PENNSYLVANIA – The Job Corps Fire Program has already carved out a place for itself in the fuels treatment arena and the potential exists for it to become an even bigger player in the agency’s land management strategies.

At any given moment, a Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center fire team or prescribed fire module is at work on the ground on a national forest and grassland. Recently the Blackwell, Boxelder and Collbran Job Corps CCCs utilized their skills and expertise to support the Allegheny National Forest with prescribed fire preparation and implementation, along with wildfire response.

Job Corps students and staff worked alongside the Umatilla Veterans Fire Crew and fire resources from Black Hills, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, Gunnison and Chequamegon Nicolet National Forests for an 18-day assignment, from Nov. 3 – 21, 2021.  

After two days of scouting out the Grouse Gardens Prescribed fire, the combined module provided firing and holding resources to implement a 23-acre prescribed burn before shifting its focus to initial attack coverage and on preparing burn units for the spring of 2022.

In total, Blackwell, Boxelder and Collbran, alongside the Umatilla Veterans Fire Crew and fire resources from the Black Hills, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, Gunnison and Chequamegon Nicolet National Forests, prepared approximately 510 acres for the spring prescribed fire season and felled 25 hazard trees on the Twin Lakes Campground.

The CCC’s strong interpersonal working relationships and tradition of sharing resources are what help make Job Corps prescribed burn modules so successful. This is a huge benefit to team members, who must work as a cohesive team to work effectively, but who may have only a short time to become acquainted.

This module, like other Job Corps CCC prescribed burn modules, was logistically independent and provided training opportunities as crew boss, firing boss, engine boss and Firefighter Type 1 for agency staff. The team used its down time during periods of poor weather for additional training and education on the traverse rescue stretcher, type-6 Engines, local fatality fires, weather observation and agency history.

Job Corps students provided 672-man hours of support on this assignment and earned Public Land Corps credit hours in lieu of being paid. Participating on the module provided these young firefighters with valuable wildland fire experience working in a variety of fuel types and conditions. The opportunity for CCC students to work alongside career Forest Service professionals is invaluable benefit for their career development and this work could not have been accomplished without the cooperation and staff support of the participating national forests. The Alleghany National Forest received much-needed assistance in its hazardous fuels’ programs at a significant reduction in cost.

The efforts of the 24 Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers directly support our agency’s strategic goal of sustaining our nation’s forests and grasslands and delivering benefits to the public. If your Forest Service Region is interested in hosting a Job Corps fuels module, e-mail National Job Corps Fire Program Coordinator CorDell Taylor.