10 FEBRUARY 15,2013
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Department sponsored pirogcam since 1990
FIRE continued
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when his wife went into Inbor with
their first child.
"But, along with the sacrifice
comes many rewards, such as cama
raderie with your fellow firefighter,
travel all over the United States
and working for an outstanding
organization," Volz said.
Satisfaction with the job also comes
because "the feedback is immediate,"
said Michael Wilson, manager of
the Natural Resources Department.
"When it's black over here and green
right next to it, you see right where
you've stopped that fire."
The Natural Resources Depart
ment has sponsored the program
since 1990, with groups first dis
patched the next year. At first,
Grand Ronde wildland firefighters
worked with firefighters from the
Siuslaw National Forest. But, says
Jeff Nepstad, Silviculture and Fire
Protection Program manager, "to
keep better crew cohesiveness, we
decided to go out on our own some
time around 2005."
"We're self-sufficient," said Wil
son. "It's been a huge change over
time."
The program is completely funded
with federal payments. Last year,
federal agencies sent more than
$1 million in salaries and travel
expenses back to the Grand Ronde
program; $156,000 in engine rent
als alone.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs
purchased the first engine used
in Tribal firefighting operations
when the program began. The
federal government rents the ve
hicles at rates that have allowed
the program to buy another and
then another until now there are
five engines and four pickups that
the Tribal program can bring to a
fire. Two engines and more than 10
firefighters are reserved in Grand
Ronde for fighting local fires.
Several employees, Volz said,
maintain "highly sought-after
qualifications for Incident Com-
o
Photo courtesy of the Natural Resources Department
Tribal Silviculture & Fir Protection Technician Jay Ojua uses a drip torch to light
a backfire while working the Cache Creek Fire near Joseph in August 2012.
mander, Single Resource Boss,
Task Force Leader and Strike
Team leaders," showing the level of
professionalism and depth of talent
available in Grand Ronde.
"Firefighters are a small com
munity," said Drake. "You have to
work hard to keep your reputation
high."
The program has been a point of
pride within the Tribe because of
this professionalism and because
firefighters do one of the dirtiest
and most dangerous jobs in the
country.
The Grand Ronde Wildland fire
fighters have been reported by
division leaders of the 2012 Cache
Creek and Waterfalls 2 fires as
high performance, well-organized,
outstanding and able to complete
every mission requested in a safe,
professional manner.
Last year, the warmest on record
and the busiest in 20 years for
Grand Ronde firefighters, enabled
some to earn as much as $15,000
over the summer months. In the
southwest and southern Califor
nia, said Nepstad, the fire season
can stretch from April through
November.
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Photo courtesy of Kylie Hofenbredl
Members of the Grand Ronde Tribe's Wildland Firefighters hand crew make a
pit stop in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming to see Old Faithful on the
way home from the Colorado Springs Fire in July 201 2.
In a season with fewer fires, said
Wilson, a firefighter might earn
no more than $6,000 and change,
though it's not an hour-for-hour
summer job. Firefighters are on
call, paid for the time they are out
fighting fires.
For newly hired Grand Ronde
Wildland firefighters, base pay
starts at $13.18 an hour. Working
16 hours a day with hazard pay on
fire assignment can result in sub
stantial paychecks, Wilson said.
Even with pay like that, "It takes
a special type of person to keep com
ing back," said Drake.'
"Newly hired firefighters gener
ally make it at least a season,"
said Nepstad, with five to seven
returning each year. Fifteen to 20
seasoned firefighters return annu
ally. "Interviews and boot camp, and
sometimes even a field trip helps
let people see if it's for them," said
Wilson.
The program has a long history
of providing lucrative employment
opportunities for Tribal and com
munity members, and at the same
time these difficult jobs also pro
vide skills and a level of fitness
that make good sense to those
involved.
Grand Ronde Wildland firefight
ers are dispatched across Oregon
and the country as needed. Last
year, 42 firefighters travelled 62,801
miles to 40 fires in eight different
states, including Oregon.
Crews joined the NASA search for
pieces of the space shuttle Colum
bia, which exploded on re-entry in
2003, Nepstad said.
Trained firefighters have come
out of the Tribe's Education, Facul
ties, Natural Resources, Executive
Office and Cultural Resources de
partments. Presently, 54 employees
are red-carded and fire ready.
In addition, the program par
ticipates in local refuge prescribed
burns, considered good practice,
said Nepstad.
"We're a big player in the con
trolled burns in the Willamette
Valley refuge system," he said.
This year, the program has set a
goal of hiring 10 temporary, on-call
firefighters, adding them to the 20
to 25 coming back from the 2012
season.
Though specifically seeking more
Tribal member participation, the
program is also usually a strong
draw for college students looking
for summer work. The program
tries to accept all with the skills
and interest, said Wilson.
Last year, three women Kylie
Hofenbredl, Lindsay Belonga and
Ashley Wiens - served as firefight
ers. "The Grand Ronde fire program is
well-known in the fire world," says
Belonga. "It is an honor to be part of
such a great program and represent
the Tribe throughout the country."
The Tribe's Cultural Protection
staff also participates, said Cul
tural Protection Coordinator Eirik
Thorsgard. "We have given class
training on how to identify basic
cultural resources to avoid or to at
least let it be known to the proper
authorities that an important cul
tural site is in the area."
Cultural Protection Specialist
David Harrelson also is a summer
wildland firefighter and with his
training he is able to help identify
important sites.
"That's why we keep David red
carded," said Thorsgard. "They're
there to save lives, though," he
added, "and the first thing is the
safety of the firefighters. That takes
precedence over everything." ".
In fact, over the years Grand
Ronde firefighters have an impec
cable safety record - not a single
time-loss injury in more than 1,600
days, said Wilson.
"With the running up and dojsrri
hills, with trees falling and rocks
rolling, they've done an outstand
ing job driving over 63,000 miles
down dusty roads without a time
loss accident. It's pretty amazing,"
Wilson added.
Long term, weather experts ex
pect temperatures to keep rising,
which many believe will mean
continuing fire trouble.
As with the military, Native
Americans serve among the na
tion's federal forest firefighters in
wildly disproportionate numbers.
Twenty-one percent are Native
Americans, said Wilson.
Credit goes to Drake, Logan
Kneeland, Jim Pinder and Jay
Ojua, "the core that runs the pro
gram," said Nepstad. "These four
do most of the coordination and
getting the fire program ready for
the fire season."
"You build a lifelong relation
ship with (other firefighters)," said
Drake.
"They're pretty much a second
family," said Kneeland, who was
fighting fires for 89 days last sum
mer, the most of anyone in the local
program.
"It takes a big team effort," said
Wilson. "It's not unusual for me and
Michele to be involved with crews
in three different states. It's like
moving game pieces and a board."
'The size of the program is unique
for a western Oregon Tribe with a
land base this small," said Wilson.
"It takes a lot of commitment from
the staff and support from Tribal
Council."
"In the summer months," said
Volz, "it's all about the fire." B