I was just called tonight from Search and Rescue of Idaho County to do road closure for the fire areas. We are getting to many looky loo'ers driving up in the fire areas, etc. So I'm not sure when and where exactly yet but I'll be gone for 12 hour shifts for maybe 14 days. So I'll keep you all informed of what's happening...As for air quality here it nasty at times...

Be safe!!!

Be safe, mike. and keep your hair tucked in your hat. I'd hate to see your lockes go up in smoke!

Take care. We need you back in one piece.

Be safe!!!

Always...

Be safe, mike. and keep your hair tucked in your hat. I'd hate to see your lockes go up in smoke!

Excuse me... My hair is typically tied up neatly...

Take care. We need you back in one piece.

I'll be back in one piece... It will be a very boring job from what I'm finding out. I'll be stationed at a road with a road closed sign and check all vehicle traffic in and out of the fire. 12 hour shifts of sitting around in the truck all day. So I better get my MP3 collection together, a few books to read, and lots of food to munch on. Where I'll be at there is no cellphone signal so that's out... Radio service is limited to. Still waiting for information to come down the pipe from the SAR's commander. Also informed my Fire Dept of the hat swap too.

Yea, where I have been working, the fires from central WA have been coming down our way and smokin' us out. We are just now getting a break from it all. Wife had to do back to back nebulizer treatments for her asthma. Was lucky to not have to rush her to the hospital...Mike, do you have your red card? If so, did you have to go back to guard school to do it? I really wanna jump on the wildland bandwagon but it appears guard school is the only way to get your foot in the door and thats once a year...

Typically in the late spring we take a S190 class for the Red Card and have it before fire season kicks off. But this year I kind of slipped under the wire and still worked the fire under the local fire dept. as structure protection. Take care of your wife... I know what it like to live with asthma. I had a ex-girlfriend that had it and was rough at times.

Regardless of your duty , stay safe out there...

Well gang... I'm signed up and waiting for my order to come to me tonight from the commander. I'm going to most likely be working the night shift from 6pm to 6am holding a road closed in the Sheep fire. http://www.inciweb.org/incident/maps/3240/0/ Basically my duty will be to keep all unauthorized personnel out of the fire like hunters and firewood cutters. I will be working directly with Idaho County Sheriff Office in Grangeville, ID. So from this point on gang I will not be available for phone information you'll have to contact ISX or any of the other members here that are willing to aid you in you issues. Thank you for being understanding...

good luck my friend and travel safe.

I did a video log of my first night... I don't have the time to process it now. I'm bushed and tired... But I'm long ways from home approx. 90 miles to the check point. Only action we had was a car load of teen aged girl that drove all the way back there at about 1am to go look at the fire... Geez... Parents be smart keep your kids at home.

Are you "deputized" and allowed to carry a sidearm??

I stood post as a Reserve member of the local PD (yes, we were armed) for evacuated beach neighborhoods post hurricane(s). Pretty boring. As the hurricanes were close misses, the residents were anxious to check for damage but the areas weren't opened until the utilities were inspected. The actually beach front houses were pretty damaged by waves & small stones thrown though the plate glass.

Are you "deputized" and allowed to carry a sidearm??

Technically... Yes I'm packing my 9mm Star pistol. As a matter of fact yesterday evening I got pulled to the side by the USFS LEO. Questioning the fact of my carrying a pistol in fire camp. I was told at my initial briefing through the Sheriff Office that SAR's could carry a side arm on the job. Well after than I packed my supplies for the night and headed for my post up Fish Creek to Four Corners again. Once I got there I talked with the Idaho Co. LEO on duty at the time and he told me none of the SAR's could not carry. Huh!? Ok. So no biggy toss the pistol on the center console and went to work. After about 9:30 (21:30) the road got very quiet and the fire crew where gone. Killer! Chase and I sat and talked trucks for hours it seemed until the air got cold. Chase looks at me and says "Hey you want to watch a movie?" Hell yeah! He fired up the laptop plugged in a DVD and we go comfy in his truck. (Ford 7.3L) About 11:00 (23:00) I was nodding off... Time to haul over to my truck and nap. Set the alarm on the cell for 12 midnight (00:00) and drifted off to sleep. I kept doing half hour alarms to keep me from sleeping to deep and not hearing the Radio. Well about 1:30am I got up to eat. Cold I mean cold! (38*F) Tried reading a book for hour or so couldn't do it. Back to half hour alarms again. Well 5:30am rolls around and wake up. Still colder than ______ out. So I pulled myself together and got my paperwork done in the dim of the morning. Expecting the commander to call us out... WRONG! He left his post and no one came so I had to roll out to post to find no LEO there. Ok. Still not a biggy... The relief crew came in just about on time. So Chase and I left and headed for ICP. Knowing I got to pick up my buddy in Grangeville... Here what sucks. I get to Grangeville, ID and my buddy James is nowhere to be seen. Well I knew he's out on Hungry Ridge holding his post which is farther out. Hour goes by... Ok. Finally I see a fellow SAR's member and she is pissed off. Also come to find out as long as I'm a concealed wepaon permit holder and working with SAR's I permitted to carry at all times after to talking with my fellow SAR's member. Come to find out the schedule had a error in it she was called at 8:30am to cover Hungry Ridge. I knew it would take her 1 hour to drive in and relief my buddy James and another hour for them to get out. Needless to say radios helped a bunch they transfer in flight. So a hour later James shows in Grangeville. Headed for home... I got home at 12:10pm. Thankfully I don't have duty tonight or I would of came home and left 2 1/2 hours later... (Thank you Lord! ) So I get to sleep at home tonight! YEAH!

Well would you believe since I started this adventure I'm up to 687 Miles travelled and holding a even 21.0 MPG.Does it look lived in? I wasn't joking...

Well after day 4 of working SAR's for Idaho County and Sheep Fire security I've cleared over 928 miles of driving back and forth. Finally got a bit wore out on this and reported this to the Security lead of the ICP camp. He's said he would do everything he could to relocate me on the south end of the fire closer to home. In the mean time I've got 2 days off yet and got to catch up with James my buddy and help him take care of his vehicle today. I got to change CV joints on his Ford Explorer. (2000 4.0L) Fun... Then I can get back to work on the fire again.http://goo.gl/maps/gl3vl