How Wildland Firefighters Survive Entrapment

The men and women who help fight our country's wildland fires are brave people. The dangers are many because a fire in the wilds can be very unpredictable. While science has come a long way since the 1800's, there still remains much to be learned. Today's communities in general are more exposed to wildland fires simply because they have grown so much. New communities have been built immediately adjacent to many wild land areas. While fires certainly burned up towns a century ago, modern day urbanization has place more homes in harms way. By the same token our fire fighting methods have improved as well as preventive measures.

The Varied Experience Levels of Today's Wildland Firefighters

Who are the people who fight our wildland fires? The first thing to recognize is that they comprise several separate units with a wide range of experience. Some are much more specialized and experienced than others.

Wildland firefighters might be members of fire engine crews, hotshot crews, smokejumper crews, helicopter-based hand crews, or regular hand crews. During fire season, these crews may travel throughout their state or possibly to other states. Two of the more experienced units might be considered the smokejumpers and the hotshot crews. Hotshot crews are considered a very experience elite group of ground firefighters. They have high physical fitness standards and extensive training. There are over 100 Interagency Hotshot Crews in existence in the U.S. and therefore they can be utilized across jurisdictions. The term "hotshot" came from their history of being sent to the hottest parts of wildfires. Their coordination nationally is handled by the NIFC, the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise Idaho. Smokejumper crews are another highly specialized unit. The fact that they jump out of airplanes tells you a lot. This unit has been in existence for over 70 years and the very fact that they parachute out of airplanes with firefighting gear tells you they must be physically fit. The smokejumpers are very successful in reaching more remote areas of a wildfire than those on the ground. The first actual fire jumps on July 12, 1940 are credited to Rufus Robinson and Earl Colley near Marten Creek in the Nez Perce National Forest. An interesting historical side note is that when the training began at the newly established smokejumper base at Ninemile Camp in Montana, it was witnessed by Major General William C. Lee. The Army shortly thereafter founded the 101st Airborne Division. The smokejumpers suffered there largest loss of life during the Mann Gulch Fire of 1949. Thirteen firefighter lost their lives during this tremendous blowup and twelve were smokejumpers. Parachuting into remote areas of wildfires is a dangerous job.

Aside from these two elite firefighting units there are several other levels. Many Forest Service districts list their available summer ground firefighting positions directly with state employment offices. If you meet the requirements the jobs are available to college or even high school students. Many look at these positions as a way to earn summer tuition money and work outdoors. There doesn't seem to be any clear cut requirements for these jobs other than you be physically fit. Ground firefighting crews typically use what is referred to as the "Pulaski Tool". This tool was developed after the Great Fire of 1910 by a man named Edward Pulaski who himself became a hero when he managed to save over thirty of his trapped crew in Montana. The Pulaski Tool is essentially an axe on one side and a digging hoe on the other. It is used by firefighters today to dig fire lines. About finding a seasonal job on one of these crews, if you know something about forest fires or know how to operate a chain saw, your chances of getting hired are better. The work itself requires strenuous physical exertion under sometimes harsh conditions. Be prepared to walk over rough, uneven terrain. Climbing hills covered with trees, brush, rocks, and debris is to be anticipated. Also, expect to be working under hot temperatures. Regardless, those who do fill these positions do receive training. Seasonal Forest Service firefighter jobs may include work on a wildland fire suppression crew and/or fuels management crew. On these crews there are designated fire crew leaders and trainees. Part of the fire crew leader's job responsibilities is to be sure the less experienced seasonal workers stay out of harms way. Leadership at this level is very important to safety. The crew leader has the responsibility of securing an escape route whenever the crew engages a fire.

One of the most tragic catastrophes associated with the seasonal regular firefighters occurred in July 2001 during the Thirtymile Fire in northern Washington state very near the Canadian border. Four regular ground firefighters lost their lives after being entrapped in a canyon. At first, this fire was thought of to be easily controlled but as sometimes occurs it grew into an unpredictable raging inferno. Part of the reason that these firefighters became entrapped was their leaders unfamiliarity with the area, not realizing they were going up a road that dead ended at a trail head. In addition, The fire's location caused communication problems regarding the firefighters' request for air support because of confusion over the legality of dipping water from a river which was designated as "protected" per the Endangered Species Act. It's unfortunate that confusion over a specie law would end up contributing to the deaths of four young people. Superiors should have had this worked out well in advance. Another finding was that the Thirtymile Fire of 2001 was caused by an unattended live campfire. In fact, it was a hastily built campfire outside of allowed camping areas.

How Wildfires are Fought

With the number of different crews available with varied degrees of experience, fighting wildland fires is anything but a haphazard undertaking. Today's fire fighting methods are made into a well planned attack. It is a cohesive strategy. There's been much learned over the years and training and adopting new methods is really an ongoing effort. Because of things that have gone right and wrong over the decades of fighting fires, the Forest Service has set up a basic list of rules. There are many things to do and many things not to do. According the Forest Service there are ten basic firefighting orders.The original ten Standard Firefighting Orders were put together in 1957 by a task force commissioned by the USDA-Forest Service Chief Richard E. McArdle. Reviews of tragic fires that happened between the years 1937 and 1956 were studied and the result was the list compiled in 1957.The orders are:

Keep informed on fire weather conditions and forecasts.
Know what your fire is doing at all times.
Base all actions on current and expected behavior of the fire.
Identify escape routes and safety zones and make them known.
Post lookouts when there is possible danger.
Be alert. Keep calm. Think clearly. Act decisively.
Maintain prompt communications with your forces, your supervisor, and adjoining forces.
Give clear instructions and insure they are understood.
Maintain control of your forces at all times.
Fight fire aggressively, having provided for safety first.

It's interesting to note the order regarding "current and expected behavior of the fire". One thing that was learned over all these years was that a wildland fire could be quite unpredictable. The situation and direction of a fire could change in a moment. This wasn't really understood well during earlier years such as with the Great Fire of 1910 in Montana and Idaho or with the tragic fires in the late 1800's in Minnesota and Wisconsin. In fact, the changing nature of a wildfire is what accounts for most entrapments. A wildland fire produces winds and when it becomes big enough it can produce it's own weather. This is why being aware of the current situation helps to save lives. When the Forest Service fights fires today, they keep a constant check on the humidity, temperature and of course wind speed and direction.

The prospect of a burn over is considered the biggest danger. A burn over is referred to as an entrapment. In other words, the firefighters face the prospect of a raging fire burning directly over their position. In the fire fighting world it doesn't get too much more dangerous than that. It's also a reason that the wildland fire gear is so important to the wild land fire fighter. Included in today's firefighting gear is the survival shelter. Survival shelters are considered a "last resort" piece of fire fighting equipment. The fire shelter is deployed when all other means of escaping a fire entrapment are exhausted. Historians report that the first known use of a fire shelter can be traced back to 1804 when a mother covered her son with a buffalo hide to protect him from a raging prairie fire. While not being a scientific breakthrough,the mother's effort was apparently successful.

What To Do When Entrapped

By the very fact that you've found yourself entrapped by a wildland fire, your options may not be many. For the civilian who most likely isn't carrying firefighting gear, the first option is to find a body of water to crouch in. In most areas of wildfire this would probably be a river. If a body of water isn't available the best thing to do is find the clearest area possible, maybe a rocky area or a dry gulch. Try to breathe air as close to the ground as possible. Use a cloth to breathe through. One bit of good advice on Idahofirewise.org is "to choose the place from those available to you that is best able to withstand the flaming front of the fire". These proven effective suggestions were not known during the early days of the Great Fire of 1910 and the devastating Hinckley Minnesota fire of 1894. During both of these large blowups people became trapped by smoke and flames and tried to escape in a panic any way they could. Also, during both of these fires the services of smokejumpers was not an option.

In regards to Forest Service fire crews being entraped, there are a few more options. Wildland firefighting crews now carry with them as part of their wildland gear a fire shelter. This device is used as a "last resort' piece of equipment. According to the NIFC, the first priority when a firefighter is entraped is to find an escape route. When this option has been exhausted then deploying the fire shelter should be done. There is no guarantee that the use of the shelter will keep you alive but it has many times and therefore is mandatory for wildland crews. The latest generation fire shelter does offer improved protection from radiant and convective heat. All federal, state, and local wildland firefighters must carry the shelter while working fires on federal land.

As for the description of the latest wildland fire shelters, they are made up of fiberglass, aluminum foil and woven silica. The dimensions when deployed are at most 86 in. x 15.5 in. x 31 in. What's very handy for the firefighter is the small space it takes to carry the non-deployed shelter, Only 8.5in. x 5.5 in. x 4 in. In 2002 a new version came out which has it's own carrying case and is shaped differently than the old style pup tent version. According to government reports "the outer layer of foil reflects about 95 percent of the radiant heat that reaches it. Because only 5 percent is absorbed into the shelter materials, the temperature of the material rises slowly". The way the shelter is built allows you to lie flat on the ground. The wide floor and the straps allow you to hold the sides down better. Firefighters are also trained to hold the sides down before the actual flames arrive.Some of these changes may have been a result of the tragedy at the Thirtymile Fire. Again, as stated earlier this is a last resort measure. Fire crew leaders are trained to identify escape routes as they are working so to avoid being entraped in the first place. The metal shelters offer a lot of protection against the flames but research states that most wildfire fatalities occur from lack of oxygen along with breathing in the hot gases produced from the flames rather than from burns. This is just another reason why a suitable escape plan is most important.

There's no doubt that much progress has been made in both fighting wildfires and protecting those who do the fighting. We also know more about meteorology than we knew 100 years ago. A fire by nature is an unpredictable event. We know what conditions foster their development but they change fast once they start. The science of wildland firefighting will certainly advance over time just as it had during the last century.

Two excellent books I would recommend in regards to the early fire catastrophes are The Big Burn by author Timothy Egan. It describes the circumstances of the Great Fire of 1910 and the start of the Forest Service. The other is Under A Flaming Sky: The Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894 by author Daniel James Brown. This is about the harsh weather conditions that set off the disaster and how the people of Hinckley Minnesota tried to escape.

http://www.westerntrips.blogspot.com

Peter Uzelac is a history researcher and writer. He can be contacted at peterstripblog@aol.com

6 Tips to Survive Working As a Freelancer in the Film, Television and Video Business

1. Get the Word Out

Once you decide or the industry decides for you, that you are going to work as a freelancer, you have to become visible. Calling every TV station or production company in town and asking if there is work available will get you absolutely no where, except to annoy the person answering the phone. And resumes in the mail? They end up in the trash.

The simplest and easiest thing to do is social networking. Creating a profile on sites like LinkedIn.com, Mandy.com, Media-Match.com (Media-Match is a pay site, the others have free basic listings) not only helps to give you a place to show your stuff, it also validates you. Your profile on these sites holds more weight than a paper resume, it gives you more stars, so to speak. And it gets your name out on the internet in a searchable format-when someone hops on Google and types in your name, your Linked In profile comes up.

2. Being Paid-What Method?

I know this seems weird to be number two, but before you take your first freelance gig you must decide how you are going to be paid.

You have to be flexible, if you get freelance work at a TV station, then they are going to put you on the payroll as a W-2 employee. But what if you get a gig writing a script for a non-profit? How will they pay you? If have nothing setup prior, then you will have to fill out a W-9 tax form and give that non-profit your social security number. And guess what? They are going to report this income to the IRS on a 1099 form and they are not going to take out any taxes out for you, it will be considered Miscellaneous Income. So that means that YOU will be responsible for paying all of your Social Security Tax, Medicare Tax, (all that falls under FICA on a W-2) and your federal and state income tax. This is a very REAL problem in the freelance world and I have personally been on the wrong side of this, owing thousands of dollars to the IRS all at once.

The best thing to do is to sit down with an accountant and discuss your options. You may find a sole proprietorship that receives 1099's works for you. Or you may want to Incorporate, form an LLC or something else. And an accountant will help you figure out what purchases you can use as write-offs for your freelance work. I can not stress enough, that speaking with an accountant and having your payment strategy set up a ahead of time, will save you from grief and potentially owing thousands of dollars to the IRS all at once.

3. Being Paid-How Much? And what about Cash Flow?

This is the hot button topic around my office. And it is tricky to understand what goes for what. So you think, well I used to be paid X amount when I was editing for this TV station, so that is how much I am going to ask for as a freelancer. I wish it were that easy. Rates fluctuate dramatically but there are thresholds that line producers use. The best thing to do is to talk with others and ask, "What do you charge?" And be honest, if you are in the process of getting your first freelance gig and the producer asks, "What is your day rate?" say, "I don't have an established rate, I am flexible and I would like to work within your budget."

And what about looking up day rates on the Internet? The info never is accurate. Rates are subjective to what type of gig, location, distribution platform, Production Company, and on and on. You just have to get into freelancing and see what others are being paid in your field of expertise and your location. Ultimately it is what is comfortable for you.

Cash flow is also a huge issue with freelance only gigs or when you run a small business. Don't only accept gigs from large corporations. Why? They are slow to pay. And this is not because they are trying to stiff you or play the stock market with your money-large corporations have a system of check and balances for payment to outside vendors. It might take 90 days in some cases to be paid. So you have to pepper your gigs on smaller projects where you know you can get paid in 30 days or less.

4. Craigslist.com

Oh boy........ Online job boards like Craigslist, Production Hub, TV JOBS, and the many more out there are a great way to find gigs. And they are also teeming with seekers of free labor. I cannot count how many ads I have seen like the following: "Seeking crew with their own equipment for a TV pilot, web series or Music Video that will be the next greatest thing. It has been written by the most amazing A-List Hollywood people and has Hollywood stars/Director attached. Don't miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity. Please send your resume, a link to an on-line reel and a total list of all of your equipment. No pay but we promise, meals, a copy of the DVD, exposure and ONCE IT GETS PICKED UP, we will definitely bring back all of the crew to work on the project."

Unless you feel like volunteering your time, don't fall for that. Because it will be nothing more than a volunteer gig and 9 times out of 10, it will turn out to be a nightmare.

BUT-student projects or people just getting together to have fun making a video or for a worthy cause-do not post promises of future paid work. They state it is a student or volunteer project. They will be upfront! And hey if you feel like throwing your hat in for the cause, by all means do it, it is a way to meet more people in the biz.

There are valid gigs on Craiglist. You just have to filter through all of the noise and respond to the ones you think are valid. Use your gut, if red flags are waving, then click off.

Look on Craigslist in the following sections: Under Jobs-TV/Film/Video, Under Gigs-Creative and Crew.

5. Managing Clients

Yeah you have your first gig! But oh no, you got a call for another gig and they are both on the same day!

Here is where the art of the "hold" or "penciled in" comes into play. So many times larger production companies, ad agencies, etc, will put a whole shoot together without having the 100% green light from their client. This happens more at the large corporate level than anywhere else. Or the producers for a reality show may pull back on a shoot at the last minute and only want two PAs instead of four. And national TV new outfits have a whole system of "hold" and "release" terms with payment ramifications and cut off times from a "hold" to a "go."

So what do you do?

Well first off, if you are booked and it is going to happen, then you are booked. You really have to weigh your options if you are booked on a gig and you get a call for another gig on the same day that is going to pay you a little more money or has better networking opportunities. You really have think hard about canceling on someone. How will it affect your relationship with that company or that person? This industry is very small, and word spreads fast if you don't honor commitments.

But let's say you are helping out your buddies on a short film and Martin Scorsese calls. Well, be honest and explain your situation to your friends and help them find someone else to replace you.

On the other hand if you are on a "hold" and another gig comes along, call the first gig and ask if it is really going to happen. If they can't give you answer or need more time, then tell them that you can take another gig so you won't be available anymore. Don't worry!! Producers deal with this all the time, you won't be black balled or talked bad about. The producer will respect your honesty. No producer or coordinator wants surprises; they want to know everything up front. And always say, "Keep me in mind for your next project."

And if you are working for a small gig, like writing a script, just manage your time wisely.

6. Insurance

Do you need to get a production liability insurance policy? Not unless you are going to be creating the entire production, hiring the crew, renting gear, etc. Then you are responsible for the production and you need it. You can't pull permit or even get on some locations without it. But if you are just being hired to be on the production team, then the production company will be responsible. And the production company should carry sufficient Workmen's Comp insurance in case something happens to you on the shoot. It is a gray area, but even volunteers on shoots can be covered under Workmen's Comp. Even if you are only on set for one day, you still will be covered. If you ever feel weird about a project, ask the producer if they have insurance. If they get mad at you for asking, then that is a red flag!!!

Medical Insurance on the other hand is the big issue. I still struggle with this. When I was at NBC as a freelancer, my union, NABET, worked with NBC so we could be part of the Entertainment Industry Flex Plan. I paid for the insurance, it was cheap because we were part of a large group and NBC managed the payments. And it was really great insurance. The catch was that you had to work so many days per year at a participating TV station to be part of the plan. When I left NBC, and after my Cobra ran out, I was faced with a huge dilemma.

There really is no one-way to go about this. And in some states, like Illinois, it is illegal for non profit member groups to come together and offer a group medical insurance plan. And if you have a pre-existing condition, until 2014, you can't get individual insurance; you have to be part of an employer group. The state of Illinois has an ICHIP program to help people like this, but prices vary.

Michelle De Long is the Executive Producer/President of Mimi Productions, a television and video production company in Chicago. Michelle spent 15 years as a freelancer at NBC News, has freelanced for ABC, CBS, FOX, Hallmark Channel, the City of Chicago and many other media outlets. Michelle has never had a "full time" job in her entire working career and has used that savvy to build her business, Mimi Productions, from the ground up. http://www.mimiproductions.com

5 Tips for Independent Film Producers: How to Survive the Turbulent Years Ahead

The Falling Value of Film Entertainment

Forty years ago, people who wanted to see a movie on a Friday night had just a few options. They could watch what was on TV, they could go to the local drive-in, or they could go to the local movie theater. The advent of video stores that sold hundreds or thousands of movies on video tape/DVD gave people new alternatives. They could watch this week's new movie at the movie theater, or take in last winter's box office smash in their own home. The technology required to burn tapes and DVDs subsequently turned every home in to a lending library for film and video. The rise of two-hundred-channel cable companies gave us two-hundred channels with something on. Now the best selling studio and independent films are available for download from from sites like video.google.com, http://www.movielink.com, http://www.unbox.com and http://www.itunes.com.

As the rise in movie viewing options has increased, the average box office value of new films has fallen. That's hard to believe isn't it.

Block busters like Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter mask the truth that more movies are being made by more people than ever before and yet the estimated revenue for each film is actually falling. Tens of thousands of feature films and documentaries are now available for sale through a variety of venues. A growing number of producers are making their movies available for free online in the hopes that they will develop a following that will result in "sell-able films" later on.

The falling value of the average movie has dramatic implications on the lives of people who make movies for a living.

Five Survival Strategies

Consider selling your products directly to viewers without going through standard distribution channels. A producer investing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on film for distribution on DVD should set aside a quarter or more of that budget for a media campaign that targets the market for the film. If they spend that budget wisely, customers will be looking for the film. Producers who find a solid, reliable international storefront for their films keep the percentage usually allocated to a traditional film distributor. For example, if you post your film on http://www.CustomFlix.com, your customers will be able to buy your DVD through Amazon (and soon download it through http://www.UnBox.com). You receive 60%-70% of product sales every month and retain complete control over your content, rather than waiting months or years for distributors to send checks.

Be very careful when choosing more traditional film distributors. Many distributors will evaporate in the months and years to come due to competition from turn-key distribution solutions offered by large, well funded competitors. You do not want distributors to have control over your content when they go under. Work with distributors who deliver cost-effective, fast-launch, flexible multi-national multimedia distribution and marketing solutions for their customers. Make sure there's an escape clause if they go into bankruptcy or fail to provide timely payments or accounting.

Work directly with community theaters, activist groups and social networks to have your films shown. "Four-walling" which used to be considered an amateur filmmaker's trick was demonstrated to be a sound business strategy by Mel Gibson's block buster The Passion of the Christ. That movie was premiered to Christian communities across the United States and their word of mouth drove it to be one of the most successful independent films ever made.

Work with your screenwriters to focus on less expensive, more character-driven films that target under-served market segments. There are tens of thousands of writers trying to write a great tent-pole film. The competition is fierce, the number of producers/studios who can fund that film is small. There's are far fewer writers/producers focusing on writing Christian science fiction or Christian mysteries although the Left Behind books and the DiVinci code indicate those markets exist and spend money.

Find funding through angel investors rather than through more traditional lending and investment mechanisms. Movies are a risky business, and they are growing more risky all the time. Fortunately the cost of making them is also falling fast. Angel investors will often pay to have a movie made as part of an artistic statement or act of community involvement while other investors will be driven more directly for a desire for profit. Producers will assemble groups of angel investors who fund projects, and those investors may elect to make their money available as grants rather than as loans or stock ownership. "Rich Patrons" may well be on their way back and they are certainly worth cultivating.

Evolve to Survive

Some trends are irreversible. Horses gave way to cars. Silent movies gave way to talking pictures. The movie industry is changing radically.

Those who want to make and sell movies for a living must revise their methods accordingly. They must make more films for less money, and the films they make must be better targeted so they are more cost-effective to sell. The good news is, great scripts, exceptional acting talent, strong technical skills and good business sense will be enough to give many producers the great careers they deserve and many viewers will end up with "new classics" to watch.

Nancy Fulton is a working screenwriter [http://www.scriptcorp.com] and independent film producer [http://www.backfromiraqmovie.com].