Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Andrew Langholf | 220104-N-FA490-2001 NAVAL BASE GUAM (Jan. 4, 2022) – Naval Base Guam’s Fire &...... read more read more
APRA HARBOR, Guam (Jan. 6, 2022) – The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Jackson (LCS 6) and Naval Base Guam’s Fire & Emergency Services (NBG FE&S) teamed up to conduct an integrated in-port fire drill at NBG, Jan. 4.
The drill simulated a fire onboard Jackson that tests the capability of the ship’s in-port emergency team in conjunction with NBG FE&S and Commander, Joint Region Marianas (JRM). This type of training offers base services and ship’s force an opportunity to practice joint firefighting techniques and procedures to effectively extinguish a major fire while moored at an Apra Harbor pier.
“Ships assigned to Task Force 76 are required to conduct expeditionary maintenance throughout the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, which makes routine training to mitigate damage, to include fires, onboard our assets a priority,” said Rear Adm. Chris Engdahl, commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 7/Task Force 76. “This in-port drill is an excellent example, of a joint effort between the Jackson’s crew, NBG Fire & Emergency Services and JRM, in how we train to keep our Sailors and Marines safe while in port.”
In the event of a major fire, integration between both the crew on the ship and the fire and emergency crews from ashore is crucial to save the ship. Conducting joint drills enables the practice and repetition required to alleviate communication gaps and is an opportunity to combine techniques necessary to assist shipboard personnel during a casualty.
“It’s important to have these drills as frequently as possible, especially in forward areas such as Guam,” said Mark S. Berry Jr., NBG FE&S Assistant Fire Chief for Training. “It allows the ship to know the level of support they will have when in port. For the fire department, it gives us experience and training on different Navy ships and enables us to offer assistance to any ship that is in port.”
Responding to a fire in port or at sea is paramount; therefore, training is paramount.
“Sailors are the initial responders to every casualty,” said Chief Damage Controlman Daniel Solis. “By having sailors trained to the full extent of their capabilities, we provide the Fire & Emergency Services time to arrive and integrate with the crew, thus increasing the odds of saving the ship.”
Knowing which services are available and using them efficiently can make all the difference in an emergency.
“The biggest reward is when it all comes together for a drill or evaluation,” said Berry. “If it goes well, you’ll have made a contact that you can always reach back to for information or have someone to reach out to when you are in familiar port calls.”
Attached to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7, Jackson is on a rotational deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the region, and to work alongside allied and partner navies to provide maritime security and stability, key pillars of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
As the U.S. Navy’s destroyer squadron forward-deployed in Southeast Asia, DESRON 7 serves as the primary tactical and operational commander of littoral combat ships rotationally deployed to Singapore, functions as ESG 7’s Sea Combat Commander, and builds partnerships through training exercises and military-to-military engagements.
| Date Taken: | 01.06.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 01.06.2022 01:41 |
| Story ID: | 412516 |
| Location: | APRA HARBOR, GU |
| Web Views: | 186 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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