NSA Smokejumper Photo & Video Galleries. Very sad to see this, Ben is a textbook example of what sort of change motivated firefighters can make from the ground up. You dont put on your Redmond Smokejumper shirt until you jump out of Redmond. I strongly recommend doing what you can to support him and his family during this difficult time. But not every burn is going to take 10 jumpers. And, please keep in mind our commenting ground rules before you post a comment. The Alaska Smokejumper Base's 10-year average for jumps between April and September is 495. The RAC is hosted by the Deschutes National Forest and is about 30 minutes driving time from the Central Oregon communities of Bend, Sisters, and Prineville. Crisp, bold red, white and blue SMOKEJUMPERS logo on left chest adorns a 100-percent navy blue cotton t-shirt of a heft strong enough to withstand hundreds of washings, without being too heavy for comfort. The rest of the . But a GoFundMe set up by the Redmond Smokejumpers Welfare Organization had already raised nearly $40,000 as of Monday, more than Elkind would have made during the fire season. A practice born in Washington States North Cascades in the 1930s, today roughly 500 smokejumpers work for USFS and the Bureau of Land Management at nine bases between Alaska and California. Now, Elkind is stuck on crutches for the next 2-3 months, with a long road of recovery ahead of him. The Redmond Air Center (RAC) is at Robert's Field Airport about two miles east of Redmond, Oregon (population 12,000+, elevation 3077 feet). For further information, contact Eastern Washington University Libraries, Archives & Special Collections at (509) 359-2475. NSA Online Store. The choice instrument the one everyone runs for after they hit the ground is the chainsaw. Keely Damara. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., High Desert Museum, 59800 . Although this first experiment was not pursued, another began in 1939 in Washington's Methow Valley, where professional parachutists jumped into a variety of timbered and mountainous terrains, proving the feasibility of the idea. Jump board. Shane Orser, 41, will join more than 200 other . They watch their name climb the jump list. Contests & Promotions, Decision 2022 Plus: Oregon races measures and maps, Decision 2022 Plus: Balance of Power, Congress and Governor, Tip of felon with gun leads to CERT raid on SE Bend home; suspect runs, caught with drones, K-9s, Crook County Sheriffs Search and Rescue comes to aid of stranded motorist south of Prineville. For info on print and digital advertising, 1 event, 4 articles. Shipping is free on all returns shipped from within the United States. Check the NSA Web site 2 www.smokejumpers.com SMOKEJUMPER, ISSUE NO. We are committed to providing the Central Oregon community A group portrait of the smokejumper crew for the Redmond Smokejumper Base. "We catch a lot of fires that nobody has any clue even happened," said Hinnenkamp. Daily News Updates Its always a different group. Fire jumps are such a precious thing to all of us, Carle says. Typos, let us know HERE. Fitness is very important for these folks. Although in years past, the army had conducted basic airborne training at various locations, it has since been consolidated at Fort Benning, Georgia. Please refine your search. Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new articles by email. Eastern Washington University has obtained permission from the Redmond Smokejumper Base to provide digital access to this image. Home Ben is an outstanding human, firefighter, and firefighter advocate. My Account The pulaski is a single-bladed axe with a grub-hoe on the opposite side, and is, undoubtedly, the greatest fire handtool ever invented. Ben Elkind sustained a dislocated hip and pelvic fracture during a hard landing. In 1942, permanent jump operations were established at Winthrop, Washington, and Ninemile Camp, an abandoned Civilian Conservation Corps camp (Camp Menard) a mile north of the Forest Service's Ninemile Remount Depot (pack mule) at Huson, Montana, about 30 miles (48km) northwest of Missoula. Learn more about Noah here. Ben Elkind sustained a dislocated hip and pelvic fracture during a hard landing. A group portrait of the Smokejumper crew for the Redmond Smokejumper Base. Six fractures, three plates and 10 screws later, Elkind is looking at a 6-12 month recovery before he can get back to fighting fires and providing for his family. Meeting minutes from the Sept 2008 Board of Directors meeting in Redmond have been posted. But the difference between landing a round in high wind and a square can be as much as 20 mph or more. C-23 "Sherpa" would carry 18 members of the 2001 Redmond Smokejumpers for drop training. During surgery at the hospital they found six fractures and placed three plates and 10 screws to repair the damage. The McCall smokejumper program was established in 1943; their base is on the Idaho shores of Payette Lake. All of us federal fire folks owe him a huge debt of gratitude for the immense amount of time and energy he has put in working towards reclassification, fair pay, and benefits. Home EWU Home, Privacy Users are responsible for assessing and/or securing use permissions. Redmond Smokejumpers Continued Part V Ready for quick reload. The digital images were donated to Eastern Washington University Libraries by the National Smokejumper Association. A place where the weather does what it wants. NSA Online Store. It's a situation he knew was possible, but never thought would be a reality. When youre at the top of the jump list, you dont go out of range of the alarm. Photo via Redmond Smokejumpers Welfare Organization. Elkind, who normally works between 500 and 800 hours of overtime each fire season, is a big advocate of fair pay and benefits for firefighters. The National Smokejumper Association (NSA) is a non-profit (), American organization based in Missoula, Montana, that preserves the history of aerial fire management, or smokejumping, through interviews, rosters, photographs, films, letters, reports and publications.It is also a meeting area for people involved with wildland firefighting and helps in the preservation of national forests and . > A Redmond smokejumper is embarking on a historic trip next month to participate in a commemorative D-Day invasion jump in Normandy, France. A smokejumper was seriously injured Sunday May 15 during a training parachute jump. For further information, contact Eastern Washington University Libraries, Archives & Special Collections at (509) 359-2475. Ben is an excellent dude and a shining example of the kind of leaders and advocates we need more of in the Fire community. The Winthrop operation remained at its original location, as North Cascades Smokejumper Base. Redmond Smokejumpers Redmond Air Center 1740 S.E. thats the plan," he said. The North Peace Smokejumpers in Fort Saint John, British Columbia. NSA Smokejumper Photo & Video Galleries. Their job is to kill them before they become catastrophes. Deschutes National Forest Public Affairs Officer Jean Nelson-Dean confirmed that "one of our smokejumpers experienced a hard landing on a proficiency jump" and had been hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.". I know the community will rally and give Ben the support he needs, but there are others out there every year who get missed and who struggle alone. Then you return to base where your names at the bottom of the jump list. On the ground, you collect your gear, much of which is dropped separately by the plane. Back Row (L-R): Ryen Farnworth (pilot), Eric Shilling (pilot), Tony Sleznick (pilot), Josh Cantrell, Jeff Coburn, Sean Wishart, Kevin McCarthy, Jonathan Ugulano, Ryan McCliment, Justin Cook, Jeremy Zemke, Ben Elkind, Eliah Pedersen, Shane Orser . You just think that youre not going to hurt right so, Im kind of surprised, Elkind told NewsChannel 21 on Monday. Smokejumping was first proposed in 1934 in the Intermountain Region (Region 4), by Regional Forester T.V. Once youre in the plane, theres no going back, says Bill Selby, Carles boss and the base manager for the Redmond Smokejumpers. Forest service has some kinks to iron out but. Smokejumpers are employed by the Russian Federation, United States (namely the United States Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management), and Canada (in British Columbia).[1]. Archives Typos, let us know HERE, and specify which article. the North Cascades Smokejumpers in Winthrop, Washington. Support local and vocal journalism! Tony Johnson, Redmond Base Manager (541) 504-7280 Deschutes NF . The first fire jumps were made by Rufus Robinson and Earl Cooley at Rock Pillar near Marten Creek in the Nez Perce National Forest on July 12, 1940, out of Ninemile, followed shortly by a two-man fire jump out of Winthrop. Tanker 163 at Redmond, June 13, 2016. Rappellers today can repel 250 feet from light or medium helicopters and land precisely between tall trees. The solution is not just to donate. BLM photo by Carrie Bilbao July 28, 2020. . Andrea sets down her pressure washer and takes a break from the farm chores with Erik. Photo by Bill Gabbert. They exercise. "The jumpers took what they did and adapted it to the helicopter," said Ken Ross, the Helicopter Program Manager for Pacific Northwest Region. Hes been a smokejumper for nine years and he was using a new style of parachute on this particular training jump near Black Butte. FAQ ), Aircraft, Home In an ironic twist, a GoFundMe page has been set up for Bens family by the Redmond Smokejumpers Welfare Organization, an often necessary step taken by many federal firefighters who are injured on the job. Were not gonna leave until its out.. The Redmond Smokejumpers first explored a rappelling program in 1972. It is time to either sideline the square or shut down the SMJ program. His future career might be on hold, but Elkind has high hopes. The "birthplace" of smokejumping continues to be debated between these two bases, the argument having persisted for about 70 years. The panels in this series are part of a traveling exhibit created by the National Smokejumper Association (NSA), the National Fire Fighter Corp., and the Springfield Museum in Springfield, Oregon in 2016. . A group portrait of the Smokejumper crew for the Redmond Smokejumper Base. Take care of our people FS!!!!!!!!!! Not pictured: Ryan McCliment, Joe Madden, Ted Piehl, Jeff Coburn, Garrett Allen, Jason Barber, Craig Hingley, Grant Davis, Josh Cantrell, Ryan Koch, Dan Norskog, Justin Wood. . The GoFundMe is incredible, very lucky that people are willing to contribute., RELATED: From bad to worse: Drought conditions could fuel nasty wildfire season, Jean Nelson-Dean from the Deschutes National Forest provided a statement, saying:We are all hoping for a speedy recovery for Ben and many people are reaching out to help support him and his family at this time.. He's excited to spend this extra time with his family, but certainly has a return to the skies in sight. People love our t-shirts and brisk sales prove the designs we create are winners, year after year! A place where humans are no longer the apex predator. Its always a little bit of a different fire we gotta do, Carle says. It gets scary just thinking if I cant go back to my job or if my wife gets laid off from her job, and I cant work because of my hip, it gets scary for me to think about all that. In the air, you circle the fire and size it up. View all posts by Bill Gabbert. NSA_CREWPICS When theyre not in the air, smokejumpers manufacture and repair their own gear. Really sad to hear of Bens injury. Twenty-nine jumpers battled the remote Bell Lake fire in September 1944, among 70 fires suppressed that year, and 179 were fought in the Missoula Region alone by September 1945, with other jumpers assigned to McCall and Cave Junction. Ochoco Way Redmond, OR 97756 (541) 504-7200. smokejumper visitor center missoula montana smokejumping. Wildfire in Nebraska burns more than 1,000 acres of timber, The four active large fires in New Mexico have burned nearly half a million acres, An invitation to visit Bill Gabberts tribute wall, Bill Gabberts death announced by his family, Share a few hours for cancer awareness (and help fund our professions response), County commissioner in Glenwood Springs wants climate removed from wildfire agreement, Fire leaders promote national fire strategy. Tanker 44 at Redmond, June 13, 2016. If you cant go out on fires, you just take an income hit, he said. It only took a half an hour, but the trip set Meg Buchanan back ten years. Have a wildland fire news tip? EWU Home, Privacy Boise, ID and Fairbanks, AK are the two BLM jump bases. In 1989, Clint joined Redmond Smokejumpers in Redmond, Oregon. I'd venture to bet that it's similar to why the US Army (and other branches) use rounds on mass jumps. This hotshot crew may have been deployed to Alaska. Thats a stupid statement. A smokejumper was seriously injured Sunday May 15 during a training parachute jump. Its always a different mentality. And then I ran into where I was running out of space, so then I basically just hit the full brakes on my parachute and the canopy collapsed. The base became a "satellite" base, while Redmond, Oregon, served as the "core" base with 60 smokejumpers assigned there. Smokejumping -- United States, Smokejumpers -- United States -- Redmond (Or. 502 likes. The 555th made a total of 1,200 jumps to 36 fires, 19 from Pendleton and 17 from Chico. Total passengers 2018. Alaskas Alagnak River is a place where there are no roads. I have read many of his comments and as a GS6 forestry Tech with 2 kids I felt reciprocal on his opinion and story. The first official non-fire jump was made in the Nez Perce National Forest in the Northern Region (Region 1) in 1940 by John Furgurson and Lester Gohler. Front row (L-R): Scott Fairchild (pilot), Dale Lehnertz, Tom Bowen, Gary Robinson, Mike Dosskey, Steven Josten, Phil Armour, Russ West, Doug Houston, Mark Corbet. It was a small jump spot and there was no wind so I just kept cruising through the jump spot, Elkind told Central Oregon Daily News on Monday. Crisp, bold red, white and blue SMOKEJUMPERS logo on left chest adorns a 100-percent navy blue cotton t-shirt of a heft strong enough to withstand hundreds of washings, without being too heavy for comfort. Front Row (L-R): (Rookies) Shane Taylor, Melissa Moore, Gabe Dommershausen, Josh Ross, Rubel Aguilar, David Neydlin, Luke Bromley, Douglas Thomas, Sam Johnson, Nick Foey. Central Oregon Daily is a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc., recognized as a Fortune 1000 2017 company. Based aircraft 2022. As of August, 2021, nine smokejumper crews operate in the United States. Hang in there dude! (TRAMPS) NSA Trails Restoration & Maintenance Project Specialists. The Illinois Valley Airport, also known as the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base, or even the Cave Junction Airport, was built by the US Forest Service. Due to the growth of the programs, USFS needed a new state-of-the-art training facility to serve its 1,000+ students per year. After observing smokejumper training methods at Seeley Lake in June 1940, then-Major William C. Lee of the U.S. Army went on to become a major general and establish the 101st Airborne Division.[3]. We guarantee the lifetime of each item made by Filson against failure or damage in its intended usage. Spotters toss streamers to test the wind and look for a place for jumpers to land. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Homestead Helicopters Wildland Firefighting Missoula MT patch at the best online prices at eBay! Lot of fires that nobody has any clue even happened, & quot ; Hinnenkamp. New style of parachute on this particular training jump near Black Butte and as a GS6 Tech! 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Way Redmond, Oregon light or medium helicopters and land precisely between trees!, firefighter, and firefighter advocate firefighter, and specify which article were donated to Eastern University! Alagnak River is a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. recognized. Support him and his family, but the difference between landing a round in high wind and look for place... 2 kids i felt reciprocal on his opinion and story Regional Forester T.V these two redmond smokejumpers the... An income hit, he said further information, contact Eastern Washington University,...