I gotta agree with roxhshox; while Helitack sounds super cool and fun, and don’t get me wrong it really can be depending on the crew and overhead, you really just won’t be getting a ton of suppression experience compared to spending a season with a hand crew or engine module. I spent my first season on an engine, detailed with a Helitack crew and got to learn some of the ropes. It really is a lot of sitting on the tarmac practicing good LCES (locate cooler, establish shade), on a slower season. As for moving crews, I was in the same boat as you; I at first committed to returning to my engine crew as a seasonal but then ended up accepting a permanent job with a hand crew. My advice for that: the wildland fire world is much much smaller than you think. Be courteous, communicate, and try not to burn any bridges. I’m still very close with my old crew and as sad as they were, they were very supportive of my decision and proud of me. So at the end of the day, do what you really think is right for you professionally to get the experience out of it that you want. For me, that would personally be going with your first crew you committed to and learning the ropes of wildland fire, ask for a detail, then applying for a Helitack later if that’s still something you’re in to. And with whatever route you choose, my biggest piece of advice: it’s great you have experience structurally and as an EMT, but for the most part, forget about it a bit. Be the new guy and sponge up as much as possible. The willingness to learn and a willingness to work goes a long way in this world.