Willdfire fighter wages

[bigjohn]

What kind of cash can someone expect to make on a unit crew in BC when they first start? Does this improve much with time? How about paraattack? Is it easy to save? Im a treeplanter and wondering if the cash stacks up to planting. Also Im 27 next year 28, is this too old to be breaking in with an eye on getting into smokejumping after getting some experience on a unit crew. (Im 6'4" and too big for rapattack)

[cdnbacon]

As far as the money goes, it all depends on how busy of a year it is. You can never tell what kind of year it's going to be. Sometimes it's an Initial Attack year, sometimes a Unit Crew year, and then there are years where everyone is busy and then years where no one is busy.

Without getting into specifics even in my slowest year I made a decent amount in 3 months.

Starting next year fire fighters who qualify will be eligible for benefits(extended medical, dental, etc.). I believe after about your third season you can qualify.

27 is not too young to start, if you've been tree planting you're probably in good enough shape for fire fighting.

As far as Parattack goes there is a weight limit of 200 lbs, but no weight limit for Unit Crew.

Edit: If you have any other questions PM me.

[firemonkey]

I did the planting thing for a few years... You won't go back!! Everyone in the starts at $17something an hour. You will go to some remote places were it is hard to spend money eg. the north. When you are sent away from your home base food and acomidation is paid for by mof. 28 is not to old

[Birdo]

I will start buy saying that if money is important then you will probably be disappointed up there. Parattack typically doesn't make as much as other crews do unless the muskeg is extra flammable that season. I work/have worked with several people who left parattack for various reasons. I used to work next to parattack in Ft. St. John and I left because no amount of money in the world was worth having to spend another summer in the skeg. Rent can also be a little steep up there.

I just so happen to have my financial kit handy so here you go.

2007 crew member wages:
Step 1 - $18.10
Step 2 - $18.60
Step 3 - $19.12
Step 4 - $19.66
Step 5 - $20.46

2007 IA Crew leader/ UC Squad Boss wages:
Step 1 - $21.37
Step 2 - $21.98
Step 3 - $22.61
Step 4 - $23.26
Step 5 - $24.24

You will gain a pay step for every 12 months that you work (about every 2.5 summers or so). We also get a 2% raise for next season as well.

I have been doing Initial Attack for the last seven years. Worst season as a crew member ~$20,000 (ended beginning of Sept). Best season ~$36,000 (ended in Oct.). This will depend on how many fires we have as well as if you go to school or not. The longer you can work the more you will make. Unit crews usually make a little more then us but the job is a lot more tedious. We all have our preferences depending on your personality. Compared to planting, if you are a good planter, money will be about the same. The difference is that it will come ever so much easier. I know lots of ex-planters who fight fire. I have never known one to go back if that helps.

If you really want to join parattack you might find that Initial attack will give you a better start then unit crew will. The difference is that even the most junior IA crew member has to be able to think and can have quite a bit of responsibility on a fire. Unit crew members often spend their first few seasons as monkeys and learn little. Parattack is IA. Same fires, same 3 man configuration, same 200lb weight limit. That is dressed weight including boots and hardhat, so basically 195 lb. normal weight.

[cdnbacon]

Unit crew members often spend their first few seasons as monkeys and learn little.

Hey, that's not nice. Some of us are Chimps.

[bigjohn]

Pardon my ignorance Birdo, but what is the difference between initial attack and parattack? I assume you're not talking about rapattack as the weight limit for that is 170 Ive read. For IA if my weight was under 190, I'd be fine?

[firemonkey]

He is the link to the types of crews
http://bcwildfire.ca/FightingWildfire/Crews/
IA, Rap and Parattack are all IA crews... we mostly just get to the fires in differant ways.
Your right, < 170lbs dressed weight for rap, < 200lbs dressed weight for IA and Parattack. At 190lbs you are fine, but at 6'4" and hovering near 200lbs you could get stuck on a unit crew.

Birdo, There's still monkeys on IA, gotta watch out for the little bugger!

[Birdo]

Hey, that's not nice. Some of us are Chimps.

I knew that would strike some nerves. Sorry I didn't mean to insult UCs. I just mean that the nature of the job has less responsibility. I work with the Firehawks a lot and I poke fun at the UC all the time.

Pardon my ignorance Birdo, but what is the difference between initial attack and parattack? I assume you're not talking about rapattack as the weight limit for that is 170 Ive read. For IA if my weight was under 190, I'd be fine?

Yes you will be fine at 190 for IA. I am currently 190ish myself. At my heaviest I weighed in at 197. I had to buy some lighter boots to stay under weight. If you go to parattack your long legs will serve you well sludging around in skeg all summer. Yup, the only difference between Helitack, Rapattack, and Parattack is the ride we take to the fire. Once there the job is all the same.

Hey, now that you keep seniority, does the Trunk Monkey want to come to PG? We have a couple a crewleader spots open this year.

[cdnbacon]

Hey, now that you keep seniority, does the Trunk Monkey want to come to PG? We have a couple a crewleader spots open this year.

Do we get to keep our service senority on lateral transfers now or is it still just when you get promoted.

[geoffey]

I've done time on all three crews Unit crew, Parattack, and IA..... i made the most money with the Unit crew, the least money with parattack....the weight limit for para is same as standard IA crew b/c of the helicopter loads....the plane loads are huge....u could be 250 pounds and still jump....but u have to be able to do helitack as well.....so 200 is the limit... Money is hit or miss...it all depends where you are, where you travel, and how busy it is... i guess everything else has pretty much already been said.....it doesnt matter which crew u come from if the guys on parattack like you they will bring you in and train you...there a tight crew and they are the only one in Canada, politics always plays its part

geoff

[geoffey]

oh and btw i was 27 when i became a smokejumper.... avg age of the crews up there is late 20's, some guys in early twenties.....some guys in their mid 30's....

geoff


What kind of cash can someone expect to make on a unit crew in BC when they first start? Does this improve much with time? How about paraattack? Is it easy to save? Im a treeplanter and wondering if the cash stacks up to planting. Also Im 27 next year 28, is this too old to be breaking in with an eye on getting into smokejumping after getting some experience on a unit crew. (Im 6'4" and too big for rapattack)

[Birdo]

Do we get to keep our service seniority on lateral transfers now or is it still just when you get promoted.

Even on lateral transfers as far as I understand it. And it is no longer constrained by zone so you can go anywhere.

I wish that would have come through a three years ago. I would be a couple pay steps up in the world. Transferring somewhere where I could have a life cost me $4.37 an hour at the time. Oh well.

[Snider]

Brings back memories. I was on IA crews in Alberta in the early 1990's. All our seniority travelled with us as we moved between areas.

I was making $13.40/hour as a crew leader and still managed about $25,000 the one summer. There was another year that was mighty slim pickings, mainly we did flood patrol. Only a trip to the Yukon for a couple weeks saved the summer(well almost)

I got out of the forest fire game when I got married so I could have my summers back. It was sure a good job for a while though. The whole structure seems to have changed since then, and I know the training requirements are higher these days. I am too heavy for any of the IA type crews now. I use ladders and engines to haul me around these days! haha

[firemonkey]

IHey, now that you keep seniority, does the Trunk Monkey want to come to PG? We have a couple a crewleader spots open this year.

Maybe, I'm getting out of Mackenzie hopefully... I like Macktown and the B-man is great, but I need a life.

[Birdo]

Maybe, I'm getting out of Mackenzie hopefully... I like Macktown and the B-man is great, but I need a life.

Yup, that is exactly why I moved as well. Everything is much, much better now. Of course the downside is that here we won't let you whore all the base changes. :p

[Birdo]

I got out of the forest fire game when I got married so I could have my summers back. It was sure a good job for a while though. The whole structure seems to have changed since then, and I know the training requirements are higher these days. I am too heavy for any of the IA type crews now. I use ladders and engines to haul me around these days! haha

That is why I want out too. It has been seven years since I had a summer. That and a pension, 4/4 work shifts, paid holidays, not having to leave for two weeks at a time, etc, etc. will be nice too.