Team Fairchild's only active duty female firefighter answers the call

Story by Airman 1st Class Haiden Morris April 06, 2023 at 01:03PM The alarms ring, flooding the building with a sense of urgency. The captain of the St. Maries fire department rushes to the scene of an emergency, this time followed by a new volunteer firefighter, his 16-year-old daughter Layla Rice. “I’ve always wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself,” said Senior Airman Layla Rice, 92nd Civil Engineering Squadron Firefighter.

Vermont Air National Guard hosts SkillsUSA

Story by Tech. Sgt. Richard Mekkri April 06, 2023 at 10:53AM The 158th Fighter Wing Fire Department hosted SkillsUSA on April 6 at the Vermont Air National Guard base, providing students with an opportunity to learn about firefighting and emergency response.

Fort Riley and regional partners conduct severe weather training tabletop exercise

Story by Jennifer James April 05, 2023 at 03:57PM Fort Riley hosted a tabletop exercise March 29. Over 100 participants representing installation and partner agencies throughout the Flint Hills region to include Geary and Riley County and Kansas State University Emergency Management divisions, Junction City and Manhattan Fire Departments, National Weather Service Topeka, and others gathered to practice a synchronized response scenario based on a potential spring and summer weather event.

Selfridge Fire Department best in Air Force

Story by Penelope Carroll April 04, 2023 at 03:29PM The Selfridge Fire Department has done it again. The 127th Civil Engineer Squadron's Fire Department at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, has been named as the top mid-sized fire department in the Air Force. Only the second time an Air National Guard unit has been awarded this prestigious title, Selfridge also won the first for the ANG back in 2005.

Firefighters: Training to Protect

Story by Sgt. Raquel Birk March 31, 2023 at 08:13PM WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. – Members of the Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserves, trained for the past year to ultimately team up with 5th Armored Brigade observer, coach, trainers and WSMR firefighters for their final validation, a culminating training exercise here March 17-28. “We’re deploying with the 216th Firefighter Command,” said 1st Lt. Christian Trainor, firefighter with the 216th Firefighter Engineer Detachment (Firefighter Team), South Dakota Army National Guard. “We’re going to be overseeing three units from [Houston] Texas and one from Boston. We do everything from firefighting to making sure everything’s up to code for buildings and electrical.” As tactical experts in firefighting operations, first aid and rescue procedures, soldiers with the 216th FED, ARNG, and firefighter engineer detachments with the 416th Engineer Command (Firefighter Team), USAR out of Houston, Texas, will assume the fire protection of aviation assets, facilities, and installations mission throughout the European Theater in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.