Interagency Hotshot Crew - Crew Breakdown

Crew Breakdown

A hotshot crew consists of 20–22 members. There are two national formats certified for hotshot crews.

The first format is:

• One GS-9 superintendent;
• Two GS-8 foremans, (also known as captains or assistant superintendents)
• Two GS-6/7 squad leaders;
• Two – Four GS-5 senior firefighters; and
• Approximately twelve GS-4 and/or GS-3 temporary firefighters.

The second format is

• One GS-9 superintendent;
• One GS-8 assistant superintendents;
• Three GS-6/7 squad leaders;
• Three GS-5 senior firefighters; and
• Approximately twelve GS-4 and/or GS-3 temporary firefighters.

In addition, crewmembers are assigned various other specialized roles within the crew structure. These specialties may include:

• Medic – certified as first responders, wilderness first responders, emergency medical technician-level B or higher.

• Helicopter crewmember (HECM) – responsible for manifesting and packaging crew supplies and equipment into "sling-loads" for transport by helicopter long-line into and out of remote locations.

• Faller – Highly skilled chainsaw operators that specialize in the safe falling of hazardous snags and burning or damaged trees.

• Saw team – Consisting of one sawyer and one "swamper"; The sawyer will use a chain saw to cut brush and woody material away from the fires edge while the swamper pulls and throws the cut material to the non-fire side of the fireline. These teams sometimes trade tasks with each tank of fuel used in the chain saw. The reason for this being that both cutting with the saw and swamping are both physically exhausting, but in different ways, therefore, trading tasks allows the team to do more work for longer. Also, operating the chainsaw is usually a more desirable task, compared to throwing brush and limbs, so trading tasks is more equitable.