Miramar ARFF trains to stand the heat

Photo By Lance Cpl. Liah Kitchen | Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Marines with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron (HHS) and Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 473 test their gear before conducting a controlled burn exercise at the ARFF training pit at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., March 4. Marines with ARFF are responsible for any fire or hazardous material mishap that involves an aircraft. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Liah Kitchen/Released

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, CA, UNITED STATES
03.04.2017
Story by Lance Cpl. Liah Kitchen
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar / 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing

Marines with Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) are responsible for any fire or hazardous material mishap that involves an aircraft on MCAS Miramar, California and the surrounding areas. 

They attend a three-month course at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas. This base is home to the firefighting training center for all branches of the military. During this training, Marines learn how to fight structural fires, deal with hazmat situations and train to become first responders. After this training is complete, Marines specifically specialize in aircraft firefighting.

“The training that we receive in the schoolhouse is valuable,” said Sgt. Troy Bloom, a firefighter and the hazardous material chief with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron (HHS) ARFF. “But in order to stay ready, you need to keep training for what you may face if an aircraft goes down.”

Marines with HHS and Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 473 ARFF reinforced these skills by conducting a controlled burn exercise at the ARFF training pit on MCAS Miramar, March 4.

During a controlled burn, Marines with ARFF light fuel fires in a water training pit, simulating how hot a fuel fire is and how it reacts to firefighting techniques.

The training allowed Marines from MWSS-473, a reserve unit, to integrate with the HHS active duty Marines during their drilling period. 

“It’s really great to get out and train,” said Sgt. Michael McAngus, the platoon sergeant and a firefighter for MWSS-473 ARFF. “Being a reserve unit, we don’t always have the time or resources to get out and conduct training with a live fire.”

Controlled burn exercises allow ARFF Marines familiarity with their gear in a real world experience.

“We had several Marines in the unit who had never conducted this training before,” said McAngus. “It was a good for them to be around a live fire, to understand what to do if they make a mistake or fall during an actual fire.”

Due to the high tempo of airfield operations, Marines with HHS ARFF work varying shifts, ranging from 48-72 hours. 

“When the airfield is open, we have to have a crew posted on the flightline,” said Bloom. “This ensures that we will be able to respond to a mishap if it should occur at any point during the day or night.”

Situational readiness is one of the most important traits required by ARFF firefighters.

“If we have to do our job, that means that we have an aircraft that went down somewhere,” said Bloom. “It’s important for us to be able to know what we are doing to go in and rescue that aircrew.”

Firefighters teach jaws of life lessons

A fire helmet rests on a seat, during Vehicle Extrication training, Jan. 13, 2017, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. This training was included as part of an Emergency Medical Technician refresher course where students learned about vehicle extrication from Moody’s own firefighters. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Janiqua P. Robinson)

By Airman 1st Class Janiqua P. Robinson, 23d Wing Public Affairs / Published January 18, 2017

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --
The culmination of a week’s worth of classroom and hands-on training came to a head Friday as students ended their Emergency Medical Technician refresher course by participating in a Vehicle Extrication training, Jan. 13, 2017, here.

Students donned gear and used tools firefighters would use in the field to remove vehicle parts that would free a patient and allow them to be removed from the vehicle. They were instructed by firefighters, who know the importance of teamwork.

“It’s important for us to practice together because we’re going to be working together on scene,” said Tech. Sgt. Andrew Nickeson, 23d Civil Engineer Squadron, NCO in charge of the emergency communications center. “We have to work as a team and there’s no better way [to foster that dynamic] than through training.”

For this training, students wore firefighters bunker gear, which consists of three layers to protect the wearer from debris and extreme temperatures. The first layer prevents abrasive material from getting through the gear. Then the second and third layers provide protection from water and heat during a fire.

While it was important for students to know about the gear and what it’s designed to do, they also needed to know its limitations.

“For vehicle extrication, we wear our gear to protect us from sharp objects,” said Jeremy Valler, 23d CES crew chief. “If we’re cutting out a victim with hydraulic power tools, the bunker gear will stop minor impacts from injuring you, but, you’re not immortal in the bunker gear.”

While the bunker gear provides protection, the knowledge of how the tools work, and what firefighters do on scene for vehicle extrication helps keep everyone safe.

“They need to be knowledgeable about what we’re doing,” said Nickeson. “If they know exactly what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, it’s only going to make it that much safer on scene.”

Safety is the number one concern of first responders. Whether it’s keeping themselves safe, or ensuring the safety of the patients they rescue, they put safety first.

“We have to ensure that we’re all safe,” said Nickeson. “Responder safety is number one because if you get hurt, you can’t help anyone.”

Members of an Emergency Medical Technician refresher course, listen to final instructions, during Vehicle Extrication training, Jan. 13, 2017, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The students donned the top half of the protective gear to shield them from any debris during the training. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Janiqua P. Robinson)

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Mutual Aid: Department supports local communities with fire, ambulance services whenever called

Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate Hunter Young with the Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department conducts maintenance tests on a fire truck during operations at the fire department Dec. 19, 2016 at Fort McCoy, Wis. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy)

FORT MCCOY, WI, UNITED STATES
01.18.2017
Story by Scott Sturkol
Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office

In mid-November, Fort McCoy emergency-response personnel with the Directorate of Emergency Services, or DES, Fire Department responded to a two-car collision near Sparta, Wis.

The DES crew that was among several agencies that responded to help provide immediate medical attention to the two drivers in the accident. Such responses outside of Fort McCoy’s borders are possible because of mutual aid and automatic aid agreements the department has with emergency-response agencies in Monroe and La Crosse counties as well as through the Wisconsin Mutual Aid Box-Alarm System, or MABAS.

In 2015, Fort McCoy Fire Department personnel responded to 12 mutual aid or automatic aid requests in local communities, said Fort McCoy Fire Chief David Biondi. In 2016, the department responded to 46 mutual aid/automatic aid requests.

“These responses have involved … structural fires, underwater rescue, auto accidents, and ambulance calls,” Biondi said.

Mutual aid agreements are signed documents that define how and when assistance might be provided between partner agencies, said Assistant Fire Chief Brady Brever with the DES Fire Department. “(Those partners) will then send crews out to help (Fort McCoy) if we ask, and we can respond to help those agencies as well.”

Most of the fire department’s mutual-aid support involves working with Tomah and Sparta fire districts and ambulance services. Jody Allen, ambulance director for Tomah, said the partnership the mutual aid agreement they have with Fort McCoy has worked out great.

“It’s appreciated,” Allen said. “We’re all in it for the same reasons — to help people.”

Brever said Fort McCoy also has an automatic aid agreement with the Oakdale Fire Department. “These agreements are specific,” he said. “If they have a structure fire (for example), we send a fire engine with four firefighters and a command vehicle with an assistant fire chief. And, if we have a structure fire, they send an engine with four firefighters.”

The department’s involvement in MABAS includes more widespread support. Every participating entity has signed the same contract as 750-plus other MABAS agencies, according to the MABAS Wisconsin website, www.mabaswisconsin.com. Participating agencies agree to standards of operation, incident command, minimum, level of equipment staffing, safety, and on-scene terminology.

“We belong to Division 145 and 134 — Monroe and La Crosse counties — in MABAS,” Biondi said. “We also can support MABAS in some areas of Juneau County.”

MABAS agencies are able to work together seamlessly on any emergency scene. All MABAS agencies operate on a common radio frequency and are activated for response through pre-designed “box” cards that each participating agency designs and tailors to meet their local risk needs.

The box cards list specific resources and personnel the department will use to support other fire/emergency response agencies in their MABAS districts.

“An example would be sending a water tanker and crew to support a fire response in La Crosse Country for a specific fire agency,” Brever said. “There’s numerous box cards that are used for each district.”

MABAS also provides mutual aid station coverage to a stricken community when its resources are committed to an incident for an extended period.

Biondi said mutual aid agreements are common throughout the United States and are crucial in providing the support needed in fire and ambulance emergencies.

“It’s not unusual on a large structure fire that you might need 40 or 50 (firefighters),” Biondi said. “To find those numbers, you need to rely on either MABAS or a mutual aid program.”

Brever said the Mutual Aid agreements also help Fort McCoy’s personnel better know the people of other departments.

“I think our (people) have appreciated the mutual aid agreements because this allows them to get out into different communities and do their jobs as well as train,” Brever said.

Building training cooperation and camaraderie with other agencies does help each firefighter and emergency medical technician significantly, Brever said. “More importantly, the cooperation helps us to save lives, help people, and protect property,” he said.

For more information about the DES Fire Department, call 608-388-2508.

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Coast Guard rescues 2 from plane crash

A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew transfers two plane crash survivors to emergency medical personnel at Air Station Kodiak, Alaska, Jan. 16, 2016. The Piper Cherokee airplane went down at the mouth of the King Salmon River near Pilot Point with two people aboard. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. John Rauschenberger.

A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew hoist two survivors from a plane crash near Pilot Point, Alaska, Jan. 16, 2017. The survivors were transported to Kodiak for medical treatment. U.S. Coast Guard video.

KODIAK, AK, UNITED STATES

01.16.2017

Courtesy Photo

U.S. Coast Guard District 17 PADET Kodiak

2 Eject at Meridian Naval Air Station

SOURCE: NAS Meridian

MERIDIAN, Miss. — Officials at a Mississippi military base say a jet has crashed on a training flight, and that two people on board the plane were able to safely eject near the airfield.

Naval Air Station Meridian said in a statement to The Associated Press that an instructor pilot and a student were both taken to a medical facility for evaluation and were in stable condition Tuesday afternoon.

Authorities said the T-45C Goshawk jet crashed shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday at the base in eastern Mississippi.

Authorities said the aircraft is assigned to Training Air Wing One, and crashed off the east runway.

Base officials said the jet that crashed is used for intermediate and advanced portions of the Navy/Marine Corps pilot training program for jet carrier aviation and tactical strike missions.