There is an old tried and true phrase-we've all heard it-and it goes like this: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” If you happen to be one of the twenty-one, hard working members of the Rio Bravo Hotshot crew, you are certain to understand this saying from the inside out, from the top down, backwards and forwards. For therein lies the raw essence of the job. Tough.
Hot, underfed, battling with angry snakes and biting insects, bone-tired, breathing thick smoke, and hiking up rocky, steep terrain - it is all in a days work for a Hotshot on the fire line. Not only are they working toe to toe with the roaring blaze, they must pack in water on their backs to fight the fire, hike in with chainsaws to fell trees, and carry assorted tools in their packs to cut the brush and build the trenches. There is little rest for the weary. And it's not over ‘til it's over.
 A hand crew from Rio Bravo Hotshots make its way up a hill during the Broke Fire in August. |
This is Rocha's twenty-third season fighting wildland fires. He started with the Helitac crew in Kernville when he was 18 years old. Since then, he has been with the County for 17 years, and spent the last 10 years with the Rio Bravo crew.
Although Rocha is Superintendent for the RBHS, he is still out on every fire the crew is out on (as they travel and exist as one cohesive unit, together for 14 work days, then off for two.) While on a fire, Rocha works as the Safety and Operational Tactician, directing the suppression effort.
In the event that the crew flies to a fire location, their trucks will soon follow and the crew will more or less live out of them for the duration of their time on the conflagration. There are two Rio Bravo trucks; each has its own captain and a crew of 10; this includes a sawyer team and a swamper (the one who cleans up debris and brush in the aftermath of the chainsaw.)
Rocha knows firsthand the stresses this occupation can put on the immediate family. “I have two children and there is a lot I missed in their lives,” he offers. “You can come to work in the morning, receive that initial call, and within four to eight hours you can be on another forest, in another state.” Last year, the RBHS team assisted with five back-to-back fires, and spent little time at their base. He comments, “We have seasonal firefighters with more fire experience than full-time (traditional) firemen.”
Tim Kent is a local resident who answered the call of the wild, and is in his third season with the Rio Bravo team. He came to the RBHS after completing a fire science class at Bakersfield College. When asked what his favorite aspect of this job is, he named the following three things; “The glory - I love the banners around town thanking the firefighters for their efforts; the heat of the fire; and the camaraderie with the crew.”
Kent is working this season as a sawyer (his first as such); last year he worked as the swamper, and the year before he was on the front line cutting the fire break. On a fire, Kent will carry this (and more) in his pack: six quarts of water, flagging tape, six flares for lighting backfires, space blanket, fire shelter, and personal gear. And don't forget the chainsaw on top of it all!
When not working on a fire, Kent and the rest of the crew can be found out and about the Valley, cutting fuel breaks to keep the towns, the valley, and the houses safe. The crew is in a state of perpetual motion, always staying familiar with the tools they are required to master and use during fire suppression. For this local work of cutting fuel breaks, they are paid with grant monies received from the Fire Safe Council.
When asked what his most memorable Hotshot experience to date was, Kent reflected for a moment and then answered, “Fighting a fire in Utah west of St. George. It was the worst landing and terrain and it was hot. The fire was extreme and lightning was striking all around. We were there for five days.” Tim would eventually like to work for a time as a county firefighter, then return to working wildland fire suppression.
Superintendent Rocha notes that “The local fire community is unique (this includes other crews such as Breckenridge and Fulton) in that we employ a lot of the local youth. I have some working here that have been on this crew seven years, and my captain has been here 10 years.” With Kern Valley High School offering an ROP course on fire fighting, and Bakersfield College offering classes in fire science, it is a great opportunity for local residents to fill positions in the firefighting field.
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