San Juan Interagency Hotshots

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You can now follow the San Juan Hotshot Crew on Twitter and Facebook. There you will find more up to date information on where we are and what we are doing throughout the fire season.

Crew Information

The San Juan Interagency Hotshots are a 25-person Type 1 crew based in Durango, Colorado. The crew is typically available for dispatches from early April to mid-October.

The San Juan Interagency Hotshot crew is a highly reliable organization providing exemplary, total wildland fire fighting services to the public in collaboration with partners and communities at risk. We provide the San Juan National Forest and the four corners region with an additional resource to accomplish projects when not committed to fire assignments. We will support the overall mission of the United States Forest Service and other agencies we work with. We will create and continue the proud heritage of the San Juan Hotshots.

Vision Statement

Our vision is to build and maintain an Interagency Hotshot Crew that will exceed the standards as set forth in the Standards for Interagency Hotshot Crew Operations.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide land management agencies with a safe, highly skilled and productive wildland fire management resource. The goal of the leadership of the San Juan Hotshots is to produce quality leaders for the future.

Operating Guidelines

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The SJIHC stresses fighting fire safely, efficiently, and effectively. The 10 Standard Fire Orders and the 18 Watch-Out Situations are adhered to or mitigated at all times. Focus is on LCES. 

San Juan IHC is organized with 1 Superintendent, 1 Assistant Superintendent, 3 Squad Bosses, 3 Lead Firefighters, 8 Senior Firefighters, and 9 seasonal firefighters.

We are committed to teamwork, developmental leadership skills, constructive criticism and showing a passion for work. The crew is professional and attentive during the operational working period. Each crewmember will be evaluated on effective and quality communications, supervision, and teamwork.

Each and every individual and position is important on this crew. Equal treatment is a right; discrimination and harassment are not tolerated and immediate resolution should be expected.

Guiding Principles

The San Juan Hotshot crewmembers epitomize the interagency community, promote diversity, and represent a broad range of experience and expertise.

• SJIHC is committed to provide safe, efficient, and effective direction during all phases of operations.
• SJIHC is committed to effective communications, coordination, and cooperation within crew organizations and adjoining forces.
• SJIHC is committed to providing a safe work environment, free of harassment, and valuing diversity.
• SJIHC will strive to build depth in the crew by providing training opportunities when appropriate.
• SJIHC will strive to achieve a high level of competence while working on incidents in accordance with safe and appropriate actions from mobilization through demobilization.

Training

Our critical training period begins in early April.  This training is conducted in a classroom and field setting and includes mandatory fire training and refreshers.  Our goal is to have the crew available  for national assignment as soon as possible.  We can usually accomplish this in one week.  With that said, we expect everyone to show up physically fit and put in the effort in the off season.  We will conduct physical assessments in week one, consisting of the pack test and a crew PT test (push ups, pull ups, plank, and 3 mile run).  We place a high emphasis on a work hardening approach to fire fitness, accomplished by working in the forest and hiking.

Employment

The San Juan Hotshots typically start the seasonal hiring process for the upcoming fire season each fall. See the San Juan National Forest Employment page for up to date information and guidance on applying. 

If you are interested in employment with the San Juan Hotshots, please contact:

Scott McCreary, Assistant Superintendent
scott.mccreary@usda.gov
970-385-1291 office

or

Tom Allbright, Superintendent
john.allbright@usda.gov  
970-385-1292 office