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Command-wide fire class turns up the heat

  • Published
  • By by Airman 1st Class Cortney Paxton
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Twelve active-duty firemen from throughout Air Force Global Strike Command gathered at Malmstrom Air Force Base May 9 through 24 for a 12-day training class.

Fire Officer II is offered only four times a year by the Louis F. Garland Fire Academy located at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas. The class is part of the upgrade training and professional growth of military firefighters around the world.

"These firefighters are [transitioning] from the ones that actually fight the fire, to the person telling the other firefighters what to do on type 3 emergencies - structure fires and house fires," said Timothy Sirmans, Fire Officer instructor. "We teach them how to incorporate safety while handling a shift of up to 25 firefighters and how to keep track of them while mitigating an incident."

The Fire Officer students can be from any branch of service and can be Guard, Reserve or active duty members. According to Sirmans, this class is the first class in five years that has had only active duty Airmen. This was a special treat for him and the class's additional instructor, Matthew Simmons, considering they are both retired Air Force master sergeants.

Although Simmons and Sirmans work together frequently, members stationed at different bases don't get that opportunity very often. This was a unique chance for four Malmstrom Airmen to work together with members from Barksdale AFB, La.; Ellsworth AFB, S.D.; F. E. Warren AFB, Wyo.; Minot AFB, N.D.; and Whiteman AFB, Mo.

"It definitely helps build teamwork," said Robert Lysholm, 341st Civil Engineer Squadron fire protection crew chief, regarding his work with Airmen from other bases. "It helps establish connections around the Air Force and allows us to see how other bases operate. We can learn some operations and tactics from them that we can possibly use here on our base."

Staff Sgt. Sean Armstrong, 341st CES fire fighter, echoed Lysholm's thoughts.

"It definitely builds camaraderie with other bases," he said. "You get to know your brother fire fighters and then get to see what operations they're doing on a day-to-day basis versus what we're doing."

Lysholm and Armstrong took the class along with two other 341st CES fire fighters; Staff Sgts. Brian Patterson and Justin Zabel.

"These Airmen were selected because they are recognized as the 'up and coming' next generation of fire leaders," said Senior Master Sgt. David Clifford, 341st CES fire chief. "Each of them lives the Air Force core values. While it is part of their continuing professional development, attendance to this course in the fire department is competitive."

The class taught the firemen how to lead others in a traditional manner at a fire station, and on-scene at an incident with both PowerPoint lectures and hands-on work. It was split into eight different units: orientation, government, human resource management, administration, certification test, investigations, incident management and safety. After completing all of the units, the Airmen are put to the test.

"Three full days - three eight-hour days - are actually handling and mitigating an incident," Sirmans said. "We have this program called Digital Combustion where we're able to take a digital picture of any building, stick it up on the screen, and put fire and smoke on it. Then they get to handle it. We have three evaluated positions: Incident commander, which is chief I; the operations commander, which is chief II; and the safety officer."

During these three days, 12 scenarios were played out giving every student a chance to act in each evaluated position. After each scenario, the class would go over each position and point out the things each individual did well and what they needed improvement on. This was to help each student become familiar and more confident in each position.

"We want them to leave with confidence - that's the main factor so they can handle this when they go back to their base," Sirmans said. "We always talk about the fire as a big concern, but our job is to get there and put the fire out, and save lives and property. What we don't want to do is get there and cause more damage and hurt people because someone didn't know how to handle incident commands."

According to Sirmans, by the end of the class, each student took home valuable information that can be used throughout their entire firefighting career - even into their civilian lives. The class was one way for each Airman to better themselves, but also to better their individual units.

"The impact [of this class] is twofold," said Clifford. "It allows them to fill the next duty position in the fire department, [which is] station captain. Previously, they were crew chiefs of a single fire engine leading a crew of three to four firefighters. Now they can lead an entire shift of 10 to 13 firefighters. Second, they come out of the course with increased confidence on fire ground operations and safety."

All 12 students graduated from Fire Officer II on May 24. In order to graduate they were all required to pass two tests - the first covering the first half of lectures, and the second covering the last half - as well as a final evaluation in which they had to handle an emergency scenario. Upon graduating, every student acquired five credits toward their Community College of the Air Force degree in Fire Science.

"It was a great class and I'm glad I took it," Lysholm said. "It has definitely helped me excel to where I should be and advance in the fire department."