Wildland Firefighting Crew

Currently Alberta uses the following Wildfire Crews:

• Type 1 Helitack Rappel (HAC1R)
• Type 1 Helitack (HAC1H)
• Type 1 Firetack (HAC1F)
• Type 2 Wildfire Crew (WFC2)

Forestry Division relies heavily on the skills of wildfire crews in its Fire Suppression Program. A ground firefighter puts out hotspots and builds containment lines that help stop the spread of fire.

Ground firefighters can not do this alone, but work closely with aerial and other ground firefighting systems.

For information on seasonal Wildfire Crew positions, visit:

• Seasonal Employment – Wildfire Crews

Wildfire Crew History

By the end of the 1960s, Alberta had established a formal fireline organizational structure and firefighter training courses. Firefighters worked in a 25-person crew consisting of a crew boss, three squad bosses, with seven crew members under each squad boss. Today, the crew has been re-configured to consist of an eight-person crew (one leader with seven crew members) and is known as a Type 2 Wildfire crew.

The late 1990s created contracted Type 1 Firetack (HAC1F) crews. They work a specific period during the fire season for the Forestry Division, as well as, with forest industry to carry out silviculture and other forest management projects.

Page Navigation

Skip to breadcrumb trail

Page Information

Updated: Jun 1, 2010