Test driving a fire hose

  • Published
  • By Jill Pickett
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  Children, and adults who are being honest, think it would be cool to try their hand at firefighting.
Recently, I had that chance, at the invitation of Arnold Air Force Base Assistant Fire Chief Jim Evans during a week of aircraft rescue and firefighting training by the department.

I happened to be photographing the training for a story on the capabilities of the Fire and Emergency Services team when Evans mentioned me taking a turn.

As a photojournalist working at community newspapers since 2005, I’ve encountered many firefighters. I’ve even put on the gear once and participated in a survival drill. But I couldn’t pass up a chance to battle a blaze with a fire hose.

Without the hours and hours of initial and continuing training firefighters have, I needed assistance to even get geared up correctly.

Firefighters have to be dressed in their gear and breathing from their air packs in one minute when they receive a call, according to Evans.

After I had the bunker pants and coat on, my experience was less high-speed and more like a child getting ready to play in the snow requiring help from the experienced firefighters.

Of course, firefighters could also be seen helping each other – doing buddy checks.

“It takes a lot of practice,” Firefighter Adam McKamey said, about meeting the minute standard. He’s been a firefighter for 10 years, two years at Arnold.

Before the propane-fueled simulator was cranked up, Evans told me I’d be battling three fires – wheel well, engine and ground. And McKamey instructed me in operating the nozzle.

McKamey backed me up on the hand line, a regular practice for actual firefighters as well.
The propane was turned on and ignited and I was given the go-ahead to begin battling the blaze.

I took aim at the wheel well and engine fires first and then the ground fire. McKamey provided instruction when to change position and switch the attack from one fire to the next.

It didn’t take long to feel the weight of the pressurized hose, even at what McKamey estimated to be 75 percent pressure.

During the previous training I watched, a line was connected to a higher pressure truck. It took three of them working together to control it.

Soon the fires were out.

“You did great,” said McKamey, as another firefighter helped me, now sweating on a comfortable spring day, out of Evans’ gear.

“You had a great stance; you were aggressive,” McKamey said, noting people usually lean back their first time using a hand line and end up off balance.

I did have the advantage of having watched training earlier in the week. They positioned the hose initially to set me up for success, and McKamey instructed me throughout the simulation.
My success and the positive experience is attributable to the professionalism and expertise of the Arnold AFB firefighters.