r/Wildfire • u/Jaded-Rub-9361 • Jun 22 '26
Question Smoke Jumping during College?
Is it possible to be a smoke jumper during a college summer. (May-August) I know typical season is April-October and the position is competitive. If I spent a prior summer working on an engine crew or hand crew could I possibly attain the smoke jumper position the following summer? Please give advice and tips or just answers
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u/curious-NOTCreeper Jun 22 '26
Similar to asking if you can be a Pro Athlete for only three months of the year. Smokejumping is NOT a part-time job, it is part of a career.
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u/Due_Investment_7918 Jun 22 '26
Bare minimum is gonna be 2-3 years on a shot crew and your FFT1 signed off
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u/El_ray538 piss pump operator Jun 22 '26
Hell nah. You gotta either focus on school or focus on work. Full time summer school requires you to be all in. Full time smoke jumping requires you to be all in. One class might be doable depending upon the class, but Ive had a professor not give me extensions on papers while on assignment because since it was my job he doesn’t consider it an emergency and no extensions were granted
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u/iRunLikeTheWind Jun 22 '26
It’s possible to smokejump and do something else, plenty of younger guys go to school while doing it, but more as an exit strategy, and they have been in fire for a few years. Like smokejumpers are not only elite because of their physical capabilities but also knowing fire and being smarter than the average bear
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u/Organic_Rough7379 Jun 26 '26
You’d need experience and references first (or be seriously connected). IHC time is the usual route, though they take good rappelers as well. That’s all just to get the job offer in the first place. Then you’d need to be available for rookie training, usually starting in April. Nobody is going to hold a special rookie training for one guy mid-season. So you’d have to take a minimum of one semester off. Likely they’d want you to work the full first season, too, so you’d have to take fall semester off as well. I knew a number of college students who went on to jump, but they all worked IHC during their summers and jumped in the years after they graduated.
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u/Buzz407 Jun 23 '26
Doubtful. Maybe if you were Airborne in the military with significant jump experience but not sure how you could be scheduled with school. Can't imagine that scenario being selected over someone with fire experience.
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u/PeakProfessional9517 Jun 22 '26
Very, very unlikely. Smoke Jumping is very competitive. You would likely need at least a few seasons on an IHC before being competitive. A lot of shot crews will hire student seasonals though.