Rookie firefighters go into the fire

It's a ritual. New faces, smiles, a slightly nervous lot, but one with lots of energy and optimism. Somehow, they've gotten the job. They are in training for a career battling wildfire.

It is time to learn the realities of how it is done. They will make some new friends this week, some of whom will remain close during illustrious careers with their new chosen agencies.

Two of the closest friends they will make for life this week will be their shovels and their fire shelters. They will spend a lot of time with these - if they last.

This year's group of 70 rookie wildland firefighters stepped out of the classroom last week and into the field near Sisters. They formed functioning fire teams to start trying out what has been being hammered into them this week in the classroom at Sisters Middle School for their "Guard" training in basic firefighting.

Bootcamp.

Coming from the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Department of Forestry and the Portland Water Bureau, they are sharing the benefit of these combined training resources prepping them for the skills and discipline needed to safely operate on today's fire teams.

On Wednesday they left their classrooms to make a fire camp for the night in the National Forest, using and getting used to their new field gear. For some, it was the first night they ever camped in the woods. Thursday morning brought fire team assignments and being "dispatched" out on a full fire initial attack scenario.

The new firefighters had responsibility for a pair of one-acre fires that had been set off by the training team. This full attack scenario integrates experienced firefighters who are training and certifying for team leader status taking direction of the squads of rookies for their first response of their new career.

Now it was time to eat smoke, dig dirt and sweat. And they did. Swing, cough, scrape. Swing, scrape, scrape, swing, cough, swing. Orders and safety warnings passed up and down the line.

The wind is doing a big shift. Oh man, the smoke is right in the face now. You can hardly breathe anymore. Hey, this is really hot for a training fire. C'mon. We better get this line dug a little faster, maybe a tad wider too. What was that they said about safety routes? Mop-up?

This a lot of what wildland firefighters really do. Eat smoke, dig dirt, sweat and watch their backsides. Now the rookies know how the job is really done. With a shovel.

Sisters welcomes the new firefighters. We may need them soon.