Project Details
Project Goals:
Veterans Fire Corps provides recent-era Veterans with the training, credentials and experience they need to competitively pursue wildland fire and/or forestry careers. The team will be based in the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona. The team will provide assistance with habitat restoration and maintenance on agency and partner lands. Projects may include participation on prescribed fires, fuels reduction, fire effects monitoring, FIREWISE educational outreach and pre fire preparation of burn units. This position offers a great variety of field and office work including: hiking forest settings gathering field data, working with GPS hardware to navigate to plots, using GIS software to create maps, and managing the FFI database. The work schedule may vary, typical work hitches could include working up to 4 consecutive 10-hour days with 3 days off. Site-specific work schedule and details are developed by the SCA Project Leader and with guidance from the local US Forest Service Fire Ecologist.
Project Implementation:
Team members will begin implementation by successfully arriving at orientation with the necessary and required equipment. Orientation will take place at a campground located in Prescott, AZ. Orientation will begin with members completing Red Card certification which includes S-190/S-130 wildland fire classes. After completion of Red Card certification members will complete their orientation to the SCA followed by Wilderness First Aid certification.
The team will then move vehicles, equipment, and personal to Springerville, AZ and move into team barracks. Upon beginning work the team will facilitate the completion of required work while partnered with the US Forest Service personal located in Springerville, AZ.
The management concerns on the Apache-Sitgreaves include the health and restoration of the watersheds, sustaining the Forest’s ecosystems, improving customer service in our recreation areas, reducing the dangers associated with wildfire in the urban interface, and maintaining the National Forest road system to desired standards.
Location: Springerville is located in Northeastern Arizona and was established in 1879 and sits at an elevation of 7,000 feet. The town was incorporated in 1948 along with its close neighbor town of Eager. Both communities reside in the Round Valley.
Cattle and sheep ranching were the principle economic activities during the early days of Springerville’s existence. That has been replaced today by tourism, agriculture, construction, forestry, and retail sales which support the 2,000 local residents and additional 9,000 residents that make up the trade area.
Springerville is located at the junction of US 60 and State Highways 180 and 191. Springerville is home to Casa Malpais, nationally recognized archeological ruins. Mild climate and proximity to a wealth of outdoor recreation year round makes Springerville a haven for recreational enthusiasts in Arizona and New Mexico.
The Apache and the Sitgreaves National Forests were administratively combined in 1974 and are now managed as one unit from the Forest Supervisor's Office in Springerville. The two million acre Forest encompasses magnificent mountain country in east-central Arizona along the Mogollon Rim and the White Mountains. The Apache-Sitgreaves has 34 lakes and reservoirs and more than 680 miles of rivers and streams - more than can be found in any other Southwestern National Forest. The White Mountains contain the headwaters of several Arizona Rivers including the Black, the Little Colorado, and the San Francisco.
The Sitgreaves was named for Captain Lorenzo Sitgreaves, a government topographical engineer who conducted the first scientific expedition across Arizona in the early 1850's. On the Sitgreaves, the major attractions for visitors from the hot valleys of Phoenix or Tucson are the Mogollon Rim and the string of man-made lakes. From the Rim's 7,600-foot elevation, vista points provide inspiring views of the low country to the south and west.
The Apache National Forest is named after the tribes that settled in this area. It ranges in elevation from 3500 feet near Clifton to nearly 11,500 feet on Mount Baldy. The congressionally proclaimed Mount Baldy, Escudilla, and Bear Wallow wildernesses and the Blue Range Primitive Area make the Apache one of America's premier backcountry Forests. The Apache is also noted for its trout streams and high-elevation lakes and meadows.
Additional Work Projects
Project Contacts and Resources
Rob Lever – Fire Management Officer (FMO)
Springerville Ranger District – Apache Sitgreaves National Forest
928-333-6203
P.O. Box 760
Springerville, AZ 85938
rlever@fs.fed.us [1]
Alma Leithead – Assistant Fire Management Officer (AFMO)
Springerville Ranger District – Apache Sitgreaves National Forest
928-551-1780
P.O. Box 760
Springerville, AZ 85938
aleithead@fs.fed.us [2]
Apache-Sitgreaves Supervisor’s Office – Forest Supervisor
P.O. Box 640
Springerville, AZ 85938
928-333-4301
Springerville Ranger District
P.O. Box 760 (mailing address)
165 S. Mountain Avenue (physical address)
Springerville, AZ 85938
928-333-6200
SCA Plant and Fire Program Goals and Objectives
Environmental Stewardship: By the end of the program, members will be versed in common tactics that are necessary to appreciate the environment and have tools and information necessary to maintain their surrounding environment. Some of these tasks will be accomplished by:
• Leave No Trace (LNT)
• Regular instruction on environmental concerns, lead by each member.
Education and Outreach:
Leadership Development: During the course of the program, daily tasks will be placed into categories and assigned a title based on common wildland fire job titles. Members will rotate through these job assignments and be held responsible for completing the necessary tasks assigned to the that position for the entire day. These jobs will include:
• Squad Boss:
o PPE
o Tools
o Keep Time
o Conduct AAR
o Complete Daily Hitch Report
• Safety Officer:
o Carry and inspect first aid kit
o Inspect ERP
o Ensure Hydration and proper eating
o SCA protocols followed
• Engine Boss:
o Complete Daily Vehicle Logs
o Ensure loads are secured
o Ensure proper vehicle safety equipment
Service Learning:
Onsite Trainings and Professional Development Opportunities
Crew members will have various onsite trainings and professional development opportunities in order to gain the skills necessary to successfully complete all assigned tasks while completing their program. These opportunities will also give crew members the opportunities to better understand the different aspects of wild land fire fighting within the US Forest Service.
Scheduled Onsite Training:
• S-212: Wildland Fire Chain Saws, S-212 is an instructor-led course intended to be presented at the local level. The course lessons provide introduction to the function, maintenance and use of internal combustion engine powered chain saws, and their tactical wildland fire application. Field exercises support entry level training for firefighters with little or no previous experience in operating a chain saw, providing hands-on cutting experience in surroundings similar to fireline situations.
• ATV: This class provides basic skills and information employees need so they can ride safely. This training involves a perfect mixture of actual trail riding and classroom education that ensures they will be able to navigate terrain appropriate for beginning ATV riders.
Other Training:
• Other training opportunities will involve exposure to various careers within the Forest Service.
Work Schedule
Schedule Type: Currently the Apach-Sitgreaves crew is working on the 4 tens. This is defined as 4 days working ten hours a day. As the weather changes with the seasons the crew will transition to the 5 eights. This will be 5 days working eight hours a day.
Field Work Method:
Rainy Day Work Plan: For days that will prohibit work in the field members will complete various projects. These projects will include:
• Office Work: designed to keep members and crew up-to-date on required paperwork. This includes timesheets, website, and chase card coding.
• Tool Maintenance: Partnered with regular tool maintenance, rainy days will be used to completely rehab tools and provide instructional periods on various tool specifics.
• Onsite Trainings: Rainy days will give crew members the opportunity to have specific classroom training both from wild land fire fighters and various employees within the Forest Service in order to gain a better understanding of fire fighting as well as possible careers possible.
Admin Tasks Work Integration: Days will be worked into the schedule in order to complete required paperwork. This paperwork includes chase card coding, member timesheets, and website updates. These days will be worked into the regular work schedule as well as placed on stand-by in case of rainy days.
Season Calendar: See calendar for specific date information.
