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BIA Navajo Scouts Learn the Ropes to Support Incident Command Post Supply Unit
Cottonwood Ridge Fire , Spoon Fire
Publication Type: News 08/06/2023
Camp crews are the backbone to maintaining a clean camp environment and supplying firefighters and administrative staff with all major needs related to the fires’ incident management. The camp crew maintenance and camp crew supply units set the incident command post (ICP) up for success. They do this by setting up the camp layout, safety signage and barriers, supplying ice, water and sports drinks, maintaining ICP grounds daily and supplying camp and firefighter needs to maintain a clean and fully stocked camp to meet incident needs.
2023 Cottonwood Ridge Spoon Fires ICP Camp Crew
Pictured above: The incident command post camp crew for the Cottonwood Ridge, Snake Ridge, Mustang Ridge, and Spoon fires.
The camp crew supply unit provides a vast number of needs for incident staff, such as hose, pumps, chain saw equipment, Meals Ready-to-Eat (MRE), fire resistant clothing (nomex), batteries for radios and headlamps, tables and chairs. Supplies that need to be restocked are ordered from the closest of the 16 regional fire caches throughout the nation. For this assignment, supplies are being ordered from the Prescott Interagency Fire Cache. Supplies are ordered using a specified form and can be delivered to a ground unit or by air, if necessary.
10 Navajo Fire Scouts, part of a Type 2 initial attack (IA) crew, from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Fort Defiance Agency has helped fill the critical shortages for the camp crew needed at the ICP for the Cottonwood Ridge, Snake Ridge, Mustang Ridge and Spoon fires. Four of the 10 Scouts have opened a task book to become qualified as Receiving and Distribution Managers (RCDM) to support wildland fire response needs in the future.
2023 Cottonwood Ridge Spoon Fires ICP Camp Crew Supply Unit
Pictured above: Crewmembers of the BIA Navajo Scouts Type 2 IA and the receiving and distribution managers supporting the Cottonwood Ridge fire incident command post outside Show Low, Arizona.
“The whole crew has been so professional and have been helping us maintain a good, clean and well-stocked supply unit and yurt,” said Receiving and Distribution Manager Brad Kramer. “It’s great to have them, because as experienced firefighters, they already know what the supply cache needs are for our firefighters, which helps the cache run smoothly with quality control of orders.”
Becoming qualified as an RCDM provides the Scouts that have open task books with the opportunity to become qualified as an asset in another capacity within fire response. Currently, camp crew supply units have critical shortages for RCDM, ordering manager, and supply unit manager positions throughout the nation. These positions are needed within every ICP on fires to fill incident supply needs.
“I like learning all about how we generate orders, supply and support firefighters,” said Jefferson Curtis, BIA Navajo Scout Type 2 IA and RCDM task book holder. “I also like being able to socialize and meet everyone who supports fires. Normally, as firefighters, we go out with our crews, work, come back, eat, sleep, get ready then do it all over again, so we don’t get to meet everyone who supports the fires.”
When asked what the firefighters come to the supply cache for most, supply unit cache staff confirmed it was for clean nomex, gloves and paper towels. Personal hygiene is important to firefighters to stay healthy to keep doing the job they’re doing to keep communities and values safe from wildfire.