COLORADO—Salvador “Sal” Benabe values collaboration and embodies the Forest Service value of interdependence. He knows that when people join together for problem solving it’s good for everyone involved. Benabe, as a supervisory forestry technician and captain of the Flatwoods Job Corps Lonesome Pine Fire Crew, leads with his values and those values led him to Flatwoods. It’s why he’s also stepped up to help the rebirth of El Yunque National Forest Interagency Fire Crew, also known as Puerto Rico Crew 21 (PR Crew 21). 

 

“The PR Crew 21 Type 2 Initial Attack crew was the vision of Pablo Cruz, El Yunque’s forest supervisor in the 1980s. The crew’s mission was not just fire suppression on the U.S. mainland, but also local natural disaster relief,” says Benabe. The crew lost leadership and the ability to go out on assignment in 2013. In 2017, fire management specialist Mike Pope recognized the need to get the crew back up and running. Pope and El Yunque Forest Operations supervisor Gabriel “Chino” Gutierrez were able to resuscitate PR Crew 21 with new members, but with minimal overhead as Gutierrez was the only qualified crew boss on the forest.

“PR Crew 21 underwent a period of restructure and I’m a product of that,” says Benabe. “I joined the crew in 2002.” In 2017, Benabe was both working as a wildland firefighter and holding a career position as a lead behavior detection officer with the Transportation Security Administration. Recognizing the joy her husband felt working wildland fire, Benabe’s wife encouraged him to return to the job full-time.

While serving on the Cherokee Interagency Hotshot Crew on the Cherokee National Forest through November 2020, he had opportunities to work with fire modules composed of students from Boxelder, Harpers Ferry and Collbran Job Corps centers. “I immediately liked the concept of helping young men and women and impacting their lives,” says Benabe. After working a detail at Flatwoods Job Corps Center, he went on to apply for and accept his current position of supervisory forestry technician.

“I applied to work at the Flatwoods JCC because I strongly believe in helping other people and that a life that you impact or change—even if it is one out of a hundred—it is still a win, and it is gratifying.”

Benabe remained in contact with Gutierrez. When he learned that PR Crew 21 needed overhead, he jumped at the opportunity to support El Yunque. He also discerned opportunities for El Yunque to collaborate with Flatwoods in a way that would open up training opportunities for Job Corps students and staff. Putting their heads together, Benabe, Gutierrez, Pope and Flatwoods Job Corps assistant fire management officer Casey Howard came up with a partnership framework that’s produced big results.

    

Through a hand-shake agreement, Job Corps supplies overhead for PR Crew 21 modules with a focus on developing its trainees into future leaders of El Yunque’s wildland fire program. In return, El Yunque has opened up slots on their T2IA crews for Job Corps students, allowing them to go out on assignments and gain experience. “It is a great opportunity for both El Yunque National Forest and Flatwoods Job Corps to develop leaders and students,” says Benabe.

Now that fall has arrived, Benabe, along with Bitterroot National Forest forestry technician/crew lead Johnny Holloway and Cass Job Corps Center supervisory technician/hand crew supervisor Stephen Anderson, will lead eight-person fall fire suppression modules, each staffed with six PR Crew 21 firefighters, out in the field. The first stop will be the Wayne National Forest on Oct. 15. The suppression modules will travel throughout the Eastern and Southern regions through mid-December before returning home. 

Forest Service staff like Benabe, who use their years of building networks and partnerships, move the agency’s cultural needle forward toward the best ideas of “This is who we are.” Physical and leadership abilities are only part of the equation of being a good wildland firefighter. The work culture Benabe cultivates, focusing on cooperation, resource sharing and interdependency, are just as critical when training students.

At a time when firefighters are leaving the profession to pursue better opportunities, the Forest Service Job Corps program has invested in two additional advanced wildland fire management programs—at Trapper Creek and Collbran Job Corps centers—to trainthe next generation of firefighters. Benabe finds great gratification in teaching these young people. He also appreciates the changes currently being made to firefighter pay, benefits and career opportunities, which will be needed to attract and retain new firefighters.  

“The first bit of advice I tell my students interested in pursuing a fire career is to take care of your body and stay physically fit,” says Benabe. “Fire is fun and rewarding, but it’s a hard job.” Even if, ultimately, they choose to pursue a career in a trade other than fire, Benabe’s confident that his students will move forward with a deeper perspective and positive attitude. 

The Job Corps Wildland Fire Program is managed under a partnership between Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management and Job Corps. Students are trained as wildland firefighters, camp crews, expanded dispatch recorders and other support functions.