It's the roar of helicopters and the rush of ashen wind. Wildland firefighters
are a special breed, risking life and limb to suppress wildfires in the most
remote forested regions of North America. They're everyday heroines and heroes
who rarely make the TV or newspapers.
Tim Quigley is a veteran California smokejumper. "I can't imagine finding
any other job where I could feel such a kinship with my fellow workers. We
experience such intense situations together! Problem solving is key....I'd
truly miss my team if I quit jumping. I've also found that the exacting criteria
for qualifying as a smokejumper tends to attract similarly spirited people
-- people who love to be outdoors, who love to stretch their minds and bodies
to the limit.
"If you like to stay close to wherever you call home, this probably isn't
the job for you. We follow wherever the fires go, and that can be a long ways
from home!"
Quigley has seen a whole lot of the States since he started fighting fires.
Like most of his peers, he started his career at ground level. Although there's
some variance in requirements, most entry-level positions require at least
one season (90 calendar days) of general forestry experience and one season
of firefighting experience.
So are there any downsides to what may be the ultimate high-thrill job?
"Believe it or not, it's the paperwork," says Quigley. "We have to document
a lot -- record keeping, that sort of thing."
Larry Brehmer feels at his best in situations exacting great stress. "We
call them fire-flaps -- a series of forest fires which erupt almost simultaneously.
This is the kind of time when all your mental resources are called into play
to coordinate resources and plan strategy."
In his 30s, Brehmer is considered senior in the forest fire scene. "It
used to be that by the time you were 24, you'd best be thinking of changing
careers. Nowadays, more people are getting in great physical shape and staying
in shape. That makes all the difference in the world....You literally have
to prove yourself each season by passing a fitness test. So it's in your best
interest to stay fit all year.
"Our normal shift is close to three weeks [20 days] with a seven-day rest.
You can cover a lot of ground in that time, which is great if you love to
travel."
"I know a few men and women who'd be excellent jumpers," says smokejumper
Mary Rieger. "But they don't conform to the physical standards. One guy weighs
in at 230 pounds, and another friend of mine is just a tad under five feet
tall. You have to be at least five feet tall and weigh no more than 200 pounds.
"I can understand their disappointment. Both of them have such keen intellects
and a real passion for firefighting," adds Rieger. "My advice to women thinking
of applying is to work immediately on their upper-body strength. Carrying
your own weight in gear over very unfriendly terrain can be a cruel wake-up
call if you're not in shape.
"I feel like I can say I've been in the military," says Rieger. "Some jumpers
refer to it that way. The rookie training is very rigorous. Visualize spending
five hours per day in full jumping gear. That's 60 pounds worth!
"But what you learn is really invaluable -- how to exit the aircraft, how
to manage and manipulate your parachute, timber let-downs, parachute landing
rolls. I never climbed trees as a kid, but boy did I learn!"