WHY ALPINE?

So you want to be a Hotshot...

The Alpine Hotshots duty station is located on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Besides affording a great view of Long's Peak, the crew dormitory facility is complete with weight room, laundry room, steam showers, volleyball court and a meal program. Countless trails depart from the dorm area which provide opportunities for running or hiking in an exceptional environment. Rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, fly fishing, hiking, camping and many other recreational activities are available within the National Park or nearby. Rocky Mountain National Park is located adjacent to Estes Park, CO. Estes Park has a full range of shopping opportunities or crew members can drive to Loveland (about 28 miles), Fort Collins (about 35 miles), or Boulder (about 42 miles) for access to more variety and larger stores. Alpine IHC is one of two National Park Service Hotshot Crews. Alpine routinely travels to many different National Parks and Monuments for work assignments such as prescribed fire preparation and implementation and/or mechanical fuels reduction when not "fighting fire". Grand Teton, Big Bend, Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Isle Royal, Golden Gate and Yosemite are some of the NPS units where Alpine has worked in the past few years. In search of a one-of-a-kind experience? The life of a Hotshot is unique. As part of a national resource you may wake up in Florida and be in California by that night. Hotshots go where needed to complete arduous tasks on wildfires, prescribed burns and projects. During the season, it's not uncommon to work shifts lasting over 24 hours and stay on assignments for up to 21 days. Our willingness to stay until the job is done safely and take care of ourselves is a trademark of the Hotshots. On wildfires, Hotshot crews are often used to construct fireline in steep rugged terrain or to conduct critical firing operations. Holding line and mopping up are other typical assignments. Going places and experiencing nature in ways most people have not and will never witness, is a big part of the draw to being a hotshot. Making sense out of the chaos and being effective is another trademark of the hotshot program. Safety Alpine IHC prides itself on doing the job safely. The fire environment is loaded with hazards. Awareness of job hazards and hazard mitigation is a process that we take very seriously. We are constantly striving for that perfect season without injuries. Physical Training Physical conditioning is a vital part of both wildland firefighting and the Alpine IHC program. A high level of physical fitness is an absolute necessity in order to maintain both crew safety and efficiency. The Alpine IHC Physical Training Program is constructed around maintaining a high level of fitness through aerobic, strength, endurance, and stretching exercises. Alpine IHC crew members participate in a structured daily physical training program typically lasting 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Our physical training facilities include a weight room, outside training area and miles of trails on which to run. Our work center is at a elevation of almost 8000 feet with very little flat ground. Crewmembers of the Alpine IHC should show up to work in excellent physical condition. The first two weeks of work are focused on wildland fire training and intensive physical conditioning. At the end of the second week, the Alpine IHC fitness test is given to evaluate each crewmembers' fitness level, the test includes: max pull-ups, 1 minute max sit-ups, 1 minute max push-ups, max bench press, stretch test, timed 1.5 mile run at 7500' elevation, and the standard “work capacity test” (hike three miles w/ 45lb. pack in under 45 minutes). Physical Fitness Program The goal of the Alpine Interagency Hotshot Crew Physical Fitness Training Program is to sustain a high degree of physical fitness required for wildland fire work. Crewmembers are required to work hard over extended time periods; the "PT" program is designed to develop both strength and endurance. Using a combination of exercises, the outcome is physically fit firefighters who are agile, productive, and less likely to suffer injuries or accidents due to fatigue. The key to the program is that crewmembers arrive for duty in great physical shape. A typical five-day span of training could include alternating days of directed weight lifting/calisthenics and running. The weight lifting/calisthenics may include repetitions of bench press, lat pull-downs, pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, curls, leg extensions and other free weight exercises. The fast-pace runs include 3-5 mile runs, sprints and hill work. Long, slow distance runs last from 45 to 60 minutes, with lots of hill work, trails and road running with distances over 6 miles. Time is allotted for warm up and stretching prior to each P.T. session. If you arrive for work out of shape, you run the risk of serious injury. The crew workouts could be detrimental to your physical well-being if you attempt the physical training in poor physical condition. Don't fool yourself-- BE IN SHAPE WHEN YOU ARRIVE FOR DUTY! Some have arrived thinking they were in shape or that they could handle it, and ended up, at best, trying to get in shape and catch up with the rest of the crew, or, at worst, sitting out the first few weeks of fire season nursing injuries. Crewmember Availability During the Season All Alpine IHC crewmembers will be expected to maintain prompt availability for callout during the fire season. In addition to normal work hours, crewmembers will be required to maintain 24 hour-per-day, seven day-a-week availability. Although an elapsed time of two hours to respond to after hour or lieu day dispatches is the accepted standard, each dispatch will be managed on a case-by-case basis. Departure to an assignment could occur sooner than the two hour standard. Prescribed Burn, Wildfire and Project Assignments