Innovation funds help Nebraska National Guard Firefighters

Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Shannon Nielsen | Craig Behrens, Nebraska Air National Guard firefighter, reacts to a simulated pump operations failure on a fire engine Oct. 15, 2020, at the air base in Lincoln, Nebraska. The pump operation simulator is designed to mimic hose failure, loss of water pressure or other malfunctions that could cause issues during real-world fire response, allowing for real-time troubleshooting, giving the firefighters the ability to train on these issues.  

LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, UNITED STATES

10.13.2020

Story by Senior Master Sgt. Shannon Nielsen 

155th Air Refueling Wing, Nebraska Air National Guard

Improving readiness just got a whole lot easier for the Nebraska Air National Guard Fire Department.
Using U.S. Air Force innovation funds, the department recently purchased a new pump operation simulator that now allows unit firefighters to better prepare for emergency situations while saving water at the same time.
According to Senior Master Sgt. Rene Arriola, Nebraska Air National Guard fire chief, the pump operation simulator is designed to generate various problems that firefighters may encounter such as hose ruptures, hose kinks, loss of water pressure or other problems encountered when attempting to put out a fire using a fire engine’s water tank system. The system, which uses water circulated between a fire engine and simulator, allows firefighters to rapidly identify problems and make split-second corrections in a safe, non-emergency training environment. And the training can be conducted without using large amounts of water.
Arriola said the simulator is extremely useful because firefighters typically do not have the ability to duplicate emergency scenarios unless they are actively fighting fires.
“This particular piece of equipment allows us to simulate realistic failures on the fire ground,” said Arriola, whose firefighters completed a three-day training session on the new simulator at the Nebraska National Guard air base, Oct. 13-15, 2020. “By purchasing this pump we are able to give our operators the ability to work through scenarios and understand how to work through problems by watching their gauges and learning their vehicle by truly understanding what’s going on and how to troubleshoot it."
The training consisted of one instructor communicating with the pump simulator through a computer pad with built-in realistic scenarios for the firefighters on the engine. The simulator has up to four attack lines which act as four hoses coming from the fire engine during a fire. From the pad, the instructor has the ability to change the water pressure for different training scenarios with just the push of a button.
Arriola said having a simulator to help you troubleshoot various problems that may arise on a fire scene is valuable. The simulator has the same type of look and feel as you would have on a real fire engine making the experience memorable for the operator.
Unlike training on a fire engine pump unit that requires thousands of gallons of water, the simulator holds up to 250,000 gallons that circulates throughout the fire engine during the training scenario.
“Imagine being able to do all of this and not waste any water,” Arriola said. “This is extremely important to be able to complete our training during times when the vicinity is in water restrictions or heavy drought. We can save up to 1 million gallons of water in one month.”
This training system helps save water resources and it provides the firefighters valuable training when it comes to real life scenarios when lives are at stake.
“Realism can help training stick and when you’re in a decision process with someone’s life you don’t have time to troubleshoot,” Arriola said. “Giving them this tool to train makes brain and muscle memory which in-turn can save not only of our firefighters, but the people they are saving.”

• Date Taken: 10.13.2020
• Date Posted: 10.28.2020 12:32
• Story ID: 381911
• Location: LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, US