Photo By Sgt. Andrew King | Sgt. Jason Watts, an aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) specialist and safety...... read more read more
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We as Marines face a grim reality, one we try to mitigate as much as possible; but no matter how careful we are, or the steps we take, accidents can and do still happen.
Even as the largest air station in the Marine Corps, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina, we have to remain vigilant to the fact that an aircraft mishap can strike us at any time; luckily for us, we have a team of dedicated Marines who are always ready to respond at a moment’s notice to any aircraft accident we may have.
Aircraft, rescue and firefighting (ARFF) is a military occupational specialty (MOS) that trains and performs in all manner of aircraft accident or malfunction scenarios, from the extreme in-air crash to an engine catching fire on the taxiway.
“The purpose of ARFF is the same as any regular fire department, to save lives and protect property,” said Master Sgt. Jason Roope, the MCAS Cherry Point ARFF deputy fire chief. “Here at [MCAS] Cherry Point, as with other ARFF departments around the Marine Corps, we provide rescue service and fire protection for the airfield primarily.”
The ARFF Marines stationed here train every day in various aspects of their MOS, such as live fire burns, equipment handling and classroom instructions in various scenarios, so they are always ready.
In addition to the training, they rotate shifts so that a full crew of Marines are available around the clock 24/7, 365 days a year.
The Marines on shift are split into two groups, the first group is always mostly geared up so if they need to respond they can get to any accident on the airfield in less than two minutes and are already working by the time the second group gets there and backs them up.
MCAS Cherry Point ARFF responded to a total of 88 calls in 2019, ranging from relatively minor accidents to major accidents such as when an AV/8B Harrier II had an inflight emergency and crashed in a field near the air station.
When new ARFF Marines arrive to MCAS Cherry Point they typically start in the turret of the trucks, which is one of the most important spots, so they can see the big picture and how everyone’s roles fit together before moving on and learning a different position in order to become more well rounded firefighters.
Sgt. Chad Leath, an ARFF specialist, said that he believes the most important part of his job is his ability and possibility to save lives.
“I’m glad that we are here and can respond quickly and efficiently in the case of an emergency,” he said.
To see some of the live fire training they conduct visit https://www.dvidshub.net/video/609615/marines-and-airmen-join-forces-fight-fire to watch a video of them working with firefighters from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
| Date Taken: | 02.07.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 02.13.2020 16:05 |
| Story ID: | 363018 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 144 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Fighting fires with ARFF, by Sgt Andrew King, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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