Never off duty: Ramstein Airmen extinguish fire "With Photos"

Photo By Airman 1st Class Darrion Browning | 86th Civil Engineer Group Airmen douse a fire at bldg. 1135, April 16, 2017 on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. According to base officials, the fire was contained and there was one minor injury, of a firefighter. The cause of the incident is under investigation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class D. Blake Browning)

RAMSTEIN-MIESENBACH, RP, GERMANY
04.19.2017
Story by Airman 1st Class Savannah Waters
86th Airlift Wing
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On his way to the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center from church on Easter Sunday, Master Sgt. Skipper Valentin Cruzado, 86th Civil Engineer Squadron fire emergency services assistant chief of training, and his family were in their car waiting for the light to turn green at an intersection.
Tapping on the wheel of the car, Valentin Cruzado glanced to the left and was alarmed by the sight of black smoke billowing off the top of the Ramstein Air Base Burger King rooftop.
As plans for a peaceful Sunday quickly dissipated, Valentin Cruzado jumped into action.
As soon as the light turned green, Valentin Cruzado changed direction towards a parking lot that was a safe distance from the Burger King and proceeded to make a call to the fire station to advise them of a working fire and the conditions present.
Handing his wife the car keys, Valentin Cruzado ran toward the smoking building that still held employees and customers, most of which were unaware of the imminent danger.
After directing all personnel to evacuate the area and to move to a safer location on the other side of the sidewalk, Valentin Cruzado made contact with the 86th Security Forces Squadron personnel to direct them to close traffic on both sides of the road and entrance of the establishment.
“After confirming that the manager had 100 percent accountability of the employees and customers, I asked them for pertinent information that would help me determine location and cause of the fire,” Valentin Cruzado said.
Though he might not have known it at the time, Valentin Cruzado’s quick decisions had saved five to 10 minutes of response time, as responders were already donning their gear by the time the official alarm went off.
Valentin Cruzado was then appointed safety officer and accountability officer in charge of making sure the more than 60 responding firefighters were being cautious and protected during the operation, and kept a tracking system of who was on scene.
During this fire, responders utilized their incident commander tactics and strategies, fire vehicle positioning, and different fire attack modes.
“Firefighters will have experienced an event of this nature maybe once in an Air Force career,” said Lt. Col. George Nichols, 86th CES commander. “Twelve hours of continuous operations is no small feat and the practicality of their training was more than realized Sunday. It was a total team effort, and no controlled environment can ever replace a real-world scenario like what they faced."
Once the operation began to increase tactically, strategically and in personnel, each of the base agencies that responded performed like clock-work.
Valentin Cruzado credited the hard work and diligence of the 86th CES, German Polizei, 86th SFS, 786th CES Operations Craftsman, Environmental, Red Cross, 86th Logistical Readiness Squadron, 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron and other base agencies. The fire was completely extinguished by 2 a.m., 12 hours after it was initially reported.
Units were able to execute rehab, triage set-up and operations, and apply training from all other aspects of fire assignments to this fire.
The Burger King fire put many things to the test this Easter Sunday, but after the seemingly effortless execution of its responders, there’s no doubt that they came ready.
"We’re thankful there were no casualties or major injuries, however, to witness first-hand the organized chaos expertly choreographed to a seemingly lifelong mantra of selfless service and courage, everyone surely came ready,” Nichols said. “It was truly inspirational."

Photo by Airman 1st Class Darrion Browning

Photo by Airman 1st Class Darrion Browning

Photo by Airman 1st Class Darrion Browning

Photo by Airman 1st Class Darrion Browning

Reservists train to save fellow firefighters

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Matthew Pires, a Citizen Airmen from the 624th Civil Engineer Squadron, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, observes fellow firefighters bailout out of a simulated burning building during the first-ever Air Force Reserve Command Firefighter Rescue and Survival Course at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., April 18, 2017. Twenty Citizen Airmen participated in the intense 50-hour course held at the 622nd Civil Engineer Group expeditionary combat support-training certification center, which focused on a Rapid Intervention Crew, or RIC. The RIC is a dedicated and specially trained group of firefighters whose responsibilities include safely evacuating a distressed firefighter from a structure. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Theanne K. Herrmann)

MARIETTA, GA, UNITED STATES
04.24.2017
Story by Master Sgt. Theanne Herrmann
624th Regional Support Group

DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Georgia - Reserve firefighters from across the country trained at the first-ever Air Force Reserve Command Firefighter Rescue and Survival course, April 17-21, at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia.

Firefighters train to rescue people from a burning building on a regular basis, but what if the unthinkable happens? What if a firefighter has to make a mayday message, because after becoming disoriented in a thick cloud of smoke, the building begins to collapse? Firefighters have no other recourse than to rely on their own training for survival, and their fellow firefighters to assist in the rescue.

Twenty Citizen Airmen participated in the intense 50-hour course held at the 622nd Civil Engineer Group expeditionary combat support-training certification center, which focused on a Rapid Intervention Crew, or RIC. The RIC is a dedicated and specially trained group of firefighters whose responsibilities include safely evacuating a distressed firefighter from a structure.

Four Reserve fire departments participated in the training, including members from the 624th Civil Engineer Squadron from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, 507th CES from Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, 434th CES from Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana, and the 445th CES from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

The first four days of the course consisted of drills which focused on separate tasks, such as how to respond to a firefighter undergoing cardiac arrest. On the last day, the course culminated with a training event that included a live-fire burn.

Master Sgt. Christopher Bauchle, a career firefighter with the Indianapolis Fire Department and Tech. Sgt. Travis Bender, of the Zionsville Fire Department, Indiana, spent two years organizing the course syllabus. Both men are Reserve firefighters from the 434th Civil Engineer Squadron, Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana, and recruited seven other instructors with various firefighting backgrounds to help instruct 16 scenarios based on real-life tragedies where a firefighter’s life was lost.

“Our goal is to enhance their decision-making skills in these stressful environments, overall making them a better firefighter,” said Bender.Two of the nine instructors are full-time federal firefighters from Hawaii. Master Sgt. Matthew Kaea, of Makakilo, Hawaii, and Tech. Sgt. Emilio Aguilar, of Mililani, Hawaii, are also reserve firefighters from the 624th Regional Support Group's 624th CES, from JBPHH, Hawaii.

Kaea specializes in RIC at the Pohakuloa Fire and Emergency Services on the island of Hawaii, while Aguilar works at Camp H.M. Smith on the island of Oahu. Aguilar is no stranger to success; he was named the Department of Defense Military Firefighter of the Year for 2002.

In addition to instructing, members from the 624th CES spent the previous week building training props for the firefighters to use as training aids.

The training props were designed to challenge the firefighters mental and physical resiliency. The obstacles ranged from squeezing into a tiny square hole with more than 60 pounds of bulky equipment, to carrying their fellow firefighters up and down the stairs, with simulated smoke creating a zero-visibility environment.

“As you look at these obstacles, they are intimidating,” said Kaea. “You can see it in their eyes that they are nervous, but we make it this way because it can actually happen. We coach them through it, let them know what they are doing wrong and how they can get through the obstacle. This course has a lot of repetition, so the goal is to develop muscle memory to help them react quickly during a real-life situation.”

Tech. Sgt. Justin Sabio, a member of the 624th CES, and full-time federal firefighter at Hickam Field, experienced the disorientation and fatigue while participating in the drills.

“We are crawling through small spaces with all of our gear on,” said Sabio. “You get disoriented, claustrophobic, and you can’t see with the mask on while inside a smoked and burned-out building. It’s hard to breathe, and then you add the weight of someone you are rescuing, which is 200 pounds for the average male.”

The course aims to highlight how each firefighter responds uniquely to the pressure and anxiety associated with extreme conditions, and how to react to those stressors in order to save lives.

“Firefighting is not a comfortable job,” said Bender. “It’s physically demanding, and after lifting people over and over again, crawling in a zero-visibility environment, your body and mind start to breakdown and you lose your fine motor skills. Decision-making becomes foggy and you lose your sense of time.”

There is a standard for each drill that every firefighter must meet before moving on. Firefighters who meet the standards throughout the course will receive the “No Slack” patch.

“The ‘No Slack’ patch represents discipline, meaning the firefighters are paying attention to details and not cutting corners,” said Bender. “When firefighters start making short-cuts, that is what leads to a catastrophic event. The patch also has the words ‘Desire, Ability and Courage,’ which represent the Air Force firefighting core values.”

During the graduation ceremony, Bauchle acknowledged each firefighter for their dedication.

“You showed up each morning knowing that the training was going to be harder than the day before,” said Bauchle. “I would want you to come and rescue me on my worst day.”’

With more than 29 years of experience as a firefighter and student of the course, Master Sgt. James Balgas, of the 624th CES, JBPHH, Hawaii, expressed the importance of the training.

“This training is important because we have a sisterhood, brotherhood,” said Balgas. “No matter what the situation is, we will do what it takes to save one of our own. The hardest part is when the Chief tells you to stand down because it is not safe to enter the building and you risk losing more firefighters. What makes us unique from other firefighters is that we put on our Air Force uniform, making us wartime firemen.”

CFAC Fire Department Answers Call Save 16 from an apartment.

CHINHAE, Republic of Korea (April 12, 2017) Retired Chief Damage Controlman Raymond Griffith, center, Commander, Fleet Activity Chinhae's fire chief and his firefighters pose for a photo before their morning drill. CFAC's fire department was recognized in March, 2017, for their outstanding service, after they helped stop a large industrial fire and on April 5, 2017, assisted in saving 16 people from an apartment fire.(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Wesley J. Breedlove)

CHINHAE, SOUTH KOREA

04.12.2017
Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Wesley Breedlove
Commander, Naval Forces Korea

CHINHAE, Republic of Korea (April 13, 2017) -- U.S. Navy firefighters from Commander, Fleet Activities Chinhae (CFAC), responded to a parking garage fire April 5 and helped rescue 16 people.

The CFAC Fire Department responded to a request for assistance, or an "all-call," from local authorities and dispatched five firefighters and emergency vehicles to the scene, along with the CFAC Rapid Intervention Team.

"I could not be more proud of our firefighters and their commitment to the local community," said Cmdr. Terry P. McNamara, Commander of Fleet Activities Chinhae. "When the call for help comes in, they, without fail, suit up and stand by their ROK firefighting partners to keep the community safe. Our base firefighters are quiet professionals, but they're the finest team anyone could hope to have."

A total of 19 fire engines and nearly 80 firefighters and emergency personnel responded to the fire.

According to local authorities, flame and smoke were seen near a vehicle and spread to several other vehicles before containment. As the fire department attempted to clear the building, they discovered 16 people inside.

"We got the call from the Changwon fire department requesting mutual aid for an apartment fire," said Raymond Griffith, CFAC's fire chief, a retired Chief Damage Controlman. "We arrived on the scene, established command with the Changwon fire chief and joined our local firefighting teams to help the community."

The mutual-aid agreement allows CFAC's Fire Department to cross jurisdictional boundaries and assist the surrounding districts of Chinhae, Changwon, and Masan when responding to emergencies.

Griffith said the weather and traffic helped the teams arrive on the scene as soon as possible.

"It was raining so traffic was not as heavy as normal," said Griffith. "This allowed all of the responding units to get to the scene very quickly and there was also a fire hydrant on the street corner by the building, so I think that was also a major factor."

Approximately 75 percent of emergency calls received by CFAC's Fire Department each year are for assistance in the local Chinhae community. One such call earlier this year was for help fighting an industrial fire with several surrounding fire departments.

"That was probably one of the hottest fires I've been in for a while. It was a plastic tool factory in an industrial area," said Griffith. "The fire spread to two other buildings but we were able to help by providing larger capacity hoses and extra firemen to the fight."

CFAC was selected as the Department of the Navy's 2009 and 2012 Fire Department of the Year for small-sized installations in its annual fire and emergency services awards program.

Commander, Fleet Activities Chinhae is the only U.S. Navy base in the Republic of Korea and is located on the southern coast of the peninsula. Its mission is to provide on-peninsula service, expertise and material support to the fleet, Sailors, Department of Navy civilians and the U.S.-ROK alliance through joint armistice, training exercises, and contingency operations.

For more information on CFAC and CFAC fire department, visit
https://www.facebook.com/navy.chinhae/ and www.facebook.com/cfacfire/.

18th Civil Engineer Squadron, Firefighter training

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Antonio Harmon and Tech. Sgt. Michael Gagnier, firefighters with the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron, fight a fire during training April 26, 2017, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The training helped the firefighters gain experience and build cohesiveness to work as a better team for potential real-world scenarios. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nick Emerick)

JAPAN

04.26.2017

Photo by Senior Airman Nick Emerick 

18th Wing Public Affairs

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Antonio Harmon, an18th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter after fire training, April 26, 2017, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. Training firefighters ensures they remain ready for possible emergencies, such as building evacuations and personnel recovery. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nick Emerick)

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Firetruck returns from Cope North

Airman with the 374th Operations Group begin unloading a firetruck that participated in Exercise Cope North Guam March 14, 2017, at Yokota Air Base, Japan. The bilateral exercise is designed to enhance joint operational capability alongside military aircraft from the U.S. Air Force and Japanese Air Self-Defense Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Juan Torres)

An Airman with the 374th Operations Group unloads a firetruck that participated in Exercise Cope North Guam March 14, 2017, at Yokota Air Base, Japan. The bilateral exercise is designed to enhance joint operational capability alongside military aircraft from the U.S. Air Force and Japanese Air Self-Defense Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Juan Torres)

A firefighter with the 374th Civil Engineering Squadron, drives a firetruck off a C-130H Hercules March 14, 2017, at Yokota Air Base, Japan. The firetruck comes back from exercise Cope North Guam which aims to cultivate regional ties and seeks to enhance the Air Force's interoperability with allied forces in the Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Juan Torres)

YOKOTA AIR BASE, TOKYO, JAPAN

03.14.2017

Photo by Airman 1st Class Juan Torres 

374th Airlift Wing