EL CARISO HOTSHOTS: CLICK HERE TO SEE SOME ECHS HISTORY

EL CARISO HOTSHOTS EARLY 1960

EL CARISO HOTSHOTS 1961-1962

Gordon King's Crew 1 (1962)

Doug Campbell's Crew 2 (1962)

The Crew in 1963 &1965

First year the green berets were worn

Decker fire memorial

EL CARISO HOTSHOTS IN 1966

CREW 1

Left to Right, Back: Joel Hill, Steve White, Jay Shilcutt, Steve Bowman, John Verdugo, Bob Chounard

Middle: Dan Moore, Rodney Seewald, Bill Waller, Andy Silkwood, Jim Reichard, Jim Mooreland

Front: Ed Cosgrove, Jim Brown, John Moor
From Crew 1: Joel Hill, Steve White, John Verdugo, Dan Moore,

Bill Waller and Jim Mooreland all died from burns they received on the Loop Fire of November 1, 1966.

Crew 2

Crew 2 - October 1966

Left to right, Back: Glen Spady, Pat Chase, Pete Achberger, Fred Danner, John Figlo, Joe Smalls, Mike White

Middle: Jerry Smith, Joe Beaty, Ken Barnhill,Frank Keesling, Tom Rother

Front: Richard Leak, Raymond Chee

From Crew 2: John Figlo, Mike White, Ken Barnhill, and Raymond Chee, died from burns received on the Loop Fire of November 1, 1966. Carl Shilcutt and Fred Danner died in the hospital at a later time.


ECHS Camp, August 1966

Dodge and Ford Crew Carriers, August 1966

ECHS Office and the Supts Truck

Mess Hall, Classroom, Shower & Laundry, August 1966

Inside the Barracks, world war II bunks, August 1966


	barracks

Crew 1 ford truck

crew 2 dodge truck

The crew in 1970

1971-1972

ECHS 1981

more to come.......

What is a Hotshot Crew

In the United States, an Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC), or simply Hotshot crew, is a Type 1 handcrew of 20 firefighters specially trained in wildfire suppression tactics.Hotshot crews are considered an elite group among wildland firefighters, due to their extensive training, high physical fitness standards, and ability to undertake difficult, dangerous, and stressful assignments.They often respond to large, high-priority fires and are trained and equipped to work in remote areas for extended periods of time with little logistical support.

As an interagency resource, Hotshot crews can be requested to respond to wildland fire incidents in any jurisdiction. As of 2009, there are 107 IHCs in operation in the United States, organized by diverse agencies such as the United States Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, as well as state, county, and city governments. The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho coordinates Hotshot crews on the national level.

Hotshot crews trace their history to Southern California in the late 1940s on the Cleveland and Angeles National Forest. The term "hotshot" comes from their having been assigned to the hottest parts of the fire.In American English, the term also connotes "a person who is conspicuously talented or successful".

While not fighting fires, Hotshot crews typically work in their home units to meet resource goals such as thinning, prescribed fire operations, habitat improvement, and trail construction projects. Hotshot crews can also respond to other emergency incidents, including search and rescue and disaster response.

EL CARISO HOTSHOTS

CLICK HERE TO SEE SOME ECHS HISTORY