Fire Station 1 holds Fire Prevention Week open house

Photo By Lance Cpl. Trista Whited | Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni fire fighters remove the top of a car during an extrication demonstration on MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, October 12, 2019. During the fire station open house, fire fighters extinguished fires, performed car extrications and search and rescue drills to educate the residents on the importance of fire safety. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Trista Whited)  

MCAS IWAKUNI, YAMAGUCHI, JAPAN

10.17.2019

Story by Lance Cpl. Trista Whited 

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan (October 12, 2019)— Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni fire fighters and residents participate in the Fire Prevention Week open house at Fire Station One, MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, October 12, 2019. During the open house, fire fighters demonstrated extinguishing fires, performing car extrications and search and rescue drills to educate MCAS Iwakuni residents on the importance of fire safety.
On September 27, 2019, Col. Frederick Lewis and Fire Chief John Neville signed the Fire Prevention Proclamation declaring October 6-12 to be Fire Prevention Week. Booths were set up and live demonstrations were available for more visual learning on the dangers of fire. John Neville, Fire Chief of the MCAS Iwakuni fire stations, said that this event teaches the behind the scenes work that fire fighters do while also being a fun event for families to be a part of.
On October 12, 2019, Fire Station One hosted an open house with several events including live fire events, children’s activities and The Red Cross parental tips and fire fighter stories. Both Fire Stations of MCAS Iwakuni and the Iwakuni Fire Department worked together to pull off a smooth day of learning and fun.
They day started with a live-fire demonstration, which consisted of a fuel line being sent directly to the underneath of a model car, catching the inside of the car on fire. Fire fighters of MCAS Iwakuni raced to the scene and quickly extinguished the fire.
The next event was the car extrication demonstration, which is when they use metal cutters to remove parts of a vehicle or object that are in the way of removing a victim from an accident. They started by busting out the glass, then cutting the metal frame of the vehicle and finally removing the top of the car.
The next and final event was the search and rescue drills and rope rescue demonstration. This consisted of multiple events including hose drags, pallet drags, buddy drags and hammering a metal plate down an attached lane. During the rope rescue demonstration a fire fighter was lowered from the ceiling to retrieve the victim and then pulled back up to the roof.
The Fire Station’s open house on Saturday, October 12 was not only an educational family event, it was a behind the scenes look into the work of the fire fighter’s here in MCAS Iwakuni. They risk their lives, to save others. While these events were only demonstrations, these are incidents that can happen and have happened in real life. That’s why Col. Frederick Lewis and Fire Chief John Neville urges all MCAS Iwakuni residents to practice fire safety by the following advice: have an evacuation plan or two, know how to call 9-1-1 in case of an emergency and practice a fire escape plan at least once a month.

• Date Taken: 10.17.2019
• Date Posted: 10.23.2019 00:15
• Story ID: 347933
• Location: MCAS IWAKUNI, YAMAGUCHI, JP