In 2034, the group debuted as an exclusively SWAT program for Knight Errant. The original members were based in the UCAS, starting in Detroit and focusing outward. Most of the cities had a Firewatch team of about 20 members per million people, but when the team in Dallas/Fort Worth was created it was 50 per million. Over the next four years, the program grew from about 200 members to 2,490 members of Firewatch. This number rivaled the number of Navy SEALs at the program's peak. Firewatch had proved to be an extremely capable SWAT team, especially when in 2039 the Detroit Firewatch team came in first place overall and in nearly every test in the "Best of the West" SWAT Competition held in
Dallas/Fort Worth.
> I heard they used members of SpecOps for that competition. Any truth to it?
> jack@the.box
> Yes. So did several other groups.
> Specter
Take note that military SpecOps groups were not allowed in the competition. Only federal, corporate, or police SWAT teams could compete. This arrangement left many national governments poorly represented, at best. For instance, the UCAS governement was only allowed to enter its FBI, DEA, and ATF teams (the FBI HRT came in a close second in the competition). Tir Tairngire, which was just beginning to use its Ghosts for SWAT purposes, could not use them because their primary function was military, and Aztlan and Aztechnology were not even allowed into the contest. Because of this, the megacorps, and Ares in particular, dominated the competition.
Blackrain
> You'll also notice that the number of terrorist incidents rose in Aztlan that week. Coincidence? Hardly.
> user20157@hq.aztechnology.az
In 2040, they increased their need for magicians, and called out for all magicians willing to be a part of Firewatch. They called out especially for combat mages and physical adepts. They began recruiting mor ex-military personnel from the UCAS, CAS, and Sioux as well as hiring experienced professional mercenaries for long-term contracts as tactical advisors and combat leaders. They became more prominent as they grew much more militaristic. They were becoming a strike force for Knight errant and Ares against assets around the world. They also were preparing for their several attacks on Insect Spirit Hives they conducted over the years. As the 2040's progressed, Firewatch became more noticeable with the increase of operations, especially SWAT situations as the 2050's drew closer. They were used for security for the presidential candidates of 2048, assisting with the Secret Service and other private security providers.
Most people are aware that the program grew larger again in the 2050's, as several Firewatch members began getting killed or injured in private operations. They became very active and were drawing large amounts of money from Knight Errant and other sources (Read: Ares) for huge amounts of ordinance as well as constant training. Many people in the know, either through sources or through bad luck, knew what they were doing. Ares and Knight Errant had begun raiding the hives of Insect Spirits all over the world, especially in North America. After a particularly intense operation in Denver (more like a small war), they began to get much more low key, as if they were preparing for something. Of course, we all know what that something was. Chicago.
In July and August of 2055, several Firewatch teams aided in attacks on insect spirits in the Chicago area. The most significant and most costly attack was an attack on an abandoned Universal Bortherhood warehouse which turned metropolitan Chicago into Hell. This single attack was the most responsible action for initiating the creation of the Chicago Containment Zone for two and a half years. We also saw the detonation of a tactical nuclear weapon in the CZ, which was caused by the remnants of the Ares/ Knight Errant team, based around the 20 remaining Firewatch Special Operations team members assembled for the mission. The group later set up a sanctuary at the Wrigley Dome, allowing anyone who wanted protection from the Insect Spirits or warlords that controlled the Chicago Containment Zone, until the excessive refugees became a liabilty and they closed themselves off.
After a huge increase in terrorist activities and general criminal activity arose after the Chicago incident, the Firewatch teams grew even more busy just dealing witht that. They were also key in halting further violence during the riots after President Dunkelzahn's assassination. After his death, crime and terrorism rose again, and Firewatch teams across the globe have been busy dealing with criminals, terorrists, and their own missions.
Recruitment
There is no requirement to join Firewatch except experience in Knight Errant (although this can be overlooked for certain people). After a person applies, they will go through several tests to evaluate there potential as a member of Fire Watch. The main point of the program deals with physical training, and applicants must be able to perform several tasks and pass many types of tests, including doing a specific number of push-ups, sit-ups, distance running, speed racing, an obstacle course, and other test depending on the person's speciality, which also includes tests for shooting, rapelling, swimming, martial arts, and other forms of hand-to-hand combat. The applicants are also subjected to several psychological evaluations and extensive background checks into their personal history. They must also face an interview board conducted by veteran Fire Watch members who ask several different questions to determine an applicants aptitude in several different subjects. If the applicant goes through the whole process and succeeds, the can proudly call themselves one of the few existing members of Fire Watch. To become a member of the Special Operations Branch of Firewatch, they must got through the Firewatch Special Operations Assesment program to test and evaluate their physical, combat, and/or magical abilities as well as how to operate in a special operations group. Those people must be experienced members of Firewatch (it's subjective), with certain exceptions allowed.
Training
The training for Fire Watch heavily involves marksmanship skills and both hand-to-hand and close-range weapons combat involving knives, swords, batons, and even their rifles if necessary. All members must also learn military tactics in all areas, especially small unit tactics and combined arms combat. They are also expected to know how to operate at least one type of vehicle very well, but are encouraged to know two. Riggers must know how to operate several types of vehicles and how to operate security systems that use Closed Circuit SimSense. They are then taught magical theory and taught how to combat spirits and other magical entities. After that, they are then specialized to a specific specialty. Presently, specializations include high-threat entry, demolitions and disarmament, heavy weapons, command, magical skills, vehicle rigging, sniper, communications, and intelligence.
The normal Firewatch teams learn entry techniques as well as urban combat techniques to deal with high-threat criminals and terrorists. They also train for Hostage Rescue operations in various settings including houses and apartments, vehicles ranging from cars to airplanes, and commerical buildings like offices, malls, restaurants, and airports. Firewatch officers are expected to be able to handle any type of situation quickly, and are trained as tacticians. They must be able to handle a crisis with little or now intellignece briefing as their jobs require that they respond quickly to an unknown situation unlike the FBI's SWAT and HRT teams which always have intelligence data because of their limited area of operations. Firewatch also operates in high-threat warrant servings and house raids on dangerous fugitives and groups, which compromise most of their day-to-day operations. They are also sent to deal with situations where high collateral damage must be prevented or is in threat of occuring, such as gunfights and armed raids in which gunfire is reported. This is mainly combined with Augmented Threat Deployment, when they must deal with a heavily augmented individual or group of individuals
Members of the Special Operations Branch of Firewatch learn many of the same tactics as their law-enforcement breathren, but in a military environment. they are tought covert tactics, stealth techniques, border crossing, and how to access an area by several methods. They are taught intelligence-gathering techniques as well as Escape and Evacuation techniques. They become operators who do whatever they are told to, including assaults on national, corporate, or personal property, assassinations, extractions, demolitions, sabotage, intelligence gathering, special weapons retrieval, and commiting or preventing terrorist activities on a social, political, and economic scale.
> Acts of terrorism on a social level? Like what, provoking race wars?
> Fire@will
Deployment
In a law-enforcement role, Firewatch usually operates in a standard 16-man SWAT role. They are broken up into two four-man squads, with one commander, two combat magicians, two snipers, a spotter, a rigger and a decker providing support. Each squad consists of two pairs who operate in the standard two-by-two cover formation, which has the squad covering 180 degrees, with two overlapping fields of fire. In an entry situation the first squad's two standard officers carry the Ares Rattlesnake-SD3, while the entryman and doorkicker carry Ares Sigmas with the underbarrel shotgun. The second squad comes in with three officers with Rattlesnake-SD3's, and the last person in the second squad carries a carbine AUG-ECS while they enter in a straight line. In a combat situation, the six standard officers will carry Ares Sigmas with the underbarrel shotgun while one gunner carries a combat shotgun with a drum or banana clip and the other carries a light machine gun withn the six officers moving in delta formation with the gunners providing cover fire. The support team is deployed in an Ares Citymaster, whil officers usually travel in modified patrol cars which include most of their gear for operations. They also make use of helicopters like the Bell Jet Ranger VI and Boeing Osprey-II in certain situations, and are always supported by several other Knight Errant officers and mages.
Special Operations usually operates in two or three four-man squads and are armed per the criteria of a mission. They vary tactics, and stick to small unit tactics. They are deployed by several vehicles ranging from air insertions using modified C-260's os Osprey-II's as well as travelling by fast boat to an area, all depending on the location of the are of operation. They usually carry the same weapons, usually an Ares Gamma with underbarrel shotgun or an Ares Rattlesnake-SD3. They also carry weapons indigenous to their area of operation, like the AK-97 or FN FAL.
Weapons
It has pretty much been covered, but both groups use the Ares Rattlesnake and Gamma in various configurations. SWAT's primary weapon in most entry situations is the Ares Raptor, a third-generation Smart weapon based on the Predator series of weapons. It includes a burst capabilty not seen on the predator series, and were developed specifically for Firewatch. They are also custom built by some of Ares best armorers in combination with the shooters of Firewatch to make sure the gun is perfect for any situation. They are all personally customized for each user, and are very accurate with custom parts. Their Rattlesnakes have also been completely reworked to have an integral suppressor system, and are rebuilt with match barrels and custom firing mechanisms. SWAT generally uses the Gamma's Shotgun for most entry work, but when the heavier firepower is needed, they rely on a Korean combat shotgun with a drum or banana clip. Their standard light machine gun is either the Ares 320 HV-LMG or the the Ares Max 200 LMG. They don't rely on gyromount systems in case of emergencies as well as the increasing dependance on them.
The snipers carry a heavily modified Remington Model 1650 sniper rifle. It is one of their only semiauto sniper rifles, and includes an 8-round clip. The gun has been customized by Ares armorers with a match grade barrel and a non-slip stock with an adjustable buttstock and cheekstop. The trigger assembly is modiefied to a light 3 1/2 pound pull. It incorporates a 15x scope with a thermal imaging system and in incorporated into a modified BattleTac network between two or more snipers to correlate shots and to completre partial images if possible. They also have Barret 124 sniper rifles available if necessary with a 20x scope. Their Barrets are stripped of the standard suppressor/recoil compensation system and have the stock replaced with an adjustable one. Their barrels and firing assemblies are exchanged for match grade pieces that give it a 1 MOA. The compensator system is replaced with ports on the sides to prevent obscuring. Whn they really need serious firepower, Firewatch snipers use stripped Panther assault cannons in pairs.
SpecOps usually carries the same ordinance as SWAT, but they carry scopes on their Sigmas and have integrated Battletac systems. There is always one person with a tactical computer, and they are more likely to carry heavy ordinance like combat shotguns, LMG's, grenade launchers, and assault cannons. They are certified to carry and operate anti-tank and anti-materiel rifles and weapons systems. One particularly inventive weapon made for SpecOps is a modified rifle grenade/Ballista missile. It can be fired from any .50 BMG rifle, which propels the Ballista missile, which has a larger warhead, towards the target until it get within 400 meters (which is selective upon sniper). The missile then arms itself and flies off towards the target. It is great because it increases the range of the weapon by 400 meters or more (depending on the type of missile and rifle as well) as well as confusing the enemy to thinking the sniper is closer than they really are. SpecOps also gets to test out and use laser weapons, as well as operate larger types of explosive devices than SWAT who mainly use flash/bang and smoke grenades and small shaped chanrges for entry.
Other Gear
Uniform
The standard Firewatch uniforms are produced by Black Eagle, the same company that produces the FBI HRT uniforms. The uniforms for SWAT consist of a two-piece form-fitting underwear layer with selective padding to prevent chaffing, and the jumpsuit. The jumpsuit is either black or camoflauge and has two large drop holster pockets in the thighs and a sheath for a Cougar Fineblade long knife, as well harnesses for attaching other gear to it. it also fits around the standard balaclava. The last layer is a tactical vest to preven them from handgun rounds and shrapnel. It includes a trauma plate above the heart. Most of the gear attaches to the combat harness or rappel harness. The combat harness has more pockets for ammo clips and grenades as well as room for two to four pairs of metal handcuffs or a pocket with eight pairs of plastic cuffs and a sealer. The rappelling harness shifts several clips to the back, as well as putting more eqipment on the thighs. Everyone has a throatmike and receiver as well as shoulder lights on the harnesses and thermal imaging systems that clip onto their helmets.
SpecOps get some really great stuff. In return for rights to Ares weapons systems, Pueblo has allowed them access to specs on some parts of Pueblo's excellent uniforms systems. They have the same type of underwear, but then have the same jumpsuit as PCC troops (that is, bulletproofed with a combat harness and almost completely invisible through all but the most advanced sensors). They carry the same equipment as SWAT with the above exceptions to weapons, and have no helmets unless really necessary. They rely almost exclusively on balaclavas and have thermal imaging cybereyes with flare compensation. Their communications systems are internal, with encrypted cybercomm links hooked up to the BattleTac gear they carry. They as well as SWAT also carry gloves with removable palms.
Invasive Augmentations
To make Fire Watch an effective SWAT/SpecOps force in the Awakened world, all non-Talented members of Firewatch have had invasive augmentations of some sorts. The only required pieces of cybernetic hardware are the Ares Sniper; a level Three smartgun link, and the Ares Reactor; a level Two wired reflexes system with a reflex trigger. Of course, more advanced systems are also taken. Many people from both groups often get Muscle Enhancement and Enhanced Articulation. As well, many in SpecOps get SynthCardium and cyberspurs on their dominant arms. The personnel who have lost limbs often get all sorts of enhancements especially spurs, hydraulic jacks (They seem to help with parachute landings), and all sorts of enhanced abilities. As well, SpecOps get their required sensory and communications cyberware.
While SWAT does get their cyberware at Alpha level, SpecOps has all their cyberware provided at Beta level and installed by the best implant specialists available. The cyberware is implanted soon after they get into the program to allow for healing and aquaintance with their new abilities.
Magic
By the very fact that they are Talented, magicians are treated differently from the beginning. Those that become members of Firewatch are as physically fit as most of the people in Knight Errant, but the tests they have to take are a bit easier for them, but they are also faced with magical tests and aptitude. They are expected to understand a magician quickly and be capable fo neutralizing any magical threat, whether it's a magician, a spirit, a magical construct, or something they've never even heard of before. They have to learn how to operate with mundane forces in a controlled operation, and how to decide whether a situation requires mundane or magical force to resolve it. They learn about non-magical healing, especially in regards to healing other magicians without harming themsleves by using magic, as well as how to counteract drain.
Once a magician plans to initiate, they are allowed to join any Knight Errant-sanctioned group, or one of their own. If the magician is already Initiated and in a group when they become a member of Firewatch, they are allowed to stay in that group as long as it is sanctioned or not a risk to KE. Several mages in Firewatch have created their own group which is sponsored by Knight Errant and Ares.
Many of the magicians in Firewatch have quickened spells to compensate for their lack of cyberware, and some have anchored spells that they protect zealously. Quickened and anchored spells are also common not only with magicians, but with mundane members of Firewatch as well. Many non-magically active members with spell locks and/or quickened spells have enhanced combat sense, reflex boosting spells, invisibility spells, or spells that help out their specialization, such as a version of Magic Fingers that allows them to perform tasks from a distance. Of course, for these spells those persons have to pay for their services. Pay heavily in fact.
Spell locks have not been mentioned. Why? Because they are a very high security risk, not only to the wearer but to the entire group of a magican decides to ground an area effect spell through the spell lock. And it's not like spell lock have any security measures themselves.
Conclusion
Firewatch is an excellent force in their environment, which is where most shadow operators work. However, they always have a weakness. Check for standard tactics in operation, and don't leave yourself or operation open to risks when they come calling.
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