Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-10-24
FIRE FIGHTING
METHODS CHANGE
USE or PARACHUTE HAS PROVED
BOON no CONSERVATION
or FORESTS


army of United States forest service
firefighters- parachute squadron
men who we're saving the country
thousands OF dollars and many more
thousands OF acres Of forest each year.
These fighters. like the crack para
chute troops of the United states
army, are all young men-more than
half are students at Montana state
university. And, like the troops who are
armed with rifles and machine guns,
these men also were armed, with axes
and shovels, and trained to quickly
and efficiently exterminate their
enemy-the forest fire.
Perhaps it cannot be said that the
parachute fire fighter made possible
the parachute trooper, but it is true
that Experimentation by the forest
service. the development Of special
chutes and equipment laid the ground
work upon which the parachute troops
are built.
Before 1889, parachute jumper
steered clear Of rough or wooden ter
rafn-tried TO land on the easiest place
possible. But the smoke chaser or
trooper cannot land in the best place
every tiYne-he must pick the most
strategic spot, whether it Is a rocky
hillside or a grove Of lodgepole pine.
Wen Protected
He must be well protected with the
right kind Of clothing, he must know
how TO land and he should be equipped
TO get safely to the ground no matter
how tangled ne gets in his shrouo
lines or how high the tree IN which
he lights.
Until this year, since the country has
heen at war and labor has become
scarce. only top smokechaSers, ex-
nerienced firefighters, were taken IN
fine parachute squadron. During the
summer, however, the largest group q
"chutists" in the short history OF inc
organization was recruited, many u
whom had no previous experience IN
firefighting. Most of them were SUI
dents at the university IN MISSOURI
bows from the forestry school VINO
needed the training and the money
other fellows who just liked the loea
of parachutes.
FIRST they took a stiff physical ex-
animation to make sure they were
safe in starting such a rigorous oc-
cllv1ation. Those who passed were LaKen
to the camp and given a severe pro-
Gram of ground training.
EARLY each morning they got an nour
of oalisthenics, exercises to strengthen
neck and leg muscles, jumping ana
t,,nobIinp exercises to teach them 20
fan without being hurt.
They learned the methods OF ire
FIGHTING and the principles OF IRE
cnntrol SO they could handle o plaze
once they had arrived on the scene
The first Jumps we're made OH
specialfy constructed platform, equip
Tead with a door frame and step mo-
deled after that used on the airplanes
used for jumping 'chutists. WIN tun
equipment they hop from TINS ssep'
fan approximately eight rect ana eilSn
are brought to q dead stop IN nilo-al
bv a special device hooked through
the straps of their chutes. the snock
Is practically the same as the OPEN
ing shock Of the parachute IN an
actual jump.
with fun equipment, the fighters
climb M on a 1O-foot platform ana
iIIrnu to the ground. The fall Is ap-
the same as In the cnuCe
landing. They learn to fall with the
center of gravity forward so that they
tumble easily TO the ground rather
man attempting to stand up. It's hard.
oruising work, but necessary part OF
their training.
BEFORE they make their actual jumps
thev are given instruction in technique
in letting themselves down out OF
rrees For this purpose they carry 80
FEET of rome as part of their equip
nent. Speed Is essential and the boys
earn to let themselves out OF the
tallest trees in four or five minutes
often faster.
Dressed in full uniform, these smoke
,hasers are more deliberately equipped
and weighted down than was ever any
Sir Galahad OF the KING
Arthur days.
Canvas Suit
Their arnor consists Of heavy,
canvas suit with protective
traces for ankles, abdomen and back;
, heavy pair of shoes and gloves ana
, football helmet with an iron screen
% protect the face from branches ana
'ocks.
Each man carries two parachutes,
, back pack and an emergency cnest
pack; so feet Of rope; claspknl1e 70
nut themselves loose In emergencies.
md a portable radio with which 20
ado back to the plane once they nave
lafely landed. Usually one man in each
init dropped carries the radio. RAJ
ions and equipment are dropped from
he plane on special 'chutes.
After five or six days Of preliminary
raining, they are taken up 1900 feet
a a Travelair or Ford trimotor trans
,ort plane from the johnson Flying !
ervice In Missoula for their first Jump.
are careful TO pick a quiet /
Law and use an open field for the land
M on this first jump. After they
make q jump or two successfully IN
N open field they are started ON TIM
yer jumps.
Ideas on jumping are exchanged :
RELY between the forest service and ,
he army. Half Of the problem Of /
jumping was solved, forest service men :
iay. when the army developed the /
saH~aa 49, 4