The other two branches are the hotshots and helitak. But without the district crews, the pumper engines and all of the rest of the firefighters that make the system work, even the jumpers, shots, or helitaks would be powerless to control wildfire. Each type of firefighting has its own training regimen and its own method of fire suppression, though there is much in common among us, and we often work together. The purpose of smokejumping, and helitak for that matter, is to get the firefighter to the fire as quickly as possible. There is no faster way than a 200 mph airplane and a parachute.
Jumpers get there fast, and can put the fire out while it's small.
While every smokejumper loves the jumping, when we get to the ground, we're just like any other firefighter. We've got to stop the fire with nothing but a few hand tools and our wits. Of course jumpers prefer to land in an open meadow like the sport jumpers, but we have to go where the fires are. Land in the wrong spot, over the ridge, and you might have to hike back to the fire for the entire day, thus failing to accomplish the mission of fire suppression. Land in the wrong spot such as the fire itself, or the Salmon River, and you may not jump again.