Me, and countless others, worked ourselves, nearly to death at times, trying to make a so-so paycheck doing something we could be proud of.
When I think about the individuals I worked with, the actual men and women, we all had a hell of a lot more in common with the regular day-to-day rural victims and those threatened by fires and by this hurricane than we had in common with bureacratic feds or political people.
I’m 47 years old, I kinda waddle on wrecked knees, I have a few very bad lower back discs…I had a variety of concussions, and I manage with some manifestations of ptsd at times. I didn’t get a lot of money, or any benefits, just adventures and stories and a sense of having played my part in something important…where I could be of service and be my best.
One thing I have the hardest time with is that there’s not much way to participate anymore and I still just want to go and help, whenever things like this happen.
I wish people understood…
It hurts my soul to see us hated. It pisses me off, and makes me sad, and helpless, and old, and kind of afraid of the future.
If I wasn’t poor, and responsible on a daily basis for making a living and caring for loved ones, I would try to go there and make contact and try to bridge these gaps…these militia guys would love most hotshots if they only got to meet them…and honestly, real honest, if they need to shoot some old wildland fire guy to deal with whatever the hell is wrong with them, I’d rather it was me than some young shot with their whole life front of them.
I remember in the 90s at restaurants or camping in some park or staying in fleabag motels we were treated like suspicious dirtbags …then it was weird that we were suddenly treated much better after 9-11.
I think maybe the most dangerous form of this that I experienced was working in coastal NorCal before weed legalization, where there was always the spectre of armed weed growers, booby-trapped grow ops, etc.
We had a couple of “special functions” on that crew who helped with that…a couple hippy types (one may or may not have been me) who nobody could ever accuse of being anti-marijuana lol…to reassure a grower if we ran into one. And a few military vets who theoretically had an eye for traps…plus some hunters who had a good eye for sign and movements that didn’t look right.
Those were some tense shifts sometimes. Always poison oak out there too.
Hadn’t thought about that, thought about those shifts, some of those guys, those places, in a long time.
FEMA did this to themselves with their lack of response and the numerous reports of douche FEMA folks confiscating supplies and turning volunteers away. Dont agree with any angst aimed at the boots on the ground.....but ya gotta admit FEMA is a joke.
maybe crawl outta your basement and get a clue. There are countless first hand accounts from REPUTABLE aid companies and charities about FEMA interfering with aid and rescues......so stick your BS conspiracy crap where the sun dont shine. Youre nothing but a troll with your alternating caps crap.
C'mon Rusty....we all know you're the one in the basement.
What exactly did FEMA do to themselves? I mean you don't see anybody in a FEMA jacket filling sanbags, clearing downed trees, or handing out aid. Anybody with even slightly below average intelligence knows they're the bureaucracy. Yet allegedly we have some inbred redneck y'all Qaeda types with 5 teeth between em all "hunting" federal responders because bots and useful parrots like your self said that's FEMA and FEMA is there to ruin everything.
I worked with FEMA and the Red Cross as an IARR on Katrina & Rita hurricanes.
FEMA and the Red Cross were a total joke. Never again for either one!
They insisted daily "We're in charge" and just step away and everything would fail every f**king day because the Crews & Overhead wre making it work! We'd say "Okay then, be in charge." We'd step away and let them be "in charge.: it fell apart every day!
The claimed they were using ICS bot it was NIIMS . EVERY F**KING DAY!
I never donated to Red Cross ever again switching to the Salvation Army.
It’s always a shit show with too many cooks. Like a wildfire split or even combined with multiple jurisdictions. Forest/ODF; Forest/ODF/BLM. Lack of communication adds to it.
Before the Miles Fire blew up; I had been flopping from Forest to ODF sides. One morning ODF decided that briefing near the fireline was a good idea. Night shift was leaving the line; we were heading in and everyone was stuck on a single lane logging road while traffic tried to position to get flow moving. No eyes were on the fire and our shift hadn’t been briefed and we were technically near the head on the fire.
Unless it’s a small team; getting something specific done without much overhead there will always tend to be a shitshow moment or more.
FEMA should be disbanded - over the last 20 so years it has been a joke for people to get relief or even aid. People were made promises and the thrown aside as garbage. As far as hunting for them- that is too extreme behavior. Not how you get results. The Governor should step in and remove fema from that state- they have that power to do so.
I’d bet that these militias are spun up about the inaction of FEMA, and because they’re uninformed they think all Federal workers are somehow tied to FEMA.
Welcome to Malheur vibes, America!
This is really sad and frustrating.
Me, and countless others, worked ourselves, nearly to death at times, trying to make a so-so paycheck doing something we could be proud of.
When I think about the individuals I worked with, the actual men and women, we all had a hell of a lot more in common with the regular day-to-day rural victims and those threatened by fires and by this hurricane than we had in common with bureacratic feds or political people.
I’m 47 years old, I kinda waddle on wrecked knees, I have a few very bad lower back discs…I had a variety of concussions, and I manage with some manifestations of ptsd at times. I didn’t get a lot of money, or any benefits, just adventures and stories and a sense of having played my part in something important…where I could be of service and be my best.
One thing I have the hardest time with is that there’s not much way to participate anymore and I still just want to go and help, whenever things like this happen.
I wish people understood…
It hurts my soul to see us hated. It pisses me off, and makes me sad, and helpless, and old, and kind of afraid of the future.
If I wasn’t poor, and responsible on a daily basis for making a living and caring for loved ones, I would try to go there and make contact and try to bridge these gaps…these militia guys would love most hotshots if they only got to meet them…and honestly, real honest, if they need to shoot some old wildland fire guy to deal with whatever the hell is wrong with them, I’d rather it was me than some young shot with their whole life front of them.
Thank you for the work you’ve done.
I had a decent 12 years in EMS. Until I broke my hip and had a falling out with ambulance work.
Be well.
Still processing…
I remember in the 90s at restaurants or camping in some park or staying in fleabag motels we were treated like suspicious dirtbags …then it was weird that we were suddenly treated much better after 9-11.
I guess now we’re dirtbags again.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
I feel that; “still processing…”
Writing helps me sort some of it.
Certain events rarely leave the now though; can make it difficult.
I think maybe the most dangerous form of this that I experienced was working in coastal NorCal before weed legalization, where there was always the spectre of armed weed growers, booby-trapped grow ops, etc.
We had a couple of “special functions” on that crew who helped with that…a couple hippy types (one may or may not have been me) who nobody could ever accuse of being anti-marijuana lol…to reassure a grower if we ran into one. And a few military vets who theoretically had an eye for traps…plus some hunters who had a good eye for sign and movements that didn’t look right.
Those were some tense shifts sometimes. Always poison oak out there too.
Hadn’t thought about that, thought about those shifts, some of those guys, those places, in a long time.
Oh the joy of poison oak.
Good to know you all had each other’s back. Sounds like a healthy mix of people for the environment.
FEMA did this to themselves with their lack of response and the numerous reports of douche FEMA folks confiscating supplies and turning volunteers away. Dont agree with any angst aimed at the boots on the ground.....but ya gotta admit FEMA is a joke.
Lol bro read a conspiracy post from some bots and now "FEMA DiD tHiS tO THemseLvEs" hahahahaha
Can't wait for the "It's true! A guy I know who knows a guy whose sister is there saw it for herself" reply....
awwww arent you cute.
Yes I am...and smart...also not gullible.
maybe crawl outta your basement and get a clue. There are countless first hand accounts from REPUTABLE aid companies and charities about FEMA interfering with aid and rescues......so stick your BS conspiracy crap where the sun dont shine. Youre nothing but a troll with your alternating caps crap.
C'mon Rusty....we all know you're the one in the basement.
What exactly did FEMA do to themselves? I mean you don't see anybody in a FEMA jacket filling sanbags, clearing downed trees, or handing out aid. Anybody with even slightly below average intelligence knows they're the bureaucracy. Yet allegedly we have some inbred redneck y'all Qaeda types with 5 teeth between em all "hunting" federal responders because bots and useful parrots like your self said that's FEMA and FEMA is there to ruin everything.
thanks for making my point. Idiot.
FEMA pushing Appalachians could have a different effect than what they did during Katrina.
I worked with FEMA and the Red Cross as an IARR on Katrina & Rita hurricanes.
FEMA and the Red Cross were a total joke. Never again for either one!
They insisted daily "We're in charge" and just step away and everything would fail every f**king day because the Crews & Overhead wre making it work! We'd say "Okay then, be in charge." We'd step away and let them be "in charge.: it fell apart every day!
The claimed they were using ICS bot it was NIIMS . EVERY F**KING DAY!
I never donated to Red Cross ever again switching to the Salvation Army.
I quit giving to the Red Cross
It’s always a shit show with too many cooks. Like a wildfire split or even combined with multiple jurisdictions. Forest/ODF; Forest/ODF/BLM. Lack of communication adds to it.
Before the Miles Fire blew up; I had been flopping from Forest to ODF sides. One morning ODF decided that briefing near the fireline was a good idea. Night shift was leaving the line; we were heading in and everyone was stuck on a single lane logging road while traffic tried to position to get flow moving. No eyes were on the fire and our shift hadn’t been briefed and we were technically near the head on the fire.
Unless it’s a small team; getting something specific done without much overhead there will always tend to be a shitshow moment or more.
FEMA should be disbanded - over the last 20 so years it has been a joke for people to get relief or even aid. People were made promises and the thrown aside as garbage. As far as hunting for them- that is too extreme behavior. Not how you get results. The Governor should step in and remove fema from that state- they have that power to do so.
Sounds suspicious. I would be interested to see what the full context is
same.
The story has been picked up by a handful of mainstream (eg, Washington Post) and non-mainstream (eg, Daily Kos) media outlets. Dig in, y’all!
What The Fuck Do You about FEMA. Most likely could be expanded what do you know about anything. Ignorant and not American.
I’d bet that these militias are spun up about the inaction of FEMA, and because they’re uninformed they think all Federal workers are somehow tied to FEMA.