Smokejumper Personal Protective Equipment PPE 1949

This clip shows the personal protective equipment worn by early men working as smokejumpers responding to forest fires. Smokejumping required the development of specialized jumping equipment to facilitate safe parachute landings in timbered and other hazardous terrain. The smokejumper depends upon the equipment for a high degree of protection and it must adjusted properly and kept in good repair. Much time and energy was spent on developing protective equipment for the smokejumpers in the early 1940s. The training outfit that was selected consisted of a two-piece felt-padded suit, with a pocket on one trouser leg to hold a rope for letdowns from trees and obstacles, a football helmet with a wire mesh face mask, athletic supporter, ankle braces, a wide leather and elastic belt to protect against back and abdominal injuries, and heavy logger boots completed the jumper outfit and provided protection for the hazards of jumping into timber. It was concluded that Smokejumpers could safely land in all types of timber. The stage was set for the first operational use of smokejumpers stating in 1940. For more on smoke jumpers, go to the website of the National Smoke Jumper Association at www.smokejumpers.com . For more on PPE for worker safety, go to the OSHA website at www.osha.gov . This is clipped from the 1949 film, Smoke Jumper Training for Airborne Fire Fighting, made by the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture. The entire film has been digitized by the nonprofit ...



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