Courtesy Photo | A used fire extinguisher lies under charred remnants of a fire within Marine Wing...... read more read more
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AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq — "Only you can prevent wildfires." These famous words have been heard throughout American culture for the past 65 years, and even though the threat of wildfires is slim in Iraq, there is still a need to be vigilant with fire safety.
With the recent rise in the number of fires aboard Al Asad Air Base, military members and civilian contractors are being asked to be attentive in protecting themselves and others against fire incidents.
Trends seen in the recent fires include smokers not extinguishing their cigarettes properly, military members throwing ashes from burn barrels into dumpsters before they are completely extinguished and electrical fires within the living areas.
"With the minimal rainfall here, everything is so dry that even the slightest spark could turn into a fire," said Maj. Adam C. Coe, director of safety and standardization for 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward). "It's important to identify a fire hazard before it happens and to be vigilant in preventing them."
Within 2nd MAW (Fwd), there have been two incidents related to smokers and three dumpster fires aboard Al Asad in the past few months.
"It's crucial for those who are dealing with any sort of fire, however small it might be, to ensure that it's extinguished properly before disposing of those goods," said Coe. "Pouring water on the ashes and waiting a few hours before throwing them away will ensure that the fire has been extinguished and prevent a fire incident."
After a recent electrical fire in Marine Wing Support Squadron 271's living area, the focus on fire safety checklists, inspections and briefs has been heightened to educate Marines on what potential fire dangers they should look for in their living quarters and how to respond in the event of a fire.
"We can attribute the fact that, because our Marines acted so quickly, we had minimal damage and no one was injured," said Staff Sgt. Michael B. Jarot, camp commandant for the Dragon's Lair, the living area for Marines with MWSS-271.
To protect yourself within your own living quarters, ensure there is a fire extinguisher, smoke detectors are functional and there are at least two avenues of escape.
"Continuing to inspect your living quarters every month or so will ensure something that might have gone unnoticed, such as an expired fire extinguisher or no batteries in the smoke detector, can get corrected," said Coe. "You don't want to find out these things when there is an actual fire and it's too late."
Smoke detectors are a great tool to alert those who might not be able to see or smell an impending threat of fire, but the detectors are no good unless they are working properly.
"When there is a sandstorm, many Marines take out batteries from their smoke detectors because the dust causes the same effect as smoke from a fire," said Coe. "One way to alleviate this problem is to take canned air and blow the dust out of the smoke detector, that way the detector is still intact and functional."
It is also crucial that two avenues of escape are available in the event of a fire, because one escape route might not be an option.
"Two of our Marines had to go through their windows," said Jarot. "If their windows wouldn't have been operational or were covered up, they might not be with us today."
In the event of a fire, it's important to know where the closest telephone is located to call for help. Once help has been called, enlist help from others to direct emergency personnel to the site and continue to fight the fire without putting yourself in danger until the fire department arrives.
"Being proactive about fire safety is everyone's job and we must be vigilant - it ensures we all stay in the fight," said Coe.
| Date Taken: | 07.26.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 07.26.2009 11:59 |
| Story ID: | 36833 |
| Location: | AL ASAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 331 |
| Downloads: | 317 |
This work, Fire safety saves lives, keeps Marines in fight, by SSgt Jennifer Poole, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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