CORE crews - NPS-hosted wildland fire conservation crews

CORE crews are a great opportunity to learn about the profession of wildland fire and fuels management.

NPS/B SPIELMAN

A member of the 2022 NPS-hosted CORE crew in Alaska works on a chainsaw at Katmai National Park & Preserve.

NPS

Since 2021, the National Park Service (NPS) has been partnering with conservation corps organizations across the country to create opportunities in wildland fire, by hosting several types of crews, including all-veteran crews. The program is under the umbrella of NPS CORE Crews - "Creating Opportunities for Relevant Experiences."

The program began with hosting fire crews in partnership with the Montana Conservation Corps and the California Conservation Corps. Continued in 2022, CORE crews were employed by the same conservation corps, as well as the Student Conservation Association (SCA). CORE crews have been hosted in Grand Teton, New River Gorge, Yellowstone, andYosemite national parks, and in Alaska and the Southeast.

Crewmembers receive training, including firefighter training (S-130), Introduction to Fire Behavior (S-190), Introduction to the Incident Command System (ICS-100), Human Factors in the Wildland Fire Service (L-180), An Introduction to the National Incident Management System (IS-700), and Wildland Fire Chainsaws (S212). They complete the arduous level Work Capacity Test, which consists of carrying a 45-pound pack for three miles in 45 minutes over flat terrain. In their assignments, they will meet standards set forth by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) as Firefighter Type 2 and Faller 3.

The AmeriCorps/Conservation Legacy Veterans Fire Crew treated invasive species and planted native seeds around the Sandstone Visitor Center.

NPS

They may work on fuels reduction projects and could be deployed to wildfire assignments. At the end of their season, crew members are assigned an NPS mentor to assist with future employment and career goals.

Throughout the season, crewmembers have support from a supervisor and NPS fire staff to assist them with learning. Crewmembers have access to NPS fire staff who will provide mentoring and advice, long after the season ends.

NPS intends to expand the conservation corps program in the coming years to more and more parks and regions, to provide experiences which create avenues of success for the future of NPS wildland fire.

Multiple CORE crew members have gone on to become apprentices and wildland firefighters for the NPS and other bureaus or agencies.

Members of an SCA crew work on fuels reduction in Denali National Park, 2022.

NPS

How Do I Apply?
Check with your state’s conservation corps: Find a Corps – The Corps Network

Need More Information?
Email us with questions regarding CORE crews hosted by the National Park Service.