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Soldiers from the 181st and 317th Engineer Detachments (Firefighter Team) – two of the smallest units in the Nebraska Army National Guard – participated in a live burn exercise during their combined annual training, July 28-Aug. 11, at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota.
The training area at Ellsworth AFB allowed the Soldier to conduct multiple iterations of breaching and extinguishing controlled live fires burning in a three-story building using JP-8 jet fuel as opposed to propane.
“Nothing takes the place of real fuels,” said Sgt. 1st Class Reggie Barent, an instructor with the 209th Regiment (Regional Training Institute). A former member of Nebraska’s firefighting teams, Barent attended the firefighters’ 2018 training to serve as an evaluator.
“Things have come a long way since I was last here,” Barent said, referring to the units’ recent drastic changes, which was part of the overall Nebraska Army National Guard’s transformation in 2016. Because of the transformation, most of the unit members are newer, having only recently completed their advanced individual firefighter training. For many, this year’s exercise was the first live burn experience outside of their schooling.
“Watching the young guys grow in even just two weeks of training is invigorating,” said Sgt. Jesse Pfeifer, 317th FFT lead firefighter. “Their confidence goes up, they mature and become qualified firefighters.”
When battling fires, the firefighters work in teams of two: one lead firefighter and a nozzleman.
“The most fun job is to be the nozzleman and to actually put the water on the fire,” said Sgt. Cole Freudenburg, 181st FFT, Norfolk station chief.
During the live-burn training at Ellsworth, the Soldiers alternated positions on the teams as they practiced extinguishing each fire, with the newest unit members usually acting as the nozzleman to ensure that every Soldier had an opportunity to gain important experience.
“I think we’ve come leaps and bounds from the inception of the unit,” said Freudenburg, who has been with the firefighting teams for three years. “There are some unique capabilities of being in a small unit. We have great leadership opportunities and our promotion opportunities are growing.”
Air Force Staff Sgt. Jordan LaPoint, crew chief for fire and emergency services at Ellsworth AFB, said the base can offer training available at only two or three other bases around the world.
“Life fire training is something that cannot be replaced or replicated,” LaPoint said. “The knowledge and skills you gain from watching and training in live fires are invaluable. Fire is a living breathing creature and if you don’t respect it, learn from it, and train in it, it can kill you.”
LaPoint said that’s why being able to train with real fuel at Ellsworth is an important opportunity. “By still using JP-8 here at Ellsworth, we get the most realistic aircraft fire training available.
The problem with propane trainings, according to LaPoint, is they can never put out on their own. This is always somebody at the control panel who determines when they believe a firefighter has done enough to put the fire out.
“By using actual class A, solid materials, such as wood or paper, and class B (flammable liquids) such as JP-8 for our trainers, we get to actually put a fire out on our own and see what it takes to do so,” he said.
LaPoint said it is always a great experience to work with other fire departments, especially those in other branches of the Department of Defense.
“When the Air Force and Army firefighters get a chance to work together, it is always a good thing,” he said. “It helps us hone our skills and to share our skills and experiences with one another. The Nebraska Army National Guard firefighters did a great job with their revolutions of structural burns. They are welcome to come back and train with us anytime.”
Barent said that being a military firefighter can help secure civilian opportunities as well.
“Firefighting is a very competitive job,” said Barent, who also serves on the Omaha Fire Department. “Having this background and experience is a great way to help get your foot in the door.”
That’s why Freudenburg said he was grateful for the training opportunities the Soldiers were able to experience at Ellsworth.
“Ellsworth is really good to us,” he said. “We can run our own training, come and go as we please, and the Ellsworth EMS remains on standby.”
“It’s the best we’ve ever had,” Pfeifer said. “Ellsworth has been extremely accommodating, and the realism of training available here is unmatched.”
| Date Taken: | 08.08.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 12.31.2018 22:33 |
| Story ID: | 306003 |
| Location: | ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, SOUTH DAKOTA, US |
| Web Views: | 92 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Burning Down The House: Guard firefighters train in South Dakota, by Lisa Crawford, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
