SCF-- To be a regular firefighter, you have to walk 3 miles in 45 minutes wearing a pack that weighs 45 pounds. If you want to be a Hotshot, you have at least one season as a regular and you do the following as well: • 1.5 mile run in a time of 10:35 or less • 40 situps in 60 seconds • 25 pushups in 60 seconds • Chin-ups, based on body weight: More than 170 lbs. = 4 chin-ups 135-170 lbs. = 5 chin-ups 110- 13 5 lbs. = 6 chin-ups Less than 110 lbs. = 7 chin-ups If you want to be a Smokejumper, you probably have a few seasons as a Hotshot: Rookie training lasts 4 weeks. The first day candidates must pass the PT test which consists of 7 pull-ups (hands facing either way), 25 push-ups, 45 sit-ups, and a 1.5 mile run in under 11 minutes. This is a bare minimum and all rookies should be able to perform at a much higher level. If unable to pass the PT test, candidates will not be allowed to continue in the program. The rest of the first weeks is spent in rookie camp. Rookies perform two packout tests, one of 110 pounds over a flat 3-mile course in 90 minutes or less, and one of 85 pounds over 2.5 miles of hilly, broken terrain. They are also tested on fireline construction skills with many hours of arduous, simulated line digging. The week also entails early morning running, calishthenics and tree climbing, as well as crosscut say, chainsaw, pumps, and compass training. The following week of "units" consists of training in: 1) aircraft exits, simulated by jumping out of a 40-foot-high shock tower, 2) let-downs (for use in rappelling from trees when the parachute hangs up) practiced from a platform, 3) parachute landing rolls on the landing simulator machine, 4) cargo retrieval and tree climbing with climbing spurs and a rope, 5) mock up which covers emergency procedures, airplane etiquette, mass exits and reserve parachute deployment, and 6) an obstacle course consisting of a 7-foot-high wall, a trampoline, monkey bars, a simulated row of tires, several ramps and a rope stretched across a ravine. Each rookie must pass a proficiency test in every unit, demonstrating ability to parachute from an aircraft and land safely. Candidates failing any one element are withdrawn from the program. Rookies must furnish their own boots, knife and watch for the job.(Boots should be broken in at least 1 month prior to arrival). Jump suits and gear are provided. Interspersed with unit training, recruits study parachute manipulation, helicopter use and safety and first aid. The last part of rookie training is seven actual jumps. The first is in a large field. From there, the jump spots get progressively smaller and more difficult. The seventh is a timber jump in which rookies must retrieve their parachutes.
My job is okay, but it is nothing that gets me excited. I started at my job in February 2000 as a temp who got nothing in terms of benefits. Finally, after 6 months, I was hired on a permanent basis. I work for a defense contractor in the finance/accounting department. However, I'm not an accountant...far from it. What I do is highly specialized. I have gone from being more than a "glorified admin assistant, i.e. secretary" to being the person that puts the cost estimate together for a job that the company is bidding on. When there's a job going on, life is great. There are enough meetings and other things to do to keep me plenty busy. It is not unusual for me to work weekends (including Sundays) and late nights. I have had to work several times past midnight. The great thing about that is twofold: 1) If I get my time in for that week (the 40 hours), I can take off the rest of the week without burning any vacation time. 2) Even if I go over the 40 hours, I get paid time and a half for all hours worked past 40. The last job we worked on was really the first one that was given to me as my "full responsibility". I wound up logging close to 60 hours one week and that was by Thursday afternoon! However, the problem is when there is the inevitable "down time". Fortunately, the company doesn't lay me off, but my days pretty much consist of me coming to work and surfing the Internet all day unless there is some task that has been given to me. Of course, that is why I'm here a lot. But I have tried to cut down on the posting on the job because I feel guilty doing it. However, many other people I work with goof around as well. The guy who sits next to me will read a book and even play games on his computer during the work day! When there are periods like this, it makes it very hard to get through the work day, and the weekends are highly treasured by me. That's the thing I would like to change about it. But I'm not fooling anyone by looking for another job. I get paid pretty decently, the company is highly respected, and it is only 15-20 minutes where I live which is a huge thing to me. Of course, my dream job would be to just sit and listen to music for 8 hours a day and write reviews about it. But this job I have, even though it has the slow times, is the best job I could have if I want to continue to live where I have always lived (which I do). But SCF is right and I agree with DoD....It is pretty damn depressing to get up every freaking day at 6 in the morning and not come home until 5:30. The summers especially suck because a lot of people are on vacation, but not stiffs like me. Damn you, SCF for pointing that out to us..
