HSC-25 evacuates cruise passenger, fights fire on Nimitz Hill

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Jasen Moreno-Garcia | 190328-N-LN093-1380 SANTA RITA, Guam (March 28, 2019) An MH-60S helicopter, attached to the “Island Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25, prepares to replenish a Bambi bucket to help extinguish a grass fire near Nimitz Hill. HSC-25 worked alongside first responders from Joint Region Marianas Fire and Emergency Services and the Guam Fire Department to extinguish a fire near Nimitz Hill. HSC-25 provides a multi-mission rotary wing capability for units in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations and maintains a Guam-based 24-hour search-and-rescue and medical evacuation capability, directly supporting U.S. Coast Guard and Joint Region Marianas. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jasen Moreno-Garcia/Released) 

ANDERSEN AIR BASE, GUAM
04.01.2019
Courtesy Story
Commander, Amphibious Force 7th Fleet     

ANDERSEN AIR BASE, Guam (March 29, 2018) – Sailors from the Guam-based “Island Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 provided emergency medical lift for a cruise passenger in distress then assisted with firefighting efforts March 28.

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam notified HSC-25 Tuesday that a Bulgarian man aboard MV Ocean Dream had experienced a medical emergency and needed medical evacuation. The rescue was not executed until Ocean Dream steamed closer to Guam and the alert crew launched at 3:30 pm Thursday. While the rescue mission was underway, HSC-25 was called upon by Joint Region Marianas to aid firefighting efforts in the vicinity of Nimitz Hill so a second aircraft was dispatched.

The HSC-25 Alert Search and Rescue led by Aircraft Commander Lt. Michael Sipah successfully retrieved the passenger in distress via airborne hoist and returned him to U.S. Naval Hospital Guam then reconfigured and launched to assist the firefighting effort with Guam Fire Rescue.

“Ocean Dream turned into the wind, making the hoisting evolution seamless,” said Sipah. “My crew worked great together, AWS2 Lee was outstanding at the hoist, AWS3 Morgan handled the rescue litter on deck of Ocean Dream, and of course HM2 Derrick and Lt. Kumetz were phenomenal at stabilizing the patient from the time of being lowered, to the transfer at Naval Hospital Guam.”

The incident was the 7th emergency call to HSC-25 by U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam and marks 4 recoveries during search and rescue and medical evacuations in 2019 to date.

“Thursday demonstrated the excellence of the Island Knight team. Being able to safely transition from a MEDEVAC to firefighting from day into night and then to finish the evening with aerial gunnery training is a credit to the professionalism of the aircrews," said HSC-25 Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Frank Loforti. “Those homes are still standing today because of the strength of the interagency partnerships and the hard work of HSC-25's Sailors to ensure our aircraft are always ready. I couldn’t be prouder of the whole team.”

HSC-25 provides a multi-mission rotary wing capability for units in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations and maintains a Guam-based 24-hour search and rescue and medical evacuation capability, directly supporting U.S. Coast Guard and Joint Region Marianas. HSC-25 is the Navy’s only forward-deployed MH-60S expeditionary squadron.

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, RP, GERMANY

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Matthew Broussard, 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron fire prevention NCO in charge, left, briefs firefighters before a vehicle extrication exercise at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, March 26, 2019. This training helps firefighters learn how to effectively remove a victim out of a car that has been in an incident. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Valerie Seelye)

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, RP, GERMANY
04.04.2019
Story by Airman 1st Class Valerie Seelye
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs 

52nd CES Fire Department sparks interest in high school student 

“Just looking at a fire right in the face, it was right there, no further than a foot away from me. I’m just standing there, being told what to do, having to react,” reminisced one high school student here.

Omar Moylan, a senior at Spangdahlem High School, trained on his first live-fire exercise with the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department March 26, 2019, here, as part of the school’s Career Practicum program.

“I want to go into the Air Force as a firefighter,” said Moylan, who has been training with the department for two months. “It’s something that just interests me.”

The department conducted a live-fire aircraft burn exercise in the morning and concluded with vehicle extrication as part of their required training.

Live-fire exercises help firefighters learn how to extinguish engine or fuel pool fires, said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Matthew Broussard, 52nd CES fire prevention NCO in charge.

“It’s one thing to train in the classroom or even outside, but when you actually see the aircraft and that fire, you apply some of those techniques we get to train with,” Broussard said.

A metal trainer aircraft lit by propane was used to simulate the fire. This allowed the firefighters to practice multiple strategies to put it out.
Moylan’s participation confirmed his desire to be a firefighter.

“When I was doing that,” Moylan said, “I was like, this is what I want to do. This is what I want to be.”

After the live-burn training, Moylan and a team of firefighters used high-pressure hydraulic equipment to conduct vehicle extrication training.

“We were using some very powerful tools to cut a car apart in a way that would not harm a patient inside,” Broussard said. “The point of that is for us to move quickly and effectively get a victim out of a car that’s been in an accident, or maybe having some kind of medical distress.”

This was the first time a student has trained to this extent with the fire department, said Broussard, who is Moylan’s main trainer.

“We had the privilege of having Omar come out,” Broussard said. “It was good to see how easily he was able to just fit right in that schedule. Once we started rolling, you could not tell who was someone assigned here and where Omar was. All the training he and I have accomplished in the last two months has really paid off.”

Moylan used the opportunity to learn from the fire team.

“I learned from an Airman today to stay calm and collected when you’re in there,” Moylan said. “Don’t freak out. Stay cool under pressure.”

Not everyone gets the chance to experience real firefighter training.

“Omar was out there using the same tools that a normal firefighter would use.” Broussard said. “We don’t really let many people do that. It was a very unique thing for him to get that experience.”

Moylan’s participation was part of the school’s program, which is designed to provide school-to-career experiences and training for students through a work practicum related to their career goal.

“I have not heard of a program quite like Spangdahlem has,” Broussard said. “We’ll do job shadows for a day and have students come out, see our trucks and put gear on, but this program is definitely a unique thing.”

Besides training as a firefighter, the program allows students to work at job sites including a salon, veterinary clinic, the 52nd Medical Group, the air traffic control tower, and other locations on base, said Kathy Campbell, Spangdahlem High School Career Practicum Technology teacher.

“We have gone from having 12 students at the beginning of this year to more than 20 who are signed up next year,” Campbell said.

This is the first year the program has been developed to this extent here.

Besides obtaining life experience, participating seniors earn credit towards graduation, Campbell said.

“I wish this was something available when I was in high school,” Broussard said. “I think Spangdahlem is on to something with this. It’s definitely preparing seniors on the verge of graduating for a career in whatever they may want to do.”

Moylan, who will continue training with the fire department until he graduates this spring, said he feels he now has an advantage when he enlists into the Air Force as a firefighter.

“How many kids go out there with their local fire department and put out fires with them?” Moylan said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Firefighter Training Goes Virtual

Photo By Charles Haymond | Jeremy Genier, 55th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, simulates spraying water on a house fire March 8, 2019, on Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. The FLAIM trainer is a firefighter simulator that provides real world scenarios to enhance their skills without being in an unsafe environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Charles J. Haymond) 

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, NE, UNITED STATES
03.29.2019
Story by Charles Haymond
55th Wing Public Affairs 

Firefighters train weekly to maintain readiness, so when the call comes to put their lives at risk for the people they serve, they are prepared.
Whether in training or on a live fire, they are susceptible to various carcinogenic toxins - until now.

To help reduce the inhalation of toxins, more and more fire departments are purchasing virtual reality equipment to provide a safer way to train their members. Offutt is one of them.

The 55th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department recently used innovation funds to purchase a simulator that provides real-world scenarios to enhance their skills without being in an unsafe environment.

“This trainer allows firefighters to fight fires in a virtual controlled environment that detects whether agent is applied correctly to extinguish fires,” said David Eblin, 55th CES installation fire chief. “The trainer mimics the heat a firefighter feels and presents a multitude of fire scenarios, to include building and aircraft fires.”

Not only is the simulator safer, but it is also more cost effective and easier to use.

Now firefighters do not have to load up their rigs with equipment, water, gas and wear heavy equipment when training. They are able to train in their training rooms without leaving the facility.

“With the cost of firefighter personal protective exceeding $3,000 and the high cost of specialized firefighting vehicles, $500, 000 to $800,000, this trainer saves wear and tear, fuel, and operational costs on these high dollar assets as they are not used as often,” Eblin said.

The simulator consists of a head monitor display, nozzle and protective clothing.

The computer central processing unit is in the simulated firefighter air tank system that the individual places on their back. This simulated tank is much lighter than what the firefighters would normally wear during a call.

“Lightweight means less physical stress on our bodies,” said Carlos Ruffin, 55th CES firefighter driver operator. “Our vehicles, and equipment would also stay in-service, allowing for faster responses to real world emergencies that occur while we’re training.”

While the simulator allows skill sharpening in a safe environment, the department recognizes the authenticity of a real fire is the best way to learn.

“There’s no substitute for fighting real fires,” Ruffin said. “In order to do what we do, we have to know how fire is going to react when you introduce something new to that environment - water, foam, ventilation, etc. If you apply any of those examples in the wrong way, you could end up hurting yourself and others.”

Columbus city council recognizes Benning firefighter for translation aid during international exercise

Photo By Bryan Gatchell | COLUMBUS, Ga. – Members of the Columbus, Georgia, city council unanimously recognized a firefighter at Fort Benning and others April 2 for an inter-community, international emergency exercise in 2018 that trained a class at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC). In August 2018, Fort Benning firefighter Elizabeth Gomez and others participated as actors and facilitators during a simulated flood to teach military and civilian officers from WHINSEC about emergency operations during a natural disaster. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan Gatchell, Maneuver Center of Excellence, Fort Benning Public Affairs)

COLUMBUS, GA, UNITED STATES

04.03.2019

Story by Bryan Gatchell 

Fort Benning Public Affairs Office  

COLUMBUS, Ga. – Members of the Columbus, Georgia, city council unanimously recognized a firefighter at Fort Benning and others April 2 for an inter-community, international emergency exercise in 2018 that trained a class at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC).

In August 2018, Fort Benning firefighter Elizabeth Gomez and others participated as actors and facilitators during a simulated flood to teach military and civilian officers from WHINSEC about emergency operations during a natural disaster.

Gomez, who received a plaque and a copy of the city council proclamation, did not expect to receive recognition publicly.

“I work in emergency services; I love helping people,” she said. “When they asked me to help, I helped, because that’s what I do.”

The exercise took place on the Chattahoochee River. In the scenario, a flood swept people downriver, stranding them on the islands immediately below the rapids. The WHINSEC students, who included military and civilian personnel from Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama and Paraguay, coordinated with local emergency services to corral efforts and resources. They took boats to the islands, moved the role players to the shores, and triaged the injured role players. On one side of the river, the students tracked the injured role players and updated the notional mayor of the upriver city on the progress of rescue operations.

Gomez, who is originally from Medellín, Colombia, speaks Spanish and English and was able to act as an intermediary between the Spanish-speaking students and the English-speaking local emergency personnel.

“To give back to the community from where I was originally from was very nice,” said Gomez.

“She didn’t hesitate to stand up,” said Charles Herlth, a training officer at Columbus Fire and EMS, who helped coordinate the event. “This was key to allow the students to focus on the tasks and not have to worry about trying to get information interpreted into Spanish so they could understand what they were receiving from their situational reports.”

Herlth also expressed the importance of the ongoing relationship between Fort Benning and Columbus, especially as that relationship concerns real-world emergency operations.

“Our relations with Fort Benning fire is significant,” said Herlth. “There are no boundaries when it comes to public safety. If they have a significant event on Fort Benning, Fort Benning knows we’re coming. Also, if we have something significant in Columbus, to where our resources are being tasked, we know Fort Benning’s coming.”

To learn more about the original exercise, visit www.army.mil/article/210249.

101st and 103rd Firefighters Team Up For Training at Savannah Air National Guard

SAVANNAH, GA, UNITED STATES
03.17.2019
Photo by Airman Erick Green
101st Air Refueling Wing/Public Affairs 

Airman 1st Class Andrew Stein, a firefighter at the 103rd Airlift Wing propels down the side of a building March 17, 2019 at the 165th Airlift Wing, Savannah, Georgia. This exercise was for Airmen to practice the proper way to set up a safety harness for other firefighters to use along with learning how to properly and safely navigate down a building while in the harness.