Story by Sgt. Tanner Dibble November 27, 2024 at 02:32PM FORT CAVAZOS, Texas — U.S. Army Cpl. Jalen Martinez demonstrates firefighting techniques, Nov. 20, 2024 in Fort Cavazos, Texas. Just like their civilian counterparts, Army Firefighters are responsible for protecting lives and property from fires. U.S. Army Cpl. Jalen Martinez, an Army Firefighter serving with the 664th modular ammunition company, 61st Quartermaster Battalion, 13th Armored Corps Sustainment Command, III Armored Corps, demonstrates various firefighting techniques. “Being an Army firefighter is no different than the civilian world,” said Cpl. Jalen Martinez, “We train and execute the same way, and we are held to the same standards.” The Fort Cavazos Fire Department, Station 1, started off with breaching drills where Martinez demonstrated his ability to breach a door utilizing a Halligan tool and a Firefighter’s Axe. The Halligan is a multipurpose tool for prying, twisting, punching, or striking which was developed by the New York Police Department. The Halligan is used to apply leverage to the door, while the Firefighter’s Axe is utilized to force the tool between the door and its frame. This technique allows Firefighters to open doors that may be blocked due to debris or structural degradation. The next training exercise consisted of Bunker Gear drills, which are used to demonstrate the efficiency and familiarity of various components of Firefighting equipment. This lethality test highlights the ability of Army firefighters to respond to various disaster situations with efficiently and in a timely manner. The most easily identifiable drills came next. Aerial drills highlight a firefighters ability to use and operate ladders in various environments with standard issue equipment. These drills including scaling the ladder on a fire truck, as well as mobile ladders carried inside the fire truck. The 13th Armored Corps is committed to exceeding standards, and our firefighters are not exempt from this. We will continue to train to provide the sustainment support that defends the nation’s constitution.
