ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. -- The ability to respond at a moment’s notice means being prepared.
To help ensure readiness in the event of a fire emergency within the Arnold Air Force Base mission area or a call from a surrounding community requiring their response, Arnold AFB Fire and Emergency Services crews from Feb. 25-27 and March 4-6 participated in a pair of live fire training exercises.
Arnold FES firefighters are required to complete live fire training sessions annually in accordance with National Fire Protection Association and Air Force standards. This multiday training took place at Arnold AFB, headquarters of Arnold Engineering Development Complex.
In early March, Arnold FES crews battled blazes on a simulated aircraft fuselage.
To make the training as realistic as possible, a Mobile Aircraft Fire Trainer, or MAFT, was brought to Arnold from the University of Missouri Fire and Rescue Training Institute. This simulator, approximately the size of a C-130 Hercules, is capable of replicating internal and external aircraft fuselage fires. These fires are generated via a propane system. To provide a more authentic firefighting experience, simulated smoke is released throughout the mock fuselage to create a low-visibility environment.
Ignitable pans were also set up at the rear of the MAFT to simulate running fires born from leaked aircraft fuel.
“Our guys get a realistic feel of what it’s like to fight engine fires, battery fires, wheel well fires, running fuel fires, and that’s just on the outside,” Arnold FES Assistant Fire Chief Gary Horn said of the fuselage training. “When they go inside, they get to manage fighting cockpit fires, passenger area fires, and they actually have simulated victims inside that they drag out of the aircraft like they’re pulling live people out.
“It’s set up for three different events – either a troop carrier or just a regular fighter jet or a cargo plane, and our guys go in there and put all the fire out using a foam application method.”
Working in teams, crews were able to sharpen skills such as handline firefighting, which is when a hose is utilized to combat fires, and communication as they worked their way through the simulator.
Crews also had the opportunity to hone their prowess with one P-23 and two P-19 “crash trucks,” otherwise known as Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting trucks, in the Arnold FES fleet. High-pressure water can be sprayed from turrets mounted on these vehicles to attack fires. During the training, two ARFF trucks were simultaneously deployed to extinguish exterior fires on the rescue and off-rescue side of the fuselage.
The training is intended to not only prepare Arnold FES to better respond to fire emergencies on the base but also to help strengthen the support Arnold crews can provide in response to mutual aid requests the department often receives from neighboring agencies when emergencies occur in towns and communities near Arnold.
Following in the footsteps of complex leaders before him, AEDC Commander Col. Grant Mizell donned turnout gear, slung a self-contained breathing apparatus on his back and threw on a mask to take part in the fuselage fire training, manning the firehose to extinguish flames engulfing both the interior and exterior of the simulated aircraft. Mizell described his experience battling blazes as fun yet intense.
“Getting inside a burning airplane is not for the faint of heart,” he said.
The commander added a significant takeaway from his participation was seeing firsthand the dedication members of Arnold FES possess. Mizell said this is essential, as the high-tech work performed at Arnold AFB doesn’t come without risks.
“Having first responders behind us every single day ready to respond in case something goes wrong is absolutely imperative,” Mizell said. “This training that they do out here makes sure that they’re ready to go every single day, and we can test in confidence because we know that our first responders have our back.”
Members of complex leadership joining Mizell to take part in the training were AEDC Deputy Director Kevin Muckerheide and Test Support Division Chief Col. Eric Withrow.
Muckerheide said the experience was physically demanding but “amazing.”
“The pressure on the hose wasn’t as much as I expected, but between the weight of the bottle and the limitations to being able to move, it really gives you an amazing appreciation for what they have to do in a confined space, especially with limited mobility,” he said. “It was a bit of a struggle, but it gives me a new appreciation for it.”
Horn said having AEDC leadership participate is important for the insight into Arnold FES operations it provides to them.
“It’s a great feeling to know that they’re out there with us,” he said. “They get to see what we do, hand-in-hand, and they can experience themselves and know what it’s like to go in there while wearing those packs – it’s like a 70-pound pack on your back – and all the gear. They get to come out and see what it’s like in a normal environment for us to go and use this gear.”
Horn added it is also meaningful for members of the base fire department, as seeing AEDC leadership suit up and take up the firehoses helps boost morale and build camaraderie.
“The guys love to see the commanders come down because that means they know that the base team cares about what we’re doing,” Horn said.
In late February, Arnold FES crews combated a simulated structure fire as part of their annual live fire training.
A training unit, which resembles a two-story home, was provided to Arnold AFB by the Kentucky Fire Commission, part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. Arnold FES has worked with the KCTCS for years to complete the required training.
Throughout both the fuselage and structure fire training, Arnold FES crew members were observed so feedback could be provided and techniques improved.
Like Muckerheide, Mizell said his participation in this year’s training has given him a deeper understanding of what Arnold FES crews regularly face and, much in the same way he said first responders “have the backs” of those on base, the AEDC commander wants first responders to know that he has theirs.
“I really appreciate the opportunity to get out here and work right alongside our first responders and with all of our teammates,” Mizell said. “Having an appreciation of what they go through on a regular basis, having a greater appreciation for them putting their lives on the line to protect others, allows me to ensure that I’m giving them every ounce of support I can and find them the resources they need to stay safe and to protect the rest of our base.”