Coeur d'Alene Helitack

Mission

We will safely and efficiently work as a team to accomplish any given objective, while always striving to improve and to grow.

Crew Philosophy

Firefighting and aviation are two high-risk environments and the combination requires a strong team approach to manage the risks involved. We look out for each other and do not tolerate an unwillingness to support the team. However, we value different opinions and input from each crew member. This is a small crew, so it is crucial that everyone contribute as much as possible. Everyone is important on this crew and teamwork is our strength. It is our most effective tool in risk management and is essential in the safe operation of our daily activities.

History

The Coeur d’Alene Helitack crew, formed in 2002, is a relatively recent addition to the Idaho Department of Lands firefighting force. Located next to the Coeur d’Alene Interagency Fire Cache, the program has built and acquired an experienced and responsible crew.

The crew consists of seven to nine members, including one permanent seasonal Helitack Foreman. The helicopter pilot and mechanic/fuel truck driver are also part of the crew; however, they are provided by a private vendor and are not government employees. The exclusive-use contract aircraft, currently a Bell 205, is also provided and maintained by the private vendor.

Helitack operations begin the first of July and, if not extended, continue through the second week of September. The primary mission of the Coeur d’Alene Helitack crew is rapid response initial attack to incidents in the North Idaho Area. They are involved primarily with initial attack operations small and large fire support; however, the crew may perform other missions such as fire mapping, sling missions, aerial reconnaissance, personnel transport, aerial ignition, search and rescue and air attack. The response area is large, encompassing Idaho Department of Lands as well as the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Forest Service. The response area is the Idaho Panhandle approximately from the southern boundary of the Clearwater River north to the Canadian border. The area typically has over 200 incidents on State protected land per fire season.

The crew expects to fly 100 to 200 hours per season and work 25 to 50 or more fires. The helicopter is restricted in how much weight it can carry (in number of firefighters, weight of fuel and weight of cargo it can carry) by the local environmental factors of high altitudes and high temperatures. During the 2006 fire season, seven firefighters were on board during Initial attack missions. Suppression and sling missions are the most common activities for the Helitack crew.

The crew also supports two chase trucks equipped with all the tools necessary to support the helicopter as well as everything needed to work on the fire as crew or overhead resources. Once the crew has arrived on an incident, whether by helicopter or truck, they are no longer exclusively helicopter crew members, but firefighters, and are ready to make a smooth and efficient transition to work wherever they are needed on a fire.

Training

Training begins on day one of the crew start date and will continue throughout the season. Our training and work schedules require a great deal of commitment. Start of season training may consist of:

Crew Orientation

• Standards for Survival
• Look-up, Look-down, Look-around
• L.C.E.S.
• Common Denominators
• Line Construction
• Fire Shelter Training
• Communications
• Human Factors on the Fireline
• S-190 Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior
• S-130 Firefighter Training
• S-217, Helicopter Crew Member
• Fatality Review
• Fireline Handbook
• Fire Fatality Scenarios
• First Aid/CPR

Additional training may consist of, but is not limited to:

• S-131, Advanced Firefighter Training
• S-205, Fire Operation in the Urban Interface
• S-211, Portable Pumps and Water use
• S-212, Power Saws
• S-234, Ignition Operations
• S-270, Basic Air Operations
• GPS, Maps and Compasses

Crew Composition

The crew currently consists of a crew foreman/ helicopter manager, 2 designated squad bosses/ helicopter crew members, and 4 firefighter II/ helicopter crew members. The experience of our crew allows newer crew members to attend training classes and be able to put what they have learned to use in the field with the help of an experienced crew member. Training is provided to all employees each season and there is no limit on how much training a crew member can acquire.

Physical Fitness

Coeur d’Alene Helitack places a great deal of emphasis on physical conditioning.  It should go without saying that the work firefighters perform is physically demanding which requires a high level of physical fitness. All crew members must pass the Pack Test, consisting of a 3-mile walk with a 45 pound pack in 45 minutes, before they can go out on the line. Physical training is done at the beginning of each day. As the fire season progresses, PT will be done as time allows. Physical training during the course of the season will include running, hiking, weight lifting and stretching. Physical fitness goals for the crew’s fitness training are, and not limited to:

• 1.5 mile run—11 minutes or less
• Push-ups —25 in a minute
• Sit-ups —45 in a minute
• Pull-ups —7
• Weight training
• Hiking
• Helitack Challenge—25 push-ups, 45 sit-ups, 7 pull-ups, and a 1.5 mile run in 11 minutes.

Employment

Coeur d’Alene Helitack hires people of all experience from no firefighting experience to seasoned firefighters. At the beginning of the 2005 fire season, the crew consisted of 6 returnees and added a five-year experienced firefighter and one new firefighter. Some qualities that are looked for when hiring new firefighters are: eagerness, hard working, physically fit, personable and a willingness to learn. New crew members are typically brought on around the middle of May, depending on weather, local training schedules, etc.

For more information regarding employment, contact Chris Myers at cmyers@idl.idaho.gov