Weeks 4 & 5

This week started off slow, with us continueing to work on computer classes, after we tried to make it out to the Carter Road Project but instead found it inaccessibly due to the forest service roads not being cleared from the snow, We decided it best just to return back to Rapid City. We were quickly put to us by the apartment complex though in helping to shovel tenants and vehicles that got stuck into the drive ways out. Finally we got word that the liability issue was cleared up with the state. We were going to be the first SCA VFC not partnered with just the Forest Service! On Wednesday morning we tied in with the Black Hats, and rolled right into project work clearing a good acre of land behind a homeowners house, before the crew got pulled early. The Blackhats and the VFC were going to be responding to the cities needs after a state of emergency had been declared. We were then briefed that we would be working from 0630 until 1900 every day not counting our travel time. We were going to roll as our own squad with one senior Blackhate by the name of Whirl Wind Horse as our immediate squad boss. The next day we found out that this had been declared a type three incident. And our assignment was to clear public routes of transportation and to remove over head hazards. We did a total of five days on this assignment working until the middle of week five. We were then given four and a half days off after we cleaned all our gear and returned our equipment that we had checked out from the Blackhats back to the state. We have heard a rumor now that we are off for the weekend that Congress has reached an agreement and that the Forest Service should be opening back up. We hope this is true, and sort of glad that it worked out this way, having given us the experience of working not only with engines but also handcrews.