AZ Guard aviators hone wildfire response skills

With fine fuels overabundant in all ecosystems across the state of Arizona, this upcoming wildfire season in predicted to be an active one by the U.S. Forestry Service. The interagency operability of the Arizona National Guard is crucial in the state’s preparations for this upcoming wildfire season. (Info graphic courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service)

Arizona National Guard Public Affairs
Story by Sgt. Wesley Parrell


PHOENIX – Members of the 2-285th Assault Helicopter Battalion participated in an annual training and certification course for wildfire response at the Papago Park Military Reservation May 4-5.

At the completion of the 24-hour training course, 16 pilots and crew chiefs were certified to respond and assist with helicopter bucket operations, delivering water for aerial firefighting during future wildfire events. This will solidify one of nearly a dozen capabilities the aviation unit possesses to support first responders during the wildfire season.

“The Arizona National Guard’s aviation crews possess a number of skills critical to the wildfire fighting efforts,” said Justin Jager, interagency aviation officer for the National Parks Service and U.S. Forest Service. “Developing the interagency operability of these crews to help support the ground crews is invaluable to the state and region in terms of preparedness.”

Aside from water drop capabilities, the Arizona National Guard’s aviation crews are capable to support lift operations, extraction and insertion of personnel, search and rescue, hoist operations, and sling load equipment transport. There are also specially trained crewmembers who can perform casualty and medical evacuations.

These crew capabilities are augmented by the workhorse capabilities of the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter they operate. As the U.S. Army’s primary medium lift utility transport and air assault aircraft, the Blackhawk is a twin-engine medium lift utility helicopter designed to perform multiple functions in a variety of terrains and conditions.

“These are very fast and powerful aircrafts,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Rick Klauer, Instructor Pilot for the Arizona Army National Guard. “The Blackhawk can perform operations anywhere within the state of Arizona from the lower Sonora Desert to the top of Humphrey’s Peak.”

These capabilities were put to the test last July when the Arizona National Guard was called to support medical evacuation operations on the top of the Four Peaks Mountain Northeast of Phoenix. Due to the extreme winds and high altitudes, the 2-285th possessed the right capabilities and crew to perform this technical rescue successfully.

With fine fuels overabundant in all ecosystems across the state of Arizona, this upcoming wildfire season in predicted to be an active one. Norval Taylor, center manager for the Arizona State Forestry Dispatch Center, expressed the importance of the Arizona National Guard’s role during a training briefing at the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs Emergency Operations Center, May 3.

“Most organizations are specialized in a certain aspect of a response,” Taylor said. “I know that when the National Guard is called to support us we are receiving a top-tier agency with personnel that can handle a wide spectrum of tasks.”

The Arizona National Guard is a component of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. With dual mission responsibilities, the National Guard responds to both state and federal requests for support. Under state law, the National Guard provides protection of life and property and preserves peace, order and public safety. The Guard accomplishes these missions through emergency-relief support during natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, forest fires, search and rescue operations, support to civil defense authorities, maintenance of vital public services and counter-drug operations.

“The Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs supports whole community preparedness,” said Wendy Smith-Reeve, deputy director of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. “The National Guard and its members are a part of the whole community and exercising their role in fire response facilitates a smoother response to an actual emergency.”

There when you need them

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Damian Sharpe, 18th Medical Operations Squadron NCO in charge of ambulance services, practices loading a patient into the back of an ambulance May 4, 2016, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The Kadena Ambulance service is very busy responding to emergencies throughout the island, covering 50-60 calls a month. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Corey M. Pettis)

18th Wing Public Affairs
Story by Airman 1st Class Corey Pettis

This is a daily feeling for a member of the Kadena Ambulance Service as they save the life of a stranger. But they remember their training, and know their teammates have their backs.

Saving a life can be chaotic. But for Senior Airman Kristoffer Drone, 18th medical Operations Squadron emergency medical technician, he stops to remember the motto his trainers instilled into him, look at the scene, look at the patient and then look into the patient. They look around to find the cause and any potential hazards, render the necessary medical care, then they comfort the patient.

“We establish that rapport to really get to know them personally,” said Drone. “That way they are more likely to give us vital information.”

Being emergency medical technicians requires more than just knowing and administering medical care, it also requires remaining calm and collected in a chaotic environment. This skilled team not only has to be able to care for the injured party but also be part of the support system for family members and bystanders at the scene.

Helping people is what they do best. Kadena ambulance service is a part of the 18th Medical Group and is responsible for a 102 sq. kilometer area of responsibility, one of the largest of any ambulance services throughout the Air Force.

As one of the busiest ambulance services flight in Pacific Air Forces, they operate on a 24-hour rotation and respond to approximately 50-60 calls a month adding up to 600-720 calls a year. Partnered with the other branches of service, they provide island wide emergency medical care.

An ambulance service EMT’s day is very stressful, this is why training frequently to respond to any trauma, medical or in flight emergency is vital.

One of the most stressful times is between calls. Your senses are heightened; your nerves are on edge waiting for dispatch to announce the next emergency and the unpredictability of each call adds to the stress, explained Drone.

“You never know what call you’re going to get,” he explained. “Sometimes dispatch will tell us somebody has a cut on their finger, and when we get there they cut their hand off.”

That’s where the expert training and teamwork come into play. The ambulance service is located with the fire department at Fire Station 2. The firefighters will also respond to give an extra hand and help out wherever needed.

A typical emergency response is stressful and exhilarating, said drone. They receive the dispatch tone and race out to the emergency. On scene, they render the proper life-saving care.

“The biggest thing is never get complacent because you never know what is going to happen,” he explained. “If you get too relaxed then that’s when something worse can happen from not being prepared.”

For all their hard work and dedication, the ambulance crew’s true reward is moral satisfaction. From seeing somebody in distress, to then watching them recover is one of the main things that drives them to show up to work every day and do their best.

“It feels good being a part of that therapeutic process,” said Tech. Sgt. Damian Sharpe, 18th MDOS ambulance service NCO in charge. “When I pull up to a scene and see somebody that’s in distress, I can communicate and help them. Then to see them recover from that trauma, I think that’s awesome, that’s one of the most rewarding parts of being part of ambulance services.”

While the EMTs enjoy helping people and saving lives, they can’t be everywhere at once.

“Taking us out of service for a minor thing such as a scrape or a sprained ankle, could possibly prevent us from responding to someone with a more serious emergency,” said Tech. Sgt. Michael Canfield, 18th MDOS EMT.

However, the ambulance service will take every emergency call seriously and provide the best care possible. When arriving to those calls, they then have to make a decision, race to the nearest hospital to hand over a patient to doctors, or deem them safe enough to educate and release them. A decision they are well trained, and perform daily.

Once complete, they head back to the station and anxiously wait for the next call.

“The best thing about working in the ambulance service, is we see people when they’re at their worst, when they need us the most, and that’s when we jump into action and really make a difference,” said Canfield.

There's a fire; now what? Petroleum supply students learn to fight fuel fires

A team of students from Uniform Company, 262nd Quartermaster Battalion, guided by an instructor, use a twin agent unit to put out a controlled fire during training April 28 at the QM School’s Spc. Win’e Fire Suppression Training Facility. During the training, which occurs in week nine of an 11-week Petroleum Supply Specialist Course, students become familiar with equipment and materials used to suppress petroleum fires.

U.S. Army Garrison Fort Lee
Story by Terrance Bell

FORT LEE, Va. (May 5, 2016) -- Much of what students learn during the Petroleum Supply Specialist Course involves the receipt, issuance and storage of petroleum products.

In the conduct of those duties, personnel must protect against the ever-present threat of fire. That’s why training at the Quartermaster School’s Spc. Win’e Fire Suppression Training Facility is essential. Students not only learn emergency procedures but get valuable hands-on experience that can’t be replicated in a classroom, said Staff Sgt. Melvin Johnson, an instructor team chief.

“You can explain this on PowerPoint all day, but that goes right over their heads as opposed to coming out here and actually using the equipment, knowing the importance of having battle buddies, learning safety procedures and feeling the hose pressure,” he said after an April 28 training session.

During the two-hour familiarization, each student donned protective gear and was allowed a few minutes to man the lead position of a firefighter team tasked with suppressing a controlled fire.

Roughly 50 Soldiers from Victor and Uniform companies, 262nd QM Battalion, underwent the training that occurs during the ninth of an 11-week course.

AF Reserve, ANG Airmen prepare for 2016 wildland fire season with annual ‘MAFFS’ certification week

Assistant Air Base Fueler from The Santa Maria Air Tanker Base Elena Rios with U.S. Forest Service monitors water being pumped into a MAFFS unit on a C-130 airtanker during training at the 146th Airlift Wing in Port Hueneme, California on May 4, 2016. Air National Guard and Reserve units from across the U.S. convened for MAFFS (Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems)annual certification and training this week to prepare for the upcoming fire season in support of U.S. Forest Service. (U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Senior Airman Madeleine Richards/Released)

146 Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard
Story by Staff Sgt. Nicholas Carzis

CHANNEL ISLANDS AIR NATIONAL GUARD STATION, Calif. – More than 400 Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Airmen from across the country gathered May 2-6 to be certified on the military’s Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, known as MAFFS, in preparation for the 2016 wildland fire season.

Airmen from four ANG wings, together with the AF Reserve’s 302nd Airlift Wing, took part in classroom-based briefings and training as well as C-130 flying operations. Military flight instructors trained alongside U.S. Forest Service aircrew flying in mountainous terrain over simulated fire lines, while groundcrew members honed their skills servicing the aircraft and reloading the MAFFS units at the tanker base located at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station in Port Hueneme, California. Military and civilian agencies synchronize and coordinate during this training in order to ensure fluid processes during firefighting operations.

Col. Scott Sanders, MAFFS Air Expeditionary Group commander, said the training had gone well for aircrews this year.

“MAFFS is an inter-agency partnership. We train as we fight-together. It is far and away one of our most satisfying missions,” said Sanders, who is assigned to the 153rd AW, Wyoming ANG. “One of the reasons we enjoy flying it is to see the immediate results of our efforts."

Throughout certification week, 80 C-130 aircrews will have flown approximately 200 training sorties, performing targeted water drops in the mountains of Southern California’s Angeles National Forest. Once flying operations end, it's estimated that 1.5 million gallons of water will have been dropped.
Kim Christensen, National Interagency Fire Center deputy assistant director of operations for fire and aviation management, said the wildland fire potential for 2016 was “normal, significant.”

“The 2016 fire season prediction for the country has been pegged at a normal, significant fire potential,” Christensen said. “There are two areas that are pointing to above average fire potential out West, including the Great Basin in Nevada and areas throughout Southern California.”

In previous years, requests for MAFFS support has increased. The average fire season, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, has increased by 64 to 72 days.

During an activation to support wildland fire suppression, MAFFS units can drop up to 3,000 gallons of retardant per run on wildfires. Retardant is dropped ahead of a fire in an effort to slow its spread, giving ground crews a critical edge in gaining the upper hand on the blaze. The retardant’s bright red color also helps aircrews determine the accuracy of their drops.

MAFFS is a partnership between federal land management agencies and the Air Force to provide supplemental air tankers to assist in fire suppression efforts nationwide during times of high fire activity. The system itself is a portable fire retardant delivery system that can be easily inserted into the C-130 Hercules, converting the vessel into an air tanker when civilian fleets have been fully committed.

The Air Force's MAFFS aerial firefighting fleet is supported by the AF Reserve's 302nd AW, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado., and the ANG's 153rd AW, located in Cheyenne, Wyoming.; the 146th AW, based at Channel Islands, California.; and the 145th AW in Charlotte, North Carolina. Recently, the National Guard Bureau selected the 152nd Airlift Wing with the Nevada ANG in Reno to replace the 145th AW as the North Carolina-based unit begins its transition to the C-17 Globemaster III.

AZ Guard partners with Ponderosa Fire Advisory Council

Camp Navajo Firefighters Tyler Carson (left) and Capt. Christian Davis carry Arizona Army National Guard Sgt. Austin Marshall with a simulated an amputation injury, during a training exercise April 22, at Camp Navajo in Bellemont, Arizona. The exercise coordinated by the Ponderosa Fire Advisory Council, simulated a crashed AZARNG Black Hawk helicopter resulting in mass casualties and a wildland fire. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Brian A. Barbour)

123rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Story by Staff Sgt. Brian Barbour

BELLEMONT, Ariz. - Smoke rose from an open field of dry grass where Soldiers laid bloodied, burned and scattered, moaning in pain as first responders arrived at the site of a crashed Black Hawk helicopter.

Firefighters arrived, assessed the scene and moved into action working to rescue the surviving Arizona Army National Guard Soldiers.

The exercise, which simulated a crashed Arizona Guard Black Hawk helicopter resulting in mass causalities and a wildfire, involved participants from Coconino County Response Team, AZARNG 198th Regional Support Group, Camp Navajo Fire Department, Bellemont Fire Department, Guardian Ambulance and Air and the Forestry Service.

This helicopter crash was an emergency response exercise hosted by the Ponderosa Fire Advisory Council who partnered with the AZARNG for the training April 22, at Camp Navajo.

The exercise was designed to increase the readiness and interoperability of local emergency responders and National Guard personnel throughout Coconino County.

“We operate on a philosophy in Northern Arizona that no single agency out here possess the resources to respond to a large incident on their own,” said Robert Rowley, emergency manager with Coconino County, Arizona Emergency Management.

Firefighters from Camp Navajo Fire Department hosed down the simulated helicopter wreckage and moved the injured Soldiers to a casualty collection point as medical transport vehicles traveled to the site.

Guardsmen setup a tactical operations center, or TOC, in the 1404th Transportation Company’s armory on Camp Navajo where Soldiers worked on laptops and communicated via radios in front of a large projection screen.

Detailed coordination is required for personnel, facilities and supplies during a large-scale, multi-agency event or exercise such as the one held on Camp Navajo.

The exercise scenario planned for the 198th to drill on Camp Navajo during the crash and called into action because of their proximity to the incident, said Master Sgt. James Borchardt, who served as non-commissioned officer in charge of personnel for the exercise.

Borchardt said the 198th Soldiers gained valuable experience and learned from the scenario, which had large amounts of information come in rapidly.

One of the 198th’s tasks was to create an area for the emergency personnel responding to stage prior to heading to crash site.

“We organized the front end, so there wasn’t chaos going to the chaos,” Borchardt said.

Along with organizing staging areas, the 198th also assisted with installation and site access, said Maj. Chad Abts, support operations officer for the 198th RSG.

More than 200 participants including 41 Guardsmen participated in the exercise at Camp Navajo.

“It’s been a great opportunity to actually get out, and work with civil authorities and enhance our relationships with them,” Abts said.

Guardsmen with simulated injuries, made more realistic with latex props and fake blood, were treated on site before paramedics and EMTs loaded the Soldiers into ambulances for transport to a medical facility.

The exercise proved that the National Guard is a valuable resource in the event of an emergency that can be tasked with a mission and complete it, Abts said.

Rowely said he thinks the role of the National Guard as a player in emergency response is probably something that is going to occur more often.

“As a result let’s not be strangers, this is what this type of exercise is for,” Rowely said. “To make sure we aren’t exchanging those business cards on our first big incident.”