Support Oregon Conservation Corps (UV) rookie fire boot Fund

Howdy,

as many of you are all too keenly aware, out here on the west coast we are rapidly approaching wildfire season with every passing day and as spring rounds the corner, so to does the time for those of us who work in this industry to start knocking off the rust and dusting off our fire boots.

For the past six months, the fuels reduction crew at Oregon Conservation Corps has been hard at work from sun up to sun down, in rain, shine and snow performing a fantastic job of wildfire fuels reduction throughout Douglas County and the Umpqua Valley, this is done through long, cold, wet hours slashing, piling, chipping and hauling the thick overgrown brush of the Cascade Mountains with a saw in your hands and a smile on your face to keep our communities safe from the ever present wildfire risk. For many of these hard working young men, this is their first job out of high school and they have risen to the occasion exceptionally well. For some of them, this job has served as a training regimen to prepare them for their very first seasons as full time Wildland Firefighters and propel them into a career we've all grown to love through the years.

With the first fire season though comes that ever present upfront cost of fire boots. The foundation of your day to day life on wildfire is how your feet feel and that starts right there with the boots you jump into every single day. As some of you are all too painfully aware, fire boots have very strict build specifications for firefighter safety and quality in mind especially in an industry that will have you hiking, sawing, and walking through coals for up to 16 hours a day. These essential tools are a major expense with the industry average of well built boots that will last the fire season and beyond anywhere from $400-750 dollars which for many of these folks could be up to an entire months rent if not more. So today, we're asking for whatever you could spare to help these brave young men pay for their first pair of fire boots for the 2025 fire season, every cent goes a long way to keeping everyone's feet in working order for the long hard days ahead and every bit goes a long way. From everyone here at OCC thank you for allowing us to serve our community in the best way we can.