. One is better than none…and it’s still early in the call out, no doubt they will cycle through a couple times

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#20

Yes it just frustrating this Fire is close to home (red bluff) and aaahhhrrrgggghh.
We shall see