((PKG)) SMOKEJUMPERS
((Banner: Smokejumpers))
((Reporter: Lesia Bakalets))
((Camera: Sergey Sokolov))
((Adapted by: Martin Secrest))
((Map: Grangeville, Idaho))
((Courtesy: USDA Forest Service/McCall Smoke Jumpers))
((NATS: Don’t land in the lake!))
((Pop-Up Banner: The US Forest Service employs hundreds of wildland firefighters or “smokejumpers”))
((NATS))
((Riley, Smokejumper))
Once you land, your first action is to make sure that your jump partner is OK and that everyone there is OK.
((NATS: Oooh. Beautiful.))
Once that’s established, you talk to the ship that’s still circling you and you let them know that everything went well and they’re going to kick out the cargo and they’ll talk to you about where that’s going to happen and when. And once that’s all done, and everything’s on the ground, you grab your PG (personal gear) gear, which is what you use out on the fire. This backpack comes with me and you take that and your Pulaski, your tool, and a couple of chainsaws and you go scout out the fire and make a plan and start fighting the fire.
((NATS: Static line, good condition.))
((Chris Young, Smokejumper Base Manager))
A smokejumper is an individual, a unique individual that is very skilled in fire suppression tactics. Typically, they’re used in an area of remoteness.
((NATS: Get ready!))
((Chris Young, Smokejumper Base Manager))
When we fly in, we’ve got an advantage. We get to see the fire from the air. So, we’re looking at the fire, and we can see where the winds are blowing, and where that fire typically wants to move to, and then we base that on where the safest place is. We’re always doing risk assessment, and so, we try to put the jumpers on the ground in a very safe spot in relation to that fire. The Twin Otter will carry eight smokejumpers and all their cargo for approximately three days. And so, the first seat will typically just keep a Cubee (water jug) and some crosscut handles underneath it. The second seat will be a chainsaw. Third seat, once again, two more Cubees, and then the very last seat up there, we’ll keep the last chainsaw. We’ll only carry two chainsaws for eight smokejumpers. The chainsaw is packaged up in a impact-proof cargo box.
((NATS))
((Riley, Smokejumper))
It's uncomfortable, it's tight, it's hot, but I love it and it gets me excited, because I know what comes next is the fun part. The fun part is getting to load up in the plane, getting a look at the fire from the air, size it up, and you get to jump out and go take care of business.
((NATS))
