Springville Hotshots History

2001

The Springville Hotshots were established in the spring of 2001 as part of the Most Efficient Level (MEL) build-up, as a Type II hand-crew. The crew, designated as Crew 9, is based out of Springville, CA on Hwy 190 about twenty miles east of Porterville, CA on the Sequoia National Forest. There had been a fuels crew based out of the Springville in the eighties, but was cut due to funding. Robert Sanders, the Superintendent who started the crew in 2001, continued with the crew until 2004 when he accepted a fuels officer position on the district.

2002

Crew 9 achieved type I status in the summer of 2002, and Hotshot Certification accomplished in October of 2003 when reviewed and certified by Safety First.

2005

Jack Medina, the current superintendent, detailed in the position directly after Robert, and officially accepted the position in August of 2005.

Although fire is our first priority, the crew has and continues to work all over the Tule River Ranger District on projects for all shops on the district, not just fire. We always extend our skills and abilities to assist where and when we can. The crew has always been engaged in Wildfire Use on the forest, and has actively participated in every one of these fires to date. The heart of the Springville Hotshots is our hard work, determination, and a continued commitment to the high standards that define R-5 Hotshot Crews.

Crew Superintendents

Name	Dates
Robert Sanders	2001-2004
Jack Medina	2004-Present

Crew Captains

Name	Dates
Manuel Vejar	2001-2004
Jack Medina	2001-2004
Bryan Duffy	2005-2007
Ernie Villa	2006-Present
Jay Enns	2008-Present

Source

Hotshot Crew History in America. Produced by the National Interagency Hotshot Crew Steering Committee. Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center (October 2017)
https://www.wildfirelessons.net/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=6ab3da07-7c76-b514-bcfc-54f699f8d5ee&forceDialog=0