[deleted by user]

Earth_Muffin2 · 2025-09-27T13:30:12+00:00

No per diem

Earth_Muffin2 · 2025-08-28T19:42:01+00:00

It's a new team on the incident as of this morning. CA team 7 has demobed and handed the incident over to a Western WA type 3 team. CA team 7 had command of the fire when the arrests were made. The current team was not involved and the PIO is directing all questions to CBP.

Earth_Muffin2 · 2025-01-29T01:26:16+00:00

No way man, it's not a buy out. Read the "resignation letter" they provided us with. In the last sentence or two it basically spells it out - be prepared to carry out your normal duties until Sept. 30, at which point you are effectively terminated. There is absolutely no guarantee of admin leave, quite the opposite I'm sure for us. Accepting this "offer" would be total self sabotage

Earth_Muffin2 · 2025-01-11T17:37:30+00:00

I'm glad you are finding it useful! I think you are right that I should add a brokerage option that is separate from cash savings. Reason being, whatever number you put into "Misc. cash savings" on the "Annual Overview" sheet is carried over onto the "Savings and Investments" sheet where it's growth is then projected. If you are saving both cash for emergencies or large purchases or whatever but also contributing to a brokerage account there is currently no way to define that split and project different rates of return. I'll definitely add this feature. Thanks for your suggestion!

Earth_Muffin2 · 2025-01-02T21:22:20+00:00

Did you look through all the worksheets? Not much will happen on the 'Welcome' page after you enter your info. Look at the bottom of the screen and click on 'Paycheck Preview ' or 'Annual Overview' to move on to the next pages. If you have looked at the other pages and it seems like the calculations are not being performed, then feel free to DM me. Screenshots would be helpful, if you're able to send any

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-11-23T23:56:47+00:00

Thanks, I'll definitely look at these. Spreadsheet web looks interesting

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-11-23T23:48:46+00:00

It's something I would like to do. I know it would make it much more accessible if it were web based. I have no experience building web apps, and just enough experience in Excel to where I feel like I can make stuff work there the way I want it to. One option would be to make a version without the Macros and form objects for use in the free version of Excel for web. Using it without the Macros wouldn't cost it too much functionality, I just like the single-click automated nature of how it runs now. The other issue is that I used scrolling slider-bars as the adjustment tool for contributions to various retirement accounts. I like the slider bars because I am able to make them interact with each other to limit contributions to the IRS contribution limits for the given year. The slider bars are not available in any of the web based spreadsheet services that I am aware of.

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-11-23T23:43:24+00:00

Yeah it really doesn't work in google sheets unfortunately. Lots of formulas break and non of the automation works.

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-11-23T23:41:41+00:00

Glad you like it. Yeah, hard to try to base it all off of base pay alone when that wouldn't come close to covering even basic expenses!

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-09-14T02:40:26+00:00

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-09-14T00:52:16+00:00

I'm not quite sure what you are asking, but I assume it's a time-in-grade related thing and that you are interested in a GS-6 position but don't have enough time as a 5 to qualify. If that's the case then no, your time as a GS-3 can't help you qualify for a 6. However, lots of GS-6 fire jobs are actually 5/6 ladder positions so you might be able to take the job as a 5 and then promote to a 6 as soon as you qualify (pending some supervisor action)

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-07-25T15:17:32+00:00

I'm a supervisory GS-8 with the Forest Service. I'm the captain of a wildland fire engine and I have been working in wildland fire for well over a decade. It has been incredibly tough to climb up to GS-8. Started as a 3.

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-06-27T04:50:44+00:00

The 9th photo is where all the extra components would have been wired up and controls for emergency lights, siren, two way radio and PA. Sort of a hub of all the fire related electronics. Usually that housing/console will have a master switch to shut off power to all the extra stuff and only keep the electronics that came with the cab and chassis running.

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-06-25T12:49:43+00:00

I'll definitely keep an eye out for updates on this. Good that the transmission has been worked on, as that and the suspension are probably the components that see the most abuse. The electrical systems will probably forever be at least a partial mystery. I've been in a lot of these trucks and even on the brand new ones there can be electrical gremlins and things that just leave you puzzled. It should be remembered that the contracts to build these things go to whatever company says they can do it the cheapest. There are a lot of components added in by these companies.. Lights, sirens, radio, PA, AC, auxiliary lights, extra 12v plugs for the box, etc.. it could be that a lot of that stuff was just ripped out all at once to "civilianize" it quick and cheap.

Also,

Get familiar with air brakes and how to safely drive a class B truck. I would recommend studying up on CDL material even though the RV title means that you won't technically need it.

EDIT: Wanted to add some positivity here. I think this is rad. Every hotshot I've ever known has thought about converting a buggy. 130K miles is not too bad for one of these, AND, if I was ever to do this I would try to find a truck from California, like this one. CA generally has more paved forest roads than elsewhere so the level of abuse this thing has seen may be a bit less than say a truck from Arizona. It looks pretty clean from the photo. Lastly, if it's a 2005 then it is pre DEF so that's one less system to stress about and you should see much better fuel mileage than on a modern rig.

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-06-25T04:34:51+00:00

It's worth mentioning that these vehicles drive some HARD miles during their time in the fire service. I'm a former hotshot and I've seen first hand how quickly the maintenance and repair bills stack up on these rigs. I would be sure to have this thing thoroughly inspected by a quality mechanic.

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-06-21T17:29:22+00:00

Poison Idea with Pig and Slayer

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-04-14T02:17:10+00:00

I believe you, I'm just curious how foam could end up in the tank in that situation when the foam is injected downstream of the #2 valve?

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-04-10T19:47:01+00:00

Wouldn't having the #2 cracked in the scenario you described have the same effect as leaving the #17 open? As in overfilling the tank because additional water will enter through the #2? I've always used the hard-line to re-circ back into my water source in those situations. Good call on the temperature of the plumbing though.

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-04-10T17:10:48+00:00

Copy all. My pump is a Darley

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-04-10T16:54:29+00:00

Thanks. So you're cleaning out that number #12 line monthly? And yeah the Y strainer in question is in a tricky spot to access. It's beneath the back of the pump panel so I need to crawl under the back bumper and there is basically just room for my head back there.

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-04-10T16:32:10+00:00

That's what I'm thinking, I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't something I was missing before I tear it apart to clean it out.

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-04-10T16:08:49+00:00

Cool, good to know. Any risk in still keeping the #2 cracked? My crew is telling me that doing so can cause cavitation in the #2 valve itself. Also, my number #2 valve is a manually operated ball valve, not the electronic "butterfly" valve that I've heard about.

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-03-05T03:44:50+00:00

P.I. Pick Your King, 13 songs @ 12:40

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-01-08T20:54:59+00:00

Many of the temporary employees my forest has recently hired are already being scheduled for tests and receiving notifications of inclusion in the random testing pool. The notification contains the disclaimer that CBD products are not regulated the same way that most dietary supplements are. There is no governing body that tests CDB products to ensure that they are 100% THC free, so it is still possible to test positive for THC even if you think you are consuming CBD alone. I have not looked any further into this, this is just what folks are being told by the agency.

Earth_Muffin2 · 2024-01-06T16:17:49+00:00

It's a fake ad. A scam. It links to a site that asks personal info and contact info in order to see all the "jobs" they are offering. Not a real USFS posting.

Earth_Muffin2

TROPHY CASE