Junior firefighters and 17th Civil Engineering Squadron firefighters stand for a photos at the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, July 19, 2019. A graduation ceremony concluded the annual junior firefighter camp with a presentation of training certificates, a slideshow covering their week and refreshments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger/Released)
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, UNITED STATES
07.15.2019
Story by Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger
17th Training Wing Public Affairs
The Goodfellow Fire Department hosted their annual Junior Firefighter Camp at the fire station here July 15 through July 19.
“We’ve been doing this for 14 years,” said 17th Civil Engineering Squadron Chief Richard Alter. “It started as a small seed. There are so many negative things in the world so we wanted to find a way to make a positive difference in their lives. We wanted to give them the chance to see what it would be like to be a firefighter for a week.”
The camp gives children from the community the opportunity to learn about fire safety, fire prevention, and the roles and responsibilities of firefighters.
Colonel Andres Nazario, 17th Training Wing commander, expressed his hope that this experience will lead the junior firefighters to pursue a career as firefighting professionals.
The junior firefighters learn everything from first aid and search and rescue to fire extinguisher training and how firefighters get into their protective gear. They also get the chance to operate a fire hose and learn about rescue tools in a fun, safe environment. At the end of the week, the junior firefighters receive a tour of the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy here before participating in a graduation ceremony.
17th Civil Engineering Squadron Fire Inspector, Billy Clemons, directs a junior firefighter as he extinguishes a live fire at the Goodfellow Air Force Base Fire Department on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, July 16, 2019. The firefighters demonstrated to the children the proper way to use a fire extinguisher. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger/Released)
17th Civil Engineering Squadron Firefighters, Lieutenant Roger Abalos and Captain Alan Hebert, assist junior firefighters as they don their protective gear at the Goodfellow Air Force Base Fire Department on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, July 16, 2019. The junior firefighters took turns wearing the firefighter uniforms to get a feel for what firefighters must do to protect themselves before heading out to the scene of a fire. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger/Released)
Firefighters from the 17th Civil Engineering Squadron train junior firefighters how to properly operate a fire hose at the Goodfellow Air Force Base Fire Department on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, July 17, 2019. The junior firefighters completed a drill in which they learned how to correctly carry the hose and spray water to knock road cones over. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger/Released)
17th Civil Engineering Squadron Firefighters, Bradley Keibler and Captain Daniel Chapa, assist a junior firefighter during a drill in which the children were meant to grip the water bottle with the rescue tools to see how they function at the Goodfellow Air Force Base Fire Department on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, July 16, 2019. They learned just how precise firefighters must be in order to use these tools in emergency situations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger/Released)
17th Civil Engineering Squadron Firefighters, Trevor Gardner and Frank Villalobos, show the junior firefighters proper ladder operations at the Goodfellow Air Force Base Fire Department on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, July 18, 2019. The children watched a demonstration of ladder safety before ascending and descending in order to put what they learned into action. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger/Released)
Junior firefighters donned in protective gear complete a building search and rescue drill at the Goodfellow Air Force Base Fire Department on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, July 18, 2019. They learned the importance of using a ‘buddy system’ to ensure that they made it in and out of the simulated environment safely. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger/Released)
