97th CES/FD trains to save lives

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Aldric Borders
  • 97th AMW Public Affairs
ALTUS AFB --  Everyday the 97th Air Mobility Wing puts its resources, time and effort into training the next generation of aircrew for the C-17 and KC-135. With aircraft taking off and landing so frequently it's imperative the wing be ready just in case the unfortunate may occur.
This is where the 97th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department comes into play.
"It's our responsibility to respond as quickly and effectively as possible in the event of an aircraft accident on our runway," said Tech. Sgt. Jason Higgins, the Fire Department's assistant chief of training.
The required time for the fire department to respond to a crash is three minutes for an unannounced crash and one minute for an announced crash.
An announced crash is one where the aircrew of the plane is able to contact the fire department ahead of time to let them know of a possible crash landing due to an in-flight emergency. This allows the fire department time to go out and preposition their trucks and resources to respond as quickly as possible in case the worst happens during landing.
Being able to respond appropriately to a burning plane means the difference between life and death.
"When an aircraft crashes, our main goal is to get in, cut a rescue path and get to the people inside the aircraft," said firefighter Matthew Backeberg.
This is where training comes into play.
"Practicing to maintain certification and proficiency on airport rescue firefighting enables us to be as effective as possible when dealing with real world emergencies," said Sergeant Higgins.
"At the aircraft fire training facility, firefighters practice proper approach and proper use of the turret, which is the nozzle used to spray water from the truck," said Mr. Backeberg. The turrets are located on the top of the truck and on its bumper. The training facility offers a high degree of realism for the fire fighters as if they were responding to a real aircraft crash.
"The burners at the training facility, which create the fire, are set up to provide the same types of flames seen in real accidents. The heat and locations of the fire are all realistic. We can recreate ground, engine, high-tail and cargo fires," said Sergeant Higgins.
While practicing with live fire, safety is always first with every step of the training process.
"All the fire is controlled from a tower, which allows me to see what everyone is doing. If someone falls down or something I can hit an emergency stop button which cuts off the propane being fed to the burners, killing the fire," said Sergeant Higgins.
The firefighters also have a mockup house which they light on fire to practice handling construction fires.
"In the burn house we can simulate structural fires as if it was a building fire. It has rooms we can ignite on each of its tree floors," said Mr. Backeburg.
As C-17 and KC-135 aircrew training continues around the clock, the 97th AMW can rest assured knowing its fire department is trained and ready to handle any type of fire, saving lives and keeping the mission going.