Photo By Christina McCann | Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Light Infantry, out...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Chris McCann
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division
Multi-National Division - Center
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq — A major danger in combat is fire – not only the flying bullets, the real thing. With improvised explosive devices so common in Iraq, fires are common – and lethal. Tents, usual living quarters for many Soldiers, are also notoriously flammable.
To counter these risks, Soldiers are often cautioned about the need to be careful with fire, and every trailer and vehicle has a fire extinguisher. Now, a new generation of extinguisher is in Soldiers' hands and trucks, and troops of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., are learning to use them.
The Macaw is a backpack-type compressed air foam fire extinguisher, which contains a water tank and an air canister to pressurize it. A bottle of liquid foam can be added to the tank to increase the water's ability to put out fires.
Soldiers from around the brigade practiced using the new tools to put out fuel fires in steel containers as part of the training conducted by the Camp Striker, Iraq, fire department.
Bill Del Solar, a safety officer for the 2nd BCT, said that the extinguishers are necessary due to the structure and vehicle fires that have proven lethal during the brigade's 14 months in Iraq.
"We had to have something other than the regular fire extinguishers," said Del Solar, "because of the structure and vehicle fires in our brigade's area. Certainly the small extinguishers can't handle them."
Several Soldiers have died in conjunction with vehicle fires – often when circumstances prevented their escape. Soldiers can be wounded by IED strikes and rendered unconscious or too badly injured to get out – and the intense heat of the subsequent blaze keeps would-be rescuers at bay.
Wood used for buildings is often treated with flammable liquids to prevent insect infestation, which makes it susceptible to structural fires, and the nature of combat – with rockets, mortars and other hot projectiles – means there is no lack of ignition sources.
A 2nd BCT Soldier, Sgt. Lazaro Perez of the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, was recently awarded a Soldier's Medal for rescuing an Iraqi man from a blazing truck. Unfortunately, he was unable to rescue the other man in the vehicle. With one of the new Macaw extinguishers, the story might have been different.
The backpack multiplies the firefighting ability of five gallons of carried water into as much as 350 gallons of finished foam, the company, Intelagard, claims. The foam also reduces the surface tension of the water itself – enabling it to get deeper into vehicle upholstery and cover more area.
The extinguisher, developed for emergency response teams, shoots a stream of foam up to 40 feet, keeping the wearer out of the heat and flames, and the long pistol-type nozzle lets it be accurately aimed into windows or doors.
The backpack weighs about 65 pounds when filled with water and a full air canister, making for a heavy load when on top of an individual's ballistic armor. But the weight is worth it, say professionals.
Safety officer Bill Bellis, also of the 2nd BCT, said that the new system performs wonderfully.
"This system is great," he said. "It's another tool to protect and preserve our force. It's much more effective in a lot of situations than a 'regular' fire extinguisher. The foam expands and just smothers the fire. It's also easier to carry on the back than in the hands."
The systems were fielded to battalions of the 2nd BCT a few weeks ago, said Del Solar, and ideally each patrol that leaves the wire will have two in the convoy.
And while only a few Soldiers from each of the six battalions were able to attend the training, the system is intuitive and easy to use, so they can train other troops in their units how to use them.
| Date Taken: | 10.02.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 10.02.2007 15:37 |
| Story ID: | 12678 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 789 |
| Downloads: | 742 |
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