Nevada Air Guard unit receives MAFFS wildland firefighting mission

A 152nd Airlift Wing C-130 flies over the Sierra mountain range near Lake Tahoe.

152 Airlift Wing
Story by Tech. Sgt. Emerson Marcus

RENO - The 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada National Guard, is set to begin the process of outfitting its C-130 aircraft with U.S. Forest Service Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) equipment for large-scale wildland firefighting missions around the nation, the National Guard Bureau announced this week.
The development of the MAFFS mission in Reno brings large-scale wildland firefighting capabilities to a Guard unit located in the largest national forest in the lower 48 states - the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest - prone to massive fires in recent years.
"The 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada National Guard is the best choice to fulfill the MAFFS mission due to their aircrew experience and geographic area response capability," the bureau said in a statement this week.
The 152nd will become one of four units nationwide with C-130 aircraft outfitted with MAFFS. The 152nd has worked its airlift mission with C-130s since 1996.
"The High Rollers of the 152nd Airlift Wing are more than capable of executing this mission," Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval said. "This is good for the unit, the state, recently fire-ravaged western regions and the nation."
Since 1974, MAFFS - a fire retardant delivery system inserted into C-130 aircraft - has been a joint effort between the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Defense.
The U.S. Forest Service owns MAFFS equipment and supplies retardant for firefighting. The Department of Defense provides C-130 aircraft, flight crews, and maintenance and support personnel to fly missions. MAFFS delivers surge capability that can be used to boost wildfire suppression efforts. The equipment can discharge up to 3,000 gallons - 28,000 pounds - of retardant in less than five seconds, covering an area one-quarter of a mile long and 60 feet wide. Once discharged, it can be refilled and airborne in less than 20 minutes.
"Nevada is in a perfect location to service the vast majority of Western states due to its central location," Nevada National Guard Adjutant General Brig. Gen. William Burks said. "This is huge for the High Rollers and shows that all of their hard work throughout the entire organization pays benefits in the long run."
The 152nd is scheduled to begin the transition with U.S. Forest Service MAFFS training on May 1 at Channel Islands, Calif.
The transition is expected to take three to five fire seasons as the unit trains and prepares for the mission, the bureau said.
A planned conversion of an existing MAFFS unit, the 145th Airlift Wing,
North Carolina Air National Guard from the C-130 to the C-17, prompted the bureau to evaluate existing C-130 Air National Guard units for a suitable replacement for the MAFFS mission.
All National Guard C-130 units were considered, the bureau said.
The other units involved in the mission are: the 146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard; the 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard and the 302nd Airlift Wing, Air Force Reserves.
"This is a critical and challenging mission we've wanted for many years
now," said Col. Karl Stark, the commander of the 152nd Airlift Wing. "We are more than capable and ready for the responsibility this mission brings."

NSAB Recognizes Its Dispatch Center Professionals

Sarah Leggate, an emergency dispatcher, answers a call during a shift April 1 on Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB). NSAB recognizes its telecommunication personnel in the public safety community during the annual week that celebrates and thanks those who dedicate their lives to serving the public. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman William Phillips/Released)

Naval Support Activity Bethesda
Courtesy Story

Each year, the second week of April is recognized as National Public Safety Telecommunicator’s Week. This week is a nationally-recognized opportunity for citizens and co-workers alike to show their appreciation for professionals in the field of Public Safety Communications. The week-long event was initiated in 1981 by Patricia Anderson of the Contra Costa County, Calif. Sheriff’s Office, but eventually grew to be nationally recognized. The public safety telecommunications group encompasses everyone involved from the first moment a call is connected to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), until help has physically arrived and the last line has been disconnected.

Naval Support Activity Bethesda’s (NSAB) Emergency Services Dispatch Center is a Federal Communications Commission-registered PSAP and is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. During 2015 alone, NSAB’s Dispatch Center staff answered and dispatched Fire & Emergency Medical Services (EMS) units to more than 2,240 fire, rescue, and medical call incidents, with even more calls requiring NSAB Police and security forces assistance and response.

“There is no measure to accurately describe the importance, that our telecommunication/emergency dispatchers provide us, day in and day out.” said Darryl C. Stanton Jr., NSAB chief of police. “Their contribution is the most integral part of the public safety foundation. Without their support and expertise, the emergency response process fails, our first responder’s lives would be in jeopardy and we would not be able to serve and protect our communities.”

Dispatch Center personnel are considered true ‘first responders.’ They are the first to respond to the needs of the public when they call in for assistance. Dispatch Center personnel project a calm demeanor to citizens and victims in distress. In high-stress situations, they are compassionate yet diligent in ascertaining important information necessary to provide to the responding units when time is of the essence. On NSAB, if you have ever dialed 7-7-7 to get help in an accident or an emergency, then a dispatcher has been on the phone to collect your information and get you help. A person who is a dispatcher must be patient, strong, understanding and work well under intense pressure or stressful situations.

“Dispatchers are critical members of the first responder community and they are the life blood of getting help to you when needed,” said John E. Gray III, district fire chief assigned to NSAB. “I rest easy at night knowing that our dispatchers are some of the best in the Navy, fielding the most emergency calls within Naval District Washington.”

Dispatchers are nationally certified through the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials and complete courses in public safety telecommunication, fire service communications, emergency medical dispatch and active shooter incidents for public safety communication.

Although their jobs do not put them in ‘harm’s way,’ dispatchers make critical life-saving decisions on a regular basis. They take great pride regarding the welfare of our community members and keeping the police officers, security forces and firefighters of NSAB safe. Coordinating helicopter landings for medical evacuations, dispatching police/fire and EMS units, sending Everbridge emergency notifications and monitoring security alarms are just a few of the various other tasks they manage on a daily basis. We rely on their knowledge and professionalism as they make critical decisions, obtain information, and quickly dispatch needed aid for any situation that may arise.

These dedicated men and women are more than anonymous voices on the telephone line or radio channels. These individuals work tirelessly to ensure that when others need help, someone answers the call.

Cutting Cars; Air National Guard Units Conduct Basic Vehicle Extrication Training

Airman 1st Class Kevin Marin of the 101st Airlift Wing Fire Department, Maine Air National Guard, utilizes a Hurst spreader to open a vehicle door during basic vehicle extrication training exercises at the 165th Airlift Wing's Regional Fire Training Facility in Savannah, Ga. on April 6th, 2016. Airmen from the Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont Air National Guard Fire Departments are conducting training exercises together to maintain operational readiness. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Andrew J. Merlock/Released)

177th Fighter Wing – NJ Air National Guard
Story by Tech. Sgt. Andrew Merlock

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA - Airmen from Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont Air National Guard Fire Departments conducted basic vehicle extrication training exercises here at the 165th Airlift Wing's Regional Fire Training Facility in Savannah, Ga. on April 6, 2016.

The training provided practical, hands-on exercises focusing on softening, a term used to describe the prying of doors and other openings, and stabilizing a vehicle in addition to the deployment and use of extrication tools.

"Take it all in, make good sound decisions and take into account the safety of your crew," explained Tech. Sgt. Brandon Sotter, Assistant Chief of Operations for the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, who was instructing the vehicle softening portion of the exercise. "We didn't make the scene that way, we're just trying to make it better."

Airmen practiced the deployment and operation of cribbing tools to stabilize an overturned motor vehicle, in addition to Hurst spreaders and cutters, similar to the Jaws of Life. These tools are utilized by fire departments throughout the Air National Guard to prevent further injury and ultimately remove an entrapped victim of a motor vehicle accident.

"EMS is a large part of our job now," explained Senior Airman Colin Bellavance of the 158th Fighter Wing Fire Department, who also served as an instructor. "This is a big part of it, responding to scenes and providing assistance to patients in need."

The basic vehicle extrication training exercise is one of the many training sessions that the five Air National Guard Units will conduct together during the week at the 165th Regional Fire Training Facility.

MCAS Miramar hosts educators during Educators Workshop

A Marine with Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., assists an educator with using a fire hose during an Educators Workshop aboard MCAS Miramar, April 6. Educators from recruiting stations Lansing, Mich., and Twin Cities, Minn., visited MCAS Miramar to learn about the aviation side of the Marine Corps and life for a Marine after basic training

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar / 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story by Cpl. Kimberlyn Adams

Educators from high schools within recruiting stations Lansing, Michigan, and Twin Cities, Minnesota, districts visited Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, to learn about the aviation component of the Marine Corps and life for a Marine after basic training during an Educators Workshop, April 6.

The Educators Workshop Program is a recruiting initiative that gives educators from across the country the opportunity to see the Marine Corps from the inside.

During the weeklong workshop, the educators also visited Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, to give them the full Marine Corps experience, from recruit training to serving in the operational forces.

While at MCAS Miramar, educators are given the chance to ask Col. Jason Woodworth, commanding officer of MCAS Miramar, and enlisted Marines questions about the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, MCAS Miramar and the Marine Corps.

“The educators are provided the opportunity to speak with Marines and learn about the Corps through their experience,” said Sgt. Michael Thorn, community relations chief with the Consolidated Public Affairs Office aboard MCAS Miramar and a Miramar, Florida, native. “This gives them something to bring back to their respective schools, which is great, even if it ends up being a better personal perspective on the Marine Corps.”

For the rest of the educator’s time aboard the station, the enlisted Marines joined them for a trip to the Hub, which houses the library, education center and Single Marine Program, where they learned about the educational benefits and the recreational activities the Marine Corps offers to service members. Then educators were taken to the flight line where they got a closer look at an F/A-18B Hornet, an MV-22B Osprey and a P-19A Firefighting Emergency Vehicle.

“I think [the Educators Workshop] is a fantastic opportunity for the educators to see what the Marines go through and the fantastic job that they do so we can bring that back to the students that don’t know anything about the Marines,” said Meghan Olsen, a guidance counselor from Williston High School in Williston, North Dakota. “I believe that the presentation of the Marine Corps that I have seen will make a positive impact on my students looking into the military,”

JTF-Bravo supports Honduran firefighting efforts

Members of the Honduran Air Force, Army, the Honduran Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and U.S. Service Members with Joint Task Force-Bravo, pose for a photo Apr. 2, 2016, Tela, Honduras, after working together to extinguish an out of control fire nearby. The various units worked together over the course of four days to bring the fire under control. During the firefighting operations JTF-Bravo CH-47 Chinooks and a UH-60 Black Hawk dropped more than 390,000 gallons of water on areas affected by the fire, helping bring it under control. (Courtesy photo by Chief Warrant Officer Kyle Johnson)

Joint Task Force Bravo
Story by Capt. Christopher Mesnard

On March 30, 2016, a fire near the town of Tela, Honduras warranted a large scale reaction from Honduran firefighting forces, to include the National Fire Department, Army and Air Force.

The initial response involved Honduran ground and air assets in the Jeanette Kawas National Park working to contain the fire, however, due to dry conditions, shifting winds, and dense vegetation at the location of the fire, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez requested U.S. support to assist in the effort to prevent the fire from quickly spreading throughout the park and potentially threatening local communities.

Joint Task Force-Bravo air assets supplemented two Honduran UH-1N Huey helicopters, beginning March 31, with Bambi Buckets to carry water from the nearby lake, Laguna de Los Micos, to the fires and a hoist capability, in case a need to retrieve personnel on the ground arose.

During the operation, Honduran and U.S. command and control elements reviewed inputs from the ground forces and surveillance from air assets, to determine where the fire, which had split into three separate fires by March 31, needed the most attention.

“The team, consisting of Honduran and U.S. personnel and capabilities, conducted joint planning to continually assess the situation and synchronize an effective, combined response to the fire – working as one to quickly gain control and extinguish the fires throughout the park,” said Col. Rob Harman, JTF-Bravo commander.

After the majority of the efforts wrapped up on March 31, only one fire still remained burning, though it was considered mostly under control by those on the ground.

“It’s always a good feeling to use our training and resources when a real-world need arises,” said Chief Warrant Officer Kyle Johnson, 1-228th Aviation Regiment CH-47 pilot. “It’s not often we get to work side-by-side with our Honduran hosts in a situation like this, but this was an opportunity to work together on a common goal and everyone performed excellently.”

Both teams suspended flight operations on the evening of March 31, due to potentially unsafe night flying conditions and crew-duty days, and would reassess the situation the following morning.

The next day, the team noticed that one of the fires, which was previously extinguished, had re-ignited, and they had to orient their efforts toward two fires on April 1.

“When the Hondurans sent their helicopter up to assess the fires, they discovered one of the fires they put out the day prior was ablaze again,” said Lt. Col. Daniel Moore, 1-228th AVN commander and officer in charge of U.S. response forces on the ground. “We quickly went to work on refueling aircraft and putting them in the fight against the two blazes.”

After continued operations on April 2nd, a joint assessment by Honduran Col. Barrientos, Air Force Chief of Staff met with Moore and concluded the fire was contained to the point that U.S. support was no longer required.

“It’s satisfying and rewarding to see that our efforts resulted in total mission success,” said Johnson.

During the time frame of three days the 1-228th AVN dropped over 390,000 gallons of water over the course of 55 hours flight time, earning thanks from President Hernandez, Ambassador Nealon and local community officials.