CFAS and USS America Conduct Chapter 12 Fire Drill

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Jasmine Ikusebiala | SASEBO, Japan (March 4, 2021) - Fire Controlman 2nd Class Jose Muniz, assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS America receives a medical assessment from Taiga Mikawa a fire inspector at Commander, Navy Region Japan (CNRJ) Fire & Emergency Services Sasebo during a Chapter 12 fire drill aboard the ship March 4, 2021. The drill was a collaborative exercise between America’s damage control team and the Commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo base fire department to enhance their effective integration in the event of a major fire aboard the ship. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jasmine Ikusebiala)  

SASEBO, NAGASAKI, JAPAN

03.04.2021

Story by Seaman Jasmine Ikusebiala 

Commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo

SASEBO, Japan (March 4, 2021) - "The ship is entering a damage control training team environment. In the case of an actual casualty, the phrase 'actual casualty' will be passed. The ship is now in a damage control training team environment." The 1MC clicks off as the ship springs to life as a horde of Damage Control (DC) team members, firefighters, and evaluators emerge and a Chapter 12 fire drill commences.
Commander, Navy Region Japan Fire & Emergency Services Sasebo firefighters, Sailors assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), and U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center Sasebo personnel collaborated during a fire drill aboard the ship March 4, 2021.
“This cooperative exercise between America’s DC team, and the base fire department is intended to familiarize the Commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo (CFAS) fire department with the specific physical attribute of America’s superstructure and firefighting capabilities, while enhancing coordination between America and CFAS in the event we should ever need to rely on assistance in an emergency,” said Capt. Ken Ward, USS America’s commanding officer. “This drill was not required, but it was prudent to schedule and execute as a part of what I hope to be a series of training interactions with the base. The more familiar we are with each entity's equipment, tactics and communications, the more effectively we will combat a fire or other emergency should the need ever arise.”
Drills like the Chapter 12 are also meant to resolve errors in communication and create familiarization between parties to improve mission readiness. During the operation, obstacles such as the different use of equipment terminology and commands between the ship and the base fire department, and the unavoidable language barrier between the base’s Japanese Master Labor Contractor firefighters and Sailors were addressed with the intent to minimize their impact in future joint trainings.
“The ship does things differently than a land based fire department,” said Jarod A. Whittemore, deputy fire chief at the base fire department. “This means that we might use different acronyms or different terminology, but at the end of the day we’re doing the same thing and we’re able to learn to overcome those differences and work together as a strong team.”

As a unified team, both sides successfully simulated and combatted the shipboard fire and identified areas of improvement, resulting in a more effective joint emergency response from America’s DC team and CFAS’ fire department.
“The drill was very effective and there were a lot of lessons learned about things that we could do better in the future on both sides,” said Whittemore. “These training evolutions offer us the opportunity not only to work hand in hand and identify areas that need improvement with ships forces but to also develop good relationships and friendships.”

For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/CFASasebo, https://www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/cnrj/installations/cfa_sasebo.html, https://www.facebook.com/USSAmerica/

• Date Taken: 03.04.2021
• Date Posted: 03.09.2021 00:53
• Story ID: 390887
• Location: SASEBO, NAGASAKI, JP