Alta Hotshots – About Us

The Alta Hotshots are a nationally recognized Type 1 Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC), based out of the Lone Peak Conservation Center (LPCC), in Draper, Utah. The crew is hosted and sponsored by the Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands (FFSL) and operate under a cooperative partnership between the United States Forest Service Region 4 and FFSL.


Season Overview

The crew is typically organized from May to November. The first two weeks of every season are dedicated to refresher and proficiency training. During the 80 – 100 hour required training the crew will physically and mentally train together in the classroom and in the field to build a cohesive team collectively familiar with efficient tactics.

Upon completion of required training, the crew is placed available through the Great Basin Coordination Center. The GBCC manages a rotation of 12 Hotshot Crews for out of region assignments and dispatches closest resource to incidents within the Great Basin.


Crew Dynamics

The primary reason for assembling the crew is wildfire suppression. The crew is initially staffed with up to 25 Hotshots including; one Superintendent, two Captains and two Squads, each in large Freightliner ten – passenger crew carriers. There are ten career positions on the crew and 15 seasonal crewmembers hired annually. Traditionally 2 – 4 new crewmember positions are filled yearly, due to attrition, through an application process carried out between November 1st and February 1st.

When not assigned to an incident, the Alta Hotshots complete forestry-related projects around the State of Utah. Projects include; fuel breaks, prescribed fire, defensible space, forest health, and invasive species work. Due to the travel times to some project sites, camping is regularly used to complete target projects and save taxpayer money. This allows for long days and short project weeks when weather allows.


History

The Alta Hotshots were officially established on June 13th, 2014. This followed a four year trainee period consisting of peer evaluations, an embedded review and a certification review. The Alta Hotshots originated as the UFRA T2 crew established in 2003 with an agreement between Utah Valley University (UVU) and Utah State DNR. The crew was created to provide an engaged learning platform for students receiving wildland suppression courses through the schools emergency services department. In 2010 it was decided to begin the process of building the crew into an IHC.

In 2012 the crew voted in the name change to Alta which means “high, elevated” in many languages. This articulates the direction all Alta IHC crewmembers are expected to take the crew reputation. 

With the change in crew status, the Alta Hotshots now provide an engaging learning platform for career minded firefighters both from the original UVU student workforce and qualified applicants from other wildland fire programs. Ultimately, the Alta Hotshots will hire the most qualified applicants in order to staff a highly reliable Interagency Hotshot Crew.

Alta Superintendents

  • Tyler Carruth 2022 – Present
  • Jesse Trembly 2019 – 2021
  • Wade Snyder 2010 – 2018
  • Lyle Jennings 2009 (UFRA) Detail
  • Wade Snyder 2007 – 2008 (UFRA)
  • Riley Pilgrim – 2006 (UFRA)
  • Jonah Gladney – 2005 (UFRA)
  • Donny Bennett – 2004 (UFRA)
  • Shaylor Sorenson – 2003 (UFRA)