The Chief Mountain Hotshots are an elite Native American fire team based on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation located in Browning, MT, with Glacier National Park as their backyard. The 1988-1989 fire seasons were both testing years for the crew. In 1990, the crew received their IHC Type 1 status.

The Chief Mountain Hotshots are known as the “Warriors of the Forest” and have built an excellent reputation for safety and professionalism. In 1999, the crew received the National Safety Award for zero lost time accidents and zero reportable vehicle accidents.

The Chief Mountain Hotshots are a self-sufficient, highly trained team working in wildland firefighting. On average, the team works on 15 to 20 major fires and travels between 10,000 and 20,000 miles per year.

Interagency crews (IHC), also known as Type 1 hand crews, are teams of 18 to 25 firefighters who respond to fires by working and camping near the front lines of active wildfires and coordinating closely with firefighting aircraft and engine crews.

Hotshot teams have more stringent requirements for physical fitness level, firefighting experience, and skill and leadership qualifications than Type 2 and Type 2 Initial Attack Manual Teams. 2. They are considered elite among wildland firefighters because of their extensive training, high physical standards, and ability to take on difficult tasks.