In the event of an aircraft mishap on the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar flight line, one group of Marines stands ready to fight the flames.
The Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting crewmembers practiced their fire suppression skills with a simulated aircraft crash on the flight line here Jan. 29.
The fire suppression training is designed to train Marines how to fight in and around an aircraft or structure, explained Cpl. Ben Webers, a rescue specialist and emergency medical technician with ARFF.
When the Marines are at their military occupational specialty school they train with every branch of the military. Every branch has aircraft, but not the same types, so the Marines receive limited aircraft firefighting training at the Department of Defense fire academy. The majority of their education at the academy is structural firefighting, they receive further, aircraft specific on the job training at their duty stations, explained Webers.
“During school Marines fight propane fires which are controlled by an operator and have an emergency stop switch,” said Webers. “Here there is no stop switch ‑‑ the only way to put out the fire is with suppression.”
There are at least two Marines per water hose when fighting a fuel fire. One Marine works the hose nozzle to suppress the fire while the other watches to make sure the fire doesn’t flare up to the side or behind them, explained Webers.
“It gets intense,” said Lance Cpl. David Thomas, an ARFF turret operator. “The first fire wasn’t as hot and I knew what to expect, but this training is why I like my job.”
The Marines fought four fires during the training, each time adding more fuel to the remaining fuel from the previous fire.
The first fire was started with 200 gallons of jet fuel. However, it only took the ARFF Marines about one minute to extinguish the flames.
When the Marines are fighting fires, they have to know the extent of their obstacles and know their own endurance level, explained Webers.
To ensure the Marines’ endurance, they must pass a Fire Fighters Physical Fitness Test.
During the test, Marines wear their protective gear and a self-contained breathing apparatus. They must complete a 100-foot drag with a 180-pound dummy, a 50 to 60-pound bundled hose carry, run a flight of stairs five times, climb a ladder five times, move a 100-pound iron block three feet with a sledge hammer, drag a charged hose 100 feet and carry the 45-pound “Jaws of Life” 100 feet -- twice.
All of this must be completed within eight minutes, stated Webers.
“Endurance is everything,” he said. “About six minutes into it we’re exhausted and feel ready to quit, but we know that if it was a real life scenario, quitting would endangers lives.”
These Marines don’t quit. If there ever is an emergency on the flight line, the ARFF Marines will be there to put out the fire.
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