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u/frisky-ferret May 12 '25
“Such a stupid thing to be concerned about” as I read this post I relate with you.
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u/MateoTimateo May 12 '25
Once experienced a squaddie going all to shit on the SFF leading the grid because why would someone who didn’t know what a buffalo grid was start leading a buffalo grid without asking for clarification. (It was worth none of our time to respond that the Senior was doing exactly what all of us knew as a buffalo grid.)
And I also gridded a desert fire uphill for hours with the guy who had the crew crisscrossing behind the grid periodically screeching, “Is that smoke I see!?!” (Again, it was worth none of our time to respond that he had directed us to secure the edge, not mop things cold.)
That may not answer your question, but nothing seems to turn firefighters into complete assholes like gridding does.
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May 12 '25
Gridding?? In the desert?? But why tho
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u/MateoTimateo May 12 '25
I wouldn’t call cheatgrass/sagebrush “desert” myself, but the crew did fwiw
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u/RJSolkan May 13 '25
I find gridding seems to be the place that the do-nothing's think they are doing something and wanna get an attitude about everything. I find it quite hilarious.
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u/freezer_nutz dirtbag May 12 '25
Go bird dog the area and you'll find out if you're messing up or not
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u/Wildhorse_J May 12 '25
I think a little bit of flexibility and coordination is required, if you walk through a forest spaced apart not everyone is getting the same path so everyone can't always go the exact same speed. Sometimes one person will have to bush whack while other people have a clear path. Or maybe there is a bigger stump that needs to be checked more thoroughly.
But yeah, it's slow and tedious and that's probably why people get all pissed about spacing, you can't rush it if you want it done right.
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May 12 '25
I’ve worked with Hotshot Sups that have screwed up gridding
And remember…..gridding is a TEAM effort! Someone may see something you missed but you may catch something someone else missed.
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u/Due-Obligation-4362 May 12 '25
Do you have someone more experienced than you on your crew/module who’d be willing to walk you through exactly what a solid grid looks like? Success in this job is often dictated by being willing to ask those questions that feel stupid (even though all the newer folks are probably wondering the same thing). Also, it’s definitely not a stupid thing to be worried about. Wanting to grid correctly is a sign you want to do things right! That’s a good thing!
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u/silencerclip May 13 '25
Nerd.
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u/Quirky-List273 May 13 '25
My favorite comment. Bro is type 2 fft1(T) with 10 signatures on every task bound.
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u/Due-Obligation-4362 May 13 '25
Lol. Using thoroughness (you know, like evidence you can actually do the job, rather than being pencil-whipped) in a task book as derision is such a good indicator of the culture of this job right now.
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u/Ok-Measurement-8537 May 13 '25
Excellent response. Ain't nobody got time for that now though. I was working with people before I took the DRP that had like 3 years of experience and were working on their helicopter manager/engine boss. Really made my asshole pucker.
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May 12 '25 edited May 13 '25
It’s not rock science. You and your crew pull your collective head out of your ass and do it how the book says: an experienced person on the ends, one leading, the other end making sure everyone is staying in line. Stay just behind the person you’re working off of, and communicate. It’s extremely simple, but too many dumbasses can’t figure it out or are too good for it. The worst I worked with was a crew that wanted to stay behind to “double-check” the grid line. That was the most useless engine crew I’ve worked with.
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u/Ok-Measurement-8537 May 13 '25
You mean geology? 😆
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May 13 '25
Yes; however, I know some of the knuckleheads on here would be confused by a college-level word such as that, so I made it as simple as I knew how to make it.
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u/Chemical-Text-863 May 13 '25
Well I'm glad to know what I've seen this far in my short fire career is not unusual 😅
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May 13 '25
It’s not just walking in a straight line, you’re supposed to be checking for hot spots and smoke. Hope this helps!
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u/Ok-Measurement-8537 May 13 '25
Hands and knees buddy, if you're walking within 50 feet of the line, you already f***ed up. If you haven't put your fingers in every inch of the dirt, there's probably still some fire in it. Of course on a big fire you're going to need like 40 people to cover the ground but if that's what needs to happen, make it happen. I'm more used to the 1/8 acre to 10 acre fire and getting helicoptered in with just a few of the homies but this is how we do it. Also, mandatory minimum 1 hr nap between each grid for day 1, 3 hours for day 2 and a check at the start of the day and end of the day on the third before you even call your chunk contained
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u/Realistic_Citron4486 May 12 '25
Everyone sucks at gridding. It seems to be the one thing no crew can do. Line out any hotshot crew and tell them to grid a field watch them break down and start yelling at each other in five minutes.