CORE Crews: National Park Service Wildland Fire Crews for Women and Veterans

CORE crews are a way into the wildland fire profession. NPS / B. Spielman

Since 2021, the National Park Service (NPS) has teamed up with conservation corps across the country to open doors in wildland fire — including all-women and all-veteran crews. The program is called CORE Crews: "Creating Opportunities for Relevant Experiences."

Where they've worked

It began with crews from the Montana Conservation Corps and the California Conservation Corps; in 2022 the Student Conservation Association (SCA) joined. Crews have served in Grand Teton, New River Gorge, Yellowstone and Yosemite national parks, and in Alaska and the Southeast.

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

Training

Crew members take a series of courses:

They must pass the arduous Work Capacity Test — carrying a 45-pound pack for three miles in 45 minutes on flat ground — and meet National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards for Firefighter Type 2 and Faller 3.

The work

Crews may do fuels reduction and can be sent to wildfires. Through the season, they have a supervisor and NPS fire staff to help them learn.

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

An SCA crew doing fuels reduction in Denali National Park, 2022. NPS

After the season

Each member is paired with an NPS mentor for career advice that lasts long after the season ends. Several have gone on to become wildland fire apprentices and firefighters with the NPS and other agencies. The NPS plans to expand the program to more parks and regions.

How to join: check with your state's conservation corps through The Corps Network.

Sources

Based on "CORE crews - NPS-hosted wildland fire conservation crews," National Park Service; a work of the United States government in the public domain.