r/Wildfire • u/Dangerous-Mirror1285 • Jul 13 '25
News (General) No chapstick or tampons on fires
The CIMT supply teams are no longer able to buy/supply various medical items including Chapstick, tampons, pads, icy hot, allergy medicine, Qtips, glucose strips, hand warmers, lotion, tooth brush, tooth paste, and so much more! The MED units may bring those items and disburse them, but they will not be bought to supply resources
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u/Adrunkopossem Jul 13 '25
So as a medical team I'm going to need to be handing that stuff out no matter what. I'm just going to have to eat that cost. I don't know how they can claim an individual's health is not important to the fire as a whole. How many individuals need to drop out before these things become important? It feels like they are relying on the medical teams to just eat the cost because they know that most will because it will make a difference to the people they are serving alongside. I'm going to be bringing these things because I can't imagine having to tell a firefighter "no" when she asks me for basic hygiene supplies. Can't imagine telling a 10 year vet "no icy hot for you, suck up that aching shoulder". None of these things are actually expensive. All of which will be in demand near the end of a 2 week deployment
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u/Bright_Bobcat_7992 Jul 14 '25
WTH I can write a billionaire for a donation. Where should I have them sent?
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u/YOLO_Bundy Jul 14 '25
A “10 year vet” brings his own shit
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u/Wanderingghost12 State Jul 14 '25
He shouldn't have to. This is his place of work. There's a level to which things that are required to do your job are provided. Even still, what if he runs out? What if he kindly gives some of his supplies away? Is he expected to provide for everyone instead (assuming he cares about the other people he's on the line with)? While obviously a different situation, this is extremely similar to teachers being forced to buy their own school supplies for their classrooms. You don't know what's going to happen out there and you can't prepare for every scenario
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u/YOLO_Bundy Jul 16 '25
“He shouldn’t have to”
He or she SMH
The level of entitlement here is astounding. Sorry, but reality doesn’t care about your feelings.
I love how you rookies and camp clowns always out yourselves. Tell me again that you have never actually done anything difficult.
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u/Wanderingghost12 State Jul 16 '25
If it were literally any other job, it is expected that your employer provide you with the tools you need to succeed, which includes medical supplies. That may be superfluous to you, but OSHA laws were developed from blood of accidents, so part of this is federal/state law, depending on the type supply. I would say food, icyhot, etc. are pretty necessary implements to an assignment, whether that be for a few days or weeks... But idk, I enjoy not suffering simply because of my pride if I don't have to
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u/Sarcastikon Jul 13 '25
Anything I want to write would just get me in trouble so I’ll just leave it at “wow”.
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u/Empty_Boysenberry_75 Jul 13 '25
They also want us to use the John Wayne toilet paper from the cache.
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u/Zealousideal-Ad-2615 Jul 13 '25
Our local cache got sick of the Uline trash and started sending angel soft.
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u/mtnman54321 Jul 14 '25
Uline huge supporters of Trump and Republicans, which equals big government contracts.
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u/Orcacub Jul 14 '25
All complaints aimed at anybody on a IMT or a buying team are misplaced. All anybody in finance, or supply or on buying team wants to do is give the FF’s what they need within the bounds of law, policy and regulation. They care and that’s why they volunteer to do the work- to take care of the FF’s. Someone way above them has changed the rules and put it in writing and will be holding people to the change. Complain to the White House and the DOGE-planted operatives within the agencies right at the top. That’s where this is coming from. Not being political here. Just identifying the source of the new policy.
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u/xj98jeep Jul 21 '25
All anybody in finance, or supply or on buying team wants to do is give the FF’s what they need within the bounds of law, policy and regulation.
I'm sorry but anyone who's done this job for more than a few years knows that's a fucking lie lmao
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u/Orcacub Jul 22 '25
Oh? Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on it. Calling me a liar and/or questioning my level of experience/time in is a pretty personal, pointed call out.
Maybe you meant to say I was mistaken? Maybe you meant to say I was misinformed? Or that your and my experience with these folks varied? Maybe not?
How many seasons have you been in fire? How many seasons on an IMT? How many people in finance, supply, ordering, etc. you know personally? I ask because I’m curious how many seasons I will have to be in fire, serving on a CIMT, shoulder to shoulder with the folks who’s motivations and intentions you are maligning before I reach your level of enlightenment on the motivations and intentions of people serving in the all volunteer IMT world.
Please advise.
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u/xj98jeep Jul 22 '25 edited Jul 22 '25
Easy killer, it was an off the cuff comment. I didn't meant to offend, my experience has been the opposite and I thought we'd have a laugh about it. I've been in primary fire for 12 years, all agency & getting 800-1200 hrs of OT, and have spent time every single season, almost every assignment fighting with either time, supply, and/or ordering. I've had to get my DIV to come into the time tent b/c the time person "didn't feel like we really earned H pay that day" in spite of signed CTRs w/ H, I've spent countless hours showing them the yellow book policies, I've had to bring used saw chains back to supply to get fresh ones, "subject matter expert sign-off" to get new air filters, being asked how many radios we had and given the exact number of AAs in a ziploc bag for a single shift, and plenty more nonsense. One time they wanted my bloody space blanket from a red medical I was on to order me a new one lmao.
IMTs are not all volunteer, every single person there is getting paid. They have the option to go out or not, sure, and they're working at their regular GS rate sure, but they're typically GS-7+ and getting heaps of OT plus free food and a change of pace from their day job. Or an AD and making bank.
I'm unwilling to dox myself for the sake of arguing on the internet, but I know plenty of people on IMTs in medium to high level positions.
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u/Orcacub Jul 22 '25
It’s all good. I was in an ornery mood when I saw your comment and over reacted.
I think we are just seeing things differently. Neither of us is lying. And I’m not trying to downplay the hassles you have, and are experiencing. Used to experience same things myself when I was still out on the line. The struggle is real! I could order/request thousands of dollars in aircraft support, but had to justify more than one reload worth of AAs for my radio. That stuff drove me nuts. I get it. It sucks to just want to do your job and instead get bogged down in all the administrative crap that gets in the way, and running into folks who are uninformed on the policy - red book/yellow book etc. You should not have to be educating them. Takes time you need for sleep and managing your folks/resource. Burns mental energy that’s often in short supply and high demand, at least it did for me.
Being on an IMT clarified a bunch of things for me about how some people acted about some issues. I really do believe that with very few exceptions the folks are trying to get you what they can , and pay you what you have earned given their understanding of what they can and cannot provide within law, policy and regulation. For the most part they are doing the best that can with what they have/know. Be well. Stay safe. Have a rewarding and gratifying season.
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u/Zealousideal-Ad-2615 Jul 13 '25
Which teams? Our local teams can get that stuff for us but our teams are state so maybe that's the difference.
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u/PatienceCurrent8479 Jul 13 '25
Direction was specifically for federal buying teams supporting federal incidents.
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u/Zealousideal-Ad-2615 Jul 13 '25
Good to know we're going to have to get some extra supplies for some of our people when they go to federal fires.
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u/RogerfuRabit Jul 14 '25
While I think this is a douche move, I also have never acquired any of these items from a IMT in 15 seasons - all USFS. I guess we just push that burden onto the employee?
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u/The_Gordon_Gekko Jul 15 '25
I mean if they want to go off the deep end just start buying from gsa.gov and when they complain about the cost just say well if we want to act federal as a state then we might as well go all the way down that rabbit hole. Heck even condoms can be ordered with the right NSN.
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u/ethanyelad Wildland FF1 Jul 13 '25
Why?
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u/KBear44 Jul 13 '25
Read u/PatienceCurrent8479’s comment.
Essentially, the logic is that if it is not mission critical and considered a personal use product, then it should be brought personally and not purchased by Supply/Logistics.
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u/Zealousideal-Ad-2615 Jul 13 '25
Because when you get trapped by a fire the a fire shelter doesn't count as personal use.
Edit: I take that back. I don't want to give buying teams any ideas.
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u/ethanyelad Wildland FF1 Jul 13 '25
Tampons?
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u/KBear44 Jul 13 '25
According to the purchasing guidelines, they are not mission critical to the whole wildfire and are considered individual/personal use; therefore, they have to be brought if one considers that they might need it.
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u/pegasuspish Jul 13 '25
Tell me a single decision maker has suddenly started gushing blood from their genitals while cutting line on an uncontrolled fireline. Misogynistic fucks
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u/AskAJedi Jul 13 '25
They don’t want women to work.
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u/HistoricalStreet505 Jul 16 '25
That’s seriously what I’m hearing. No matter how well you plan, you can always run short or be surprised.
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u/manzanita2 Jul 13 '25
I mean FOOD is also individual and personal use is it not?
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u/KBear44 Jul 13 '25
Hey man, I don’t necessarily agree with what they are doing and some of their logic behind it. I am just stating their alleged reasoning behind it.
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u/Wanderingghost12 State Jul 14 '25
As if it's something that can just be turned off lol I mean sure you can go on birth control but not everyone wants to or has access to it
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u/GrouchyAssignment696 Jul 13 '25
Emergency fire starters and profuse bleeding control. They have other uses.
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u/Main_Bother_1027 Jul 15 '25
So, a bit of clarification. These are items that can't just be ordered through supply. They are supposed to instead be gotten from the cache. Obviously not all of these items are going to be in the cache. At that point, you can send an order with JUSTIFICATION as to why it's needed. Once the buying team has justification they CAN order stuff on this list. For example, when I was headed out to my assignment in Alaska recently I had to pick up a vehicle from ground support. While I was there they had me take a bunch of supplies that had been picked up special order from the buying team. Two of the bags was chock full of bandaids, bandages, alcohol wipes, moleskin, etc. from the local drug store that were going to the line medics. They were all items on that list of "can't buy" stuff.
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u/thethingofcreepy Basically a Hotshot Jul 13 '25
Remember, nobody can stop you from only using the shitters by supply. And if a few "personal items" are discarded in there, who is to blame?
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u/Zealousideal-Ad-2615 Jul 13 '25
The supply unit is probably the wrong people to get mad at. They are in the same boat as you stuck with the supplies. The buying team doesn't even usually have their yurts near supply.
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u/PatienceCurrent8479 Jul 13 '25 edited Jul 13 '25
Yeah punish the people who don’t make the rules. . . You expect the that RCDM to pay out of pocket for med supplies? Don’t be a dick to logs for this, we didn’t make the rule, we don’t even buy the shit. We just try to order it.
You’d be better off going to the Hampton Inn and find the buying teams or the AA’s office at the SO. That’d be more effective than being a prick to the poor guy running the shitter hose, the camp crew guy making $12 an hour who will have to fish out what you dumped down there, or the RCDM you bitched at who has zero control of the situation.
Fucking meat head. . .
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u/PatienceCurrent8479 Jul 13 '25 edited Jul 13 '25
They still are in med support kits (aka 100 man kits NFES 1760), but not every team likes dealing with them.
The issue isn’t IMT’s but the guidance NWCG has given buying teams. If it isn’t mission critical to operations, the buying team shouldn’t be buying it is the logic. They consider these things personal care items and that you should be bringing them if you think you’ll need it.
I’m not the guy who wrote this policy, or thinks it’s right, just the poor bastard that’s told it.