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TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma – The Cherokee Firedancers are seeking men and women who are willing to learn how to combat forest fires and become part of a nationally respected fire fighting crew. Their goal is to recruit as many firefighters as possible for next year’s Firedancer program, said Leroy Wolf, Cherokee Nation Tribal Employment Rights Office compliance officer. The Firedancers operate under the TERO. Currently, there are 28 Firedancers ranging in ages from 20 to 57, as well as a woman Firedancer. Wolf said a majority of Firedancers are from Cherokee, Adair and Delaware counties, but some live throughout the tribe’s 14-county jurisdiction. Most Firedancers consider firefighting an “on-call” summertime employment or a second job. A few attend college during the school year and work all summer fighting fires to help with tuition and other college expenses. On average, the firefighters make $13 an hour. Terry Thompson of Tahlequah has been a Firedancer for 13 seasons. At 57, he is the oldest Firedancer. He said he joined the Firedancers for the money and as things “got better and better” over the years he wanted to continue being a Firedancer. “I was the oldest one here when I started, and I’m still the oldest one. Once you do it you either like it or hate it. I’m one of those who really like it,” he said. He added that the feeling of accomplishment, working with “a bunch of good people and getting to see the country” are some of things that keep him a Firedancer. “When you get back (from fighting a fire) you really do feel like you got something done,” Thompson said. “I tell the kids it’s a good way to see the country and get paid for it. The pay is good. The travel is excellent, and the camaraderie is excellent. In August, eight Firedancers were in Oregon helping fight a forest fire. This year, Firedancers have traveled to Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, California and Nevada to help fight fires. When reinforcements are needed to fight a forest fire, it is the U.S. Forest Service’s dispatch office in Hot Springs, Ark., that calls the Firedancers for help. “They will call us and ask us how many firefighters we have available before we get a fire call. When they are ready to do a fire call, they will take our list and go from there with it. And then we make contact with those firefighters we have available,” Wolf said. He said in July the Firedancers were called during the night and were assembled and ready to go early the next morning. The call to fight the Oregon fire came on “very short notice,” Wolf said, which is why only eight Firedancers went. Normally, after the Firedancers gather in Tahlequah for a fire call, they travel to Fort Smith, Ark., to a USFS staging center, and then they are flown by plane to the state needing assistance with fighting a fire. “Sometimes we don’t always know where they are going when they leave here. We have an idea where they may be going, but the final decision is made when they get to Fort Smith,” Wolf said. The Firedancers usually help fight a fire for 14 days, but may be asked to stay for 21 days in extreme situations. They are then allowed three days to travel home, usually four days to rest, and then if needed, return to the fire. As for become a Firedancer, after completing an application an individual must pass a health physical fitness test, which consists of a pack test. For the pack test, applicants must complete a three-mile hike in 45 minutes while wearing a 45-pound weight vest. Firedancers will be taking applications on Sept. 14 and pack tests will be held on Sept. 21 and 24 at the Sequoyah High School track, located near the Tribal Complex. Applicants who successfully complete the pack test are sent to a one-week training program conducted by the USFS in Russellville, Ark. There they learn fire fighting tactics, survival techniques, how to analyze weather conditions and how to use a fire shelter in case a fire overtakes their firefighting position. After successfully completing the training program, the Firedancers are placed on an “on-call” status and must be ready to leave in a moment’s notice. Wolf said the USFS also provides three-day “upgrade” training programs that teach firefighters how to use a chainsaw and how to operate a water pump. Leadership training is also offered for Firedancers who want to be considered for a squad leader or crew boss position. “The Cherokee Nation Firedancers program began in 1988 and became the first tribally affiliated firefighting crew in the state of Oklahoma,” said Mike Weaver, TERO administrative assistant. “Since its inception, the Firedancers have built an outstanding reputation throughout the United States for their skill and dedication to not only fighting large fires but also for search and rescue.” Weaver said the Firedancers were commended for their help in the 2003 search and recovery of the Space Shuttle Discovery that disintegrated over Texas on re-entry, as well as for providing aid during following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 by assisting victims at shelters in Louisiana and Texas. Firedancer applications are available at the TERO and any CN Career Services office in the 14-county tribal service area. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, be a member of a federally recognized tribe and be able to pass the physical exam. For more information, call Wolf, phone: 918-453-5335 or Weaver, phone: 918-453-5334.