US Forest Service, Sierra National Forest

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The Sierra National Forest is located in the exact center of California, near the cities of Fresno, and Merced. It is adjacent to the western and southern parts of Yosemite National Park and is bordered by the Merced River in the north and the Kings River in the south.

The Sierra is one of 18 National Forests in California and is the second oldest National Forest in the state, founded in 1893 as the Sierra Forest Reserve (the US Forest Service / National Forest System was not established until 1905). At one time the Forest covered 6 million acres including parts of what are now the Sequoia and Inyo National Forests. The current forest boundries contain 1.3 million acres and range in elevation from 900 to 13,986 feet.


(    Before you ask, the Angeles National Forest is the oldest Forest in California, it was established as the San Gabriel Forest Reserve in 1892)


The Forest is divided into two districts (Bass Lake & High Sierra), each district is further divided into two battalions (Bass Lake: Mariposa & Minarets, High Sierra: Kings River & Pine Ridge). An air tanker base is operated in Fresno, this is a joint operation with the California Department of Forestry. Four lookout towers and two helibases are also staffed on the forest.

Services are provided during a normal 8 hour day (9:30AM-6PM) 5-7 days a week depending on the season (typically 7 days / week between May and November but this varies depending on the severity of the fire season), during periods of high fire danger crews may be extended to 10-12 hour work days and are subject to recall as needed. All crews are trained and equipped to provide BLS medical care, and all Type 3 engines are equipped with Self Contained Breathing Apparatus and structural firefighting PPE.

Firefighters work a 40 hour week (either 4- 10 hour days, or 5- 8 hour days), but typically they will work several hundred to 1000+ hours of overtime during the fire season. All personnel are expected to be available for 14-21 day fire assignments anywhere in the USA including Alaska, on occasion they may be sent to Mexico or Canada and some have actually gone as far as Austrailia.

In addition to extensive wildland fire training all career fire personel have a minimum level of medical first responder and hazmat first responder training, seasonal personel recieve first aid / cpr and hazmat awareness training. Engine personel receive additional training in the use of SCBA and a moderate level of training in vehicle / structure fire attack and vehicle extrication.

The Forest has mutual aid agreements with many surounding agencies including the Stanislaus National Forest, Sequoia National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, Yosemite National Park, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Mariposa County Fire Department, the California Department of Forestry and many volunteer fire districts. Nearly all fire responses involve multiple agencies so interagency training is encouraged.


Overhead

1- Chief
1- Assistant Chief
2- Suppression Division Chiefs (1 per district)
3- Fuels (prescribed fire) Division Chiefs
1- ECC (dispatch) Division Chief
1- Aviation Division Chief
4- Suppression Battalion Chiefs
2- Prevention Battalion Chiefs
2- Fuels Battalion Chiefs
2- ECC Battalion Chiefs
2- Fuels Captains
2- ECC Captains


Resources

12- Type 3 engines (500 gallons, 400 gpm, staffing 5)
2- Type 3 Watertenders (1500 gallons, 350 gpm, staffing 2)
13- Patrol trucks (50-75 gallons, 65 gpm, staffing 1 prevention tech, may be supplemented with a second OT firefighter during periods of extreme fire danger)
3- Type 1 crews, Crane Valley Hotshots, Kings River Hotshots & Sierra Hotshots (Staffing 21)
2- Type 2 crews (these are call when needed part time crews, staffing 18-20)
2- Dozers with Transports
1- Type 1 helicopter (the specific aircraft varies year to year, past examples have included a Boeing 234 (CH-47 Chinook), Erickson Skycrane and Sikorsky S-61 typical loads are 1500-2500 gallons in a bucket or fixed tank) Staffing, flight crew and a helitack crew of 5.
1- Type 2 helicopter (aircraft varies but is generally a Bell 212, 200-300 gallon bucket) Staffing, flight crew and a rappel capable initial attack helitack crew of 10.
Both Helicopter crews have an agency Helitack support truck and contractor supplied ground support personnel.

Air Tankers, the actual number and type varies throughout the season, but typically the Fresno Air Tanker Base has one S-2T Type 3 Air Tanker (1200 gallons) operated by the California Department of Forestry, one Air Attack aircraft and one or two Type 1 (3000 gallons) or Type 2 (2000+ gallons) Air Tanker(s) contracted by the US Forest Service.


Summary

Founded: 1893
Area protected: 1.3 million acres (roughly 20x40 miles)
Total firefighting personnel: 250 (approx.)
Firefighter work week: 40 hours
Staffing: Engines 5 (min 4), crews 20 or 21 (min 18 )
Fire stations: 12
Tankerbases: 1
Helibases: 2
Lookout towers: 4