r/Wildfire • u/South_Bar7248 • 2d ago

Might be a dumb question

I am trying to get into wildland at 21 and turn it into a career. I applied for a temp position in R3 for the Forest Service during the 2nd phase and it is supposed to start in January 2026. Does this temp phase mean that I would be working the winter months and I would technically have a "season" under my belt and could apply for an apprentice ff for the next hiring phase or am I too ignorant and need more experience and certs. Also would I be able to take classes to get my FF2 cert while in the temp phase? If I need to clarify anything let me know, my head is rushing through thoughts.

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u/BungHolio4206969 2d ago

You would work a max of 1039 hours.

They’ll give you your ff2 classes and red card the first week as well.

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u/South_Bar7248 2d ago

Thank you for the response! That clears things up for me!

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u/blue_fur_1660 1d ago

Also, you may have to look at other regions for an apprenticeship. Region 3 has decided to cut those positions for good, I'm not sure if you want to stay in R3, but just something to be aware of if that's the position you are interested in.

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u/wubadubdub3 RTCM 1d ago

I could be wrong, but I think apprenticeships start at GS3, which means you don't need any experience to apply for those positions.