All About Smoke Jumpers and Their Training

Each year many individuals are counted on to fight forest fires and try to save lives and property. These individuals have to be in excellent condition and ready to go on a moments notice. They have to go through rigorous training and education to be able to handle the tasks that they are required to do.

Training schedules for these individuals can take months. However, many times they don't have that amount of time to prepare. So, some training is set up in weekly increments. Training is set up in 15 training jumps by parachute. The training includes but is not limited to the following. Tree climbing, demolition training, techniques for tree descent, handling of fire equipment, locating and successfully landing in a drop zone, first aid, deliberately landing in a tree, how to climb, use an Axe, what vegetation to eat, parachute training, understanding the wind by watching the smoke, learn to do a lot with very little equipment, and fighting a wild land fire.

Most individuals already have extensive firefighting experience. They are then put into an area where their is a wild land fire for practice. Many Smoke Jumpers will tell you that fighting a fire outside is all together different that fighting one that is building contained.

Smoke jumpers are only allowed to have 300 pounds in their jump. This is their body weight plus equipment. A jumper is required to jump once every 30 days to stay in practice. Many times equipment is dropped by parachute and a jumper must recover the equipment quickly. This means that they have to pin point the location and try to drop as safely as possible to that position. when this is in rugged terrain, it can cause problems. If the equipment would get caught up in a tree, they have to climb the tree and recover it.

They release crepe paper streamers to watch the wind currents. They use this knowledge of wind for their own protection. In some situations, if the wind is too strong, they won't attempt a jump. Their personal safety comes first.

Across the nation their are nine Smoke Jumper bases. There are about 300 trained Forest Service Jumpers and another 150 Bureau of Land Management Jumpers. Many times these individuals do a job without anyone knowing about it. If there is a fire caused by lightning, they jump quickly into the area and take care of the situation before it gets out of hand. When the land is very dry, they pay special close attention to those problematic areas.

The Forest Service for started Smoke Jumping in the late 1930's. The first group was only ten men that were handpicked. They turned to the 101st Airborne for chute training. In the early years jumpers had to pull their own ripcord. However, after world War II, a new way of jumping was introduced by the Army Air Force Corps. It was much safer because it was done by the plane as you exited it.

The physical fitness test for rookies is pretty demanding. They must be able to run a mile and half under 11 minutes, do 25 push ups, 7 pull ups, and 45 sit ups. they have to do this on the first day just to begin training. This is the minimum. The test is taken in one time frame with only a timed five minute break in between each exercise. Once you start training, it quickly intensifies. It is not unusual for a jumper to have to handle over 100 pounds of equipment in the air as well as on the ground once they land. They must be able to carry this equipment for three miles in 90 minutes. Many jumpers do weight training and dieting. They must remain strong but, can't afford to put on a lot of weight. A crew is made up of about twenty individuals. At least two of the members are called spotters. They are trained to select the right place for the jumpers to land. It can take anywhere from 2 to all 20 of these individuals to fight a fire. The number depends on the size of the fire.

Jumpers are also on call all over the nation. It is not unusual for a jumper located in the eastern part of the US to be called to a location in the west or even Alaska.

If you think that this line of work is for you, here are the physical requirements. You must be between 60 to 77 inches in height. At least 18 years of age. Between 120 and 200 pounds. No lose in hearing of 25%. 20/20 vision in one good eye and 20/30 in the other eye.

Don't expect to get rich off this type of a work. A rookie starts out at $12 an hour. For more information go to USAJOBS-Job Search .

Sources; www.smokejumpers.com