The Western Colorado Conservation Corps offers opportunities for young adults to spend a season serving on meaningful conservation projects throughout Western Colorado. Projects may include a variety of trail construction/maintenance, fence construction/removal, invasive species removal, fire fuels reduction, habitat restoration and/or historic preservation.

Fire Crew Specifically:

This position will be based out of our Grand Junction office. This is not a 9-5 job, rather an experience where long hours and extended time away from your home base are to be expected. Serving as a Fire Crew Member at WCCC means having passion for service to others, for wild lands and wild places, for personal growth, and for any number of WCCC’s values. Crews will camp for most of their term, oftentimes in remote locations in varied terrain and in all weather conditions.  Primary service types will include habitat restoration and fuels mitigation with the potential for fire response and prescribed burning – with a heavy emphasis in chainsaw use. Performs basic fire line activities such as: line construction, lopping, and scattering of fuels using hand tools and holding, patrolling, monitoring burns, and more. Once the crew has been red card certified and are eligible for fire deployment, individuals from the FC will disperse onto traditional crews to be available for deployments.

The position also requires preparation time and post-session clean up.  

Essentials Position Functions:

• Must be willing and able to camp at least 4-8 nights
• Complete 9 hours of service per day for 4-8 days while camping in a variety of outdoor conditions, including inclement weather for the duration of term
• Successfully complete AmeriCorps member Orientation and CPR/First Aid Training
• Must be motivated, responsible, and have a positive attitude
• Willing to cook and clean up at the camp site when necessary
• Participate in evaluation process (number and timing of evaluations depend on length of contract)
• Participate in WCCC-wide volunteer events
• Participate in rig-up and rig-down procedures
• Live, work, and serve closely with a diverse group of people
• Perform basic fire line activities such as line construction, lopping, and scattering of fuels using hand tools and holding, patrolling, monitoring, and mop-up operations
• Moves dirt, chops brush, small trees, etc. to construct fire line
• Is responsible for observing the rules of wildland firefighting safety
• Applies practices and techniques to minimize resource damage
• Serves as a skilled wildland firefighter on an organized crew during prescribed burns, monitoring and controlling the fire
• Performs project service types such as fuel inventory and hazard reduction projects
• Must adhere to and enforce the rules and regulations of WCCC and AmeriCorps, which includes abstaining from the use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco as well as other rules, regulations, and risk management protocol

Service Environment:

This position requires arduous physical activity in adverse weather conditions. Crew members must be physically fit and able to lift, bend, carry, push and other heavy physical labor.