Photo By Courtney Landsberger | A firefighter with the 137th Air Refueling Wing, wearing a blackout mask to simulate...... read more read more
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Firefighters at Tinker Air Force Base recently completed an intensive training course focused on rapid intervention, advanced search techniques and fireground survival skills tailored to the unique mission environment at one of the Air Force’s largest installations.
The training centered on a10-day orientation coursedesigned specifically for new active duty and civilian firefighters, including recent graduates from the fire academy assigned to the137th Air Refueling Wing at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base. The course serves as a critical bridge between initial certification and real-world operations at Tinker, which presents its own set of unique challenges.
Withmassive warehouses, aircraft hangars and thousands of confined spaces, firefighters at Tinker must be prepared to operate in low-visibility, high-risk environments where speed and precision can mean the difference between life and death.
During the course, firefighters trained usingblackout masksto simulate zero-visibility conditions while learning how to search large buildingseffectively and quickly. Scenarios emphasized communication, accountability and rapid decision-making while operating under physical and mental stress.
A key component of the training wasRapid Intervention Team operations, which prepare firefighters to locate those trapped inside a burning structure. These drills involved long, physically demanding simulations that tested endurance, teamwork and problem-solving skills. They also completed flashover fire training, a critical evolution that allows Airmen to recognize warning signs of rapidly changing fire behavior.
The course incorporatedaircraft and wing simulations, to practice maneuvering around airframes, navigating tight spaces and executing rescues in scenarios unique to an installation that supports aircraft maintenance, depot operations and flightline activity.
Tinker Fire and Emergency Services protects more than 27,000 military and civilian personnel on Tinker AFB and provides assistance to civilian emergency services when needed. It was the first fire department in the Air Force to achieve the International Organization for Standardization’s Class 1 distinction.
| Date Taken: | 12.23.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.23.2025 16:11 |
| Story ID: | 555253 |
| Location: | OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Tinker Firefighters Train for the Fight Inside the Fire, by Courtney Landsberger, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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