Professional Hand Crew

San Bernardino County is proud to have Old Cajon Crew 6 and Harrison Canyon Crew 7. Both are professional hand crews that are available to respond to emergencies.

The first San Bernardino County Fire Department professional hand crew was created in July 2012 and consisted of 18 rigorously trained members known as Crew 40. 

Today, San Bernardino County is proud to have Old Cajon Crew 6 and Harrison Canyon Crew 7. Both crews are available to respond to emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition to their year-round availability, these crews are augmented by seasonal hand crew members six months out of the year for a total of 30 members.

SBCoFD hand crews have become increasingly deployed to various incidents in recent years and serve multiple benefits to the county. In addition to their work in wildland areas, hand crews are assigned to conduct mop-up operations after fires are put out, ensuring that hotspots don’t flare up and the fire is fully extinguished. The hand crew program has also secured numerous contracts with San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department for fuel modification projects.

Hand crew teams can serve multiple roles in fire suppression as they can create firelines, defensible space, and conduct mop-up operations, improving efficiency and relieving firefighters and medic engines to return back to service.

Professional Hand Crew members go through training that includes: wildland fire behavior, advanced wildland firefighting tactics, saw and hand tool techniques, helicopter operations, confined space awareness, structure protection techniques, and Haz-Mat responder functions. All members are emergency medical technicians (EMT) or first-responder trained.

SBCoFD hand crews are also involved in various community projects that provide hazard fuel mitigation in fire prone areas such as our mountain communities (Forest Falls, Angelus Oaks, Lytle Creek). Hand crews are just one of many ways that SBCoFD serves with Duty, Honor, and Community.