Firefighters receive specialized training

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Stefanie Torres
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  From burning buildings to the old cat in a tree, firefighters put themselves in compromising situations everyday. 

Saving life and limb becomes almost second nature for Misawa Air Base firemen whose average workweek is between 72 and 96 hours long. But not all of those hours have to do with fighting fires. 

"Our training ranges from medical, to confined space rescue, hazards materials incidents, aircraft firefighting/rescue and structural firefighting to auto extrication during vehicle accidents," said Master Sgt. Lee Manley, 35th Civil Engineer Squadron deputy fire chief. 

"We are constantly training and working extra hard during base exercises. At one exercise last Operational Readiness Inspection, we had over 30 runs between the emergencies and the real-world events we were called to," he said. "We are probably the hardest-working people on base, physically." 

But in addition to knowing how to rescue others, they need to know how to rescue each other if or when the time comes. 

As well as rescuing others, they need to know how to rescue themselves when the time comes. 

This is where SPEC (specialized)-rescue comes in. 

Misawa firemen have been learning advanced specialized training with a company based out in Virginia Beach, Va., that teaches a rapid intervention team class. 

"The class teaches firefighters how to handle an event of immediate danger to IDLH (immediate danger to life and health)," Sergeant Manley said. "The whole purpose of this training is to locate and rescue other firefighters." 

The week-long training demonstrated the proper way to exit through a window, how to tie themselves and others with a rope in order to escape and how to evacuate from confined spaces. 

"Escape techniques are what we are looking at," Sergeant Manley said. "They learned how to make an exit out of a wall if they had to." 

Military firefighters are taught the basic life-saving techniques through technical school, explained Sergeant Manley. But this training deals with advanced situations and techniques that not every firefighter has seen. 

About half of Misawa's fighters are certified through this program and the others will be taught the techniques by the certified graduates. 

"One good thing about this program is it gives us knowledge to pass it on to each other," the deputy fire chief said. "And another good thing about our fighters is they are willing to learn, explained Sergeant Manley. 

There is little room for mistakes in the career field. 

But significant injuries can occur and being prepared is a top priority.