It is also essential to know basic first aid procedures. The job often involves prolonged periods when smoke, heat and short supplies of food and water take their toll.
Douglas firs, common in the Pacific Northwest, can reach around feet. If a parachute gets caught atop a tree, smokejumpers have no choice but to climb down to get to their airdropped equipment. Wildland firefighters train hard, but smokejumpers train harder. Keep in mind that an entry-level smokejumper job is not an entry-level firefighting job, and the U. Forest Service physical fitness requirements are intense. In addition to the basic physical requirements, ongoing training is challenging.
Because landing after the jump is so unpredictable, practicing for any situation is imperative. Smokejumping bases have simulators that lift trainees up and drop them at many different speeds up to 10 mph so they can learn to land properly.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center , smokejumpers have some of the best sewing skills around. Jumpers build their gear and components for the upcoming fire season.
They make everything they use, from the jumpsuit to the harness to the backpack. Even if your lifestyle is a perfect fit for the role, landing a spot in the field is competitive. The FireRescue1 Lifestyle content series is written for the off-duty firefighter. You must enable JavaScript in your browser to view and post comments.
More FireRescue1 Articles. However, using fire as a tool requires extreme awareness of safety, because it can be incredibly dangerous and destructive. Even a single spark in a dry forest can start a wildfire that engulfs hundreds of thousands of acres.
Depending on the weather, these small sparks can wipe out entire forests and cities within days, destroying everything in their path and polluting the air with smoke thick enough to be seen from space. Learn more about the power and science behind wildfires with this collection of resources. The risk of wildfires rises as more people continue to live in the wildland-urban interface across the United States.
Local and state authorities, as well as individuals and communities, now recognize that they too bear the responsibility to prepare and remain safe in the face of a wildfire. A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire that burns in wildland vegetation, often in rural areas. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students.
Skip to content. Image Smokejumper Training Smokejumpers are firefighters who parachute into hard-to-reach areas to fight fires. Photograph by J. Baylor Roberts. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. Filler Photograph by J. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.
Media If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. Text Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Interactives Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Related Resources. After hitting the ground and properly stockpiling their cargo, smokejumpers leap into action. Because there are few smokejumpers active in any given year, and because their jumpsuits need to be specially customized to accommodate specific tasks, smokejumpers double as their own tailors.
Their suits are heavily padded to cushion landings, and are adorned with friction rings to help them shimmy up and down trees. Smokejumpers' getups are also high collared to keep brush out of their helmets.
They also mend their parachutes, harnesses and other equipment as it becomes worn. So when exactly is it time to call in a team of smokejumpers?
It depends on the fire in question: Teams can help stage an initial attack on a fire that just broke out, run interference on a fire that's getting out-of-control or assist overtaxed local crews when multiple fires are the issue.
Smokejumpers can also be deployed in a number of ways. While permanent bases are located throughout regions prone to wildfires, if the risk of fire is especially high, they may be pre-positioned even closer to a potential site.
When they're stationed somewhere temporarily, they develop what's known as a spike base. The standard getaway time, either from a permanent base or a spike base, is generally 15 minutes from the time a call comes in, although special requests for additional items or particular skill sets can lengthen that window. Each mission includes a spotter among the members of the smokejumper crew. Spotters must have years of experience, because the other smokejumpers rely on spotters' well-honed ability to gauge the fire and coordinate a safe and successful landing.
During training, smokejumpers run through many instructive settings, so they're prepared for different scenarios, including how wind typically acts in a canyon or on the ridge of a mountain, for example, and how they need to adjust their jump accordingly.
But the expertise of the spotter is still paramount, and he or she also helps gather direct visual data and manages communication efforts — all vital for extinguishing a wildfire. Once a jump spot is selected, the smokejumpers take to the air and get to work. One thing smokejumpers often do once they land is start creating a fireline, also known as a firebreak.
This may involve felling trees and clearing brush to try to stop a wildfire from spreading ; sometimes they even dig trenches to stop flames in their tracks. They typically use crosscut saws and other handheld tools to accomplish this. Whenever smokejumpers need to drop in remote locations, they also carry a couple of days' worth of food along with their other supplies. This ensures they — and the coordinator managing the operation — can concentrate on fighting the fire , rather than worrying about whether they'll be able to replenish frequently during the effort.
Mobility, flexibility and self-sufficiency are some of the biggest assets smokejumpers offer. When parachuting in isn't necessary, smokejumpers may also serve as backups to ground crews that are low in numbers or in need of some additional technical expertise.
When fire activity is low, smokejumpers step into other positions. They might coordinate a variety of natural resource projects, such as prescribed burns and trail maintenance, or they might work as fire-safety specialists or fire-management officials. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close.
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