EWU Digital Commons

Ted Corporandy began seasonal firefighting in 1970 with the U.S. Forest Service, Stanislaus National Forest, immediately after graduating from high school. He was fortunate to land a job with Bald Mountain Helitack that first year. He continued for 3 more years in the Stanislaus NF at various positions, until 1974 when he became a smokejumper in Redding, CA. He often carried a camera to record his exploits and continued that habit his entire career. His father was a photographer who he credits with giving him the camera “bug”. In his quest to be a year round firefighter with a municipal fire department he went to work for the San Jose Fire Department in 1975 and left for San Francisco in 1978 where he was anxious to see more action. He was not disappointed. He worked his way up through the ranks, finally retiring as a Battalion Chief in 2006. Today he and his wife reside in McCall, Idaho, where he often sees the smokejumpers during their units and training jumps. This provides ample photo opportunities to capture the men and women in action.