Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Erika Kugler | Hospitalman Baelie Bales, assigned to U.S. Naval Hospital Naples, checks vital signs...... read more read more
Story By: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Erika L. Kugler
In a trailer on the Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples Support Site, a firefighter lights a fire. As the fire feeds on wooden pallets and hay, the firefighter does not run for a hose, or look for a fire extinguisher. Instead, he sits and watches as it grows. Once big enough, he closes all the windows and doors and signals to Assistant Fire Chief Anthony Dobbins. It’s time to begin the training.
Live fire training evolutions were held Feb. 20 and 24, as well as March 1 and 5. While the need for their services may be rare, the firefighters onboard NSA Naples know that keeping their skills sharp is paramount to keeping their community safe.
“We don’t typically run a lot of calls on the installation, which is good,” said Dobbins. “With this training, we have a controlled environment where the firefighters go in a low visibility environment with fire hoses, personal protective equipment (PPE), and an objective at hand. This way when we do get a call, we know we have hit the benchmarks in the required training and are proficient.”
Live fire training is an annual, standardized training mandated by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The purpose of the training is to ensure the firefighter is familiar with the environment and that they remain safe while fighting the fire.
“Whatever that objective is, they execute it,” said Dobbins. “If there is a low visibility environment in the real world, here, we have a controlled environment to make sure they are safe.”
The objective of the training is not only to put the fire out, but also to know what comes before running into a fire. Proper preparation can be the difference between success and failure - life and death.
“I am looking to see that they understand the steps and reps going into the fire - they have their tools, PPE, that they are advancing the line in a coordinated manner - all of which determine whether this training was successful,” said Dobbins.
Giovanni Castiello, a battalion chief and Italian national, said it is important for everyone to be on the same page during an actual fire, and the live fire training helps to keep everyone at the same knowledge level.
One way to be sure each firefighter is ready for a real world emergency is to be right by their side in the literal heat of the moment, observing each move as they attack the flames and ensuring that they are able to communicate despite any existing conditions.
“As a battalion chief, I want to be inside the apparatus with them,” said Castiello. “I want to look them in the eye, and be sure they are ready to fight a fire and save people at any moment.”
While the training is to evaluate and enhance skills, it is also a chance to test unit cohesion.
“Management has given us the opportunity to practice, to know we are all on the same page,” said Castiello. “That is why we continue to grow as a unit. I am proud we have come together as a great team.”
As the last of the firefighters exited the training trailer, they looked to Dobbins, waiting for their next instruction. They are told to go ‘off air’ and remove their regulators. They talk to their teammates and drink water provided to them, and begin to doff and inspect the gear they used, and will use in the future, now with greater confidence in their own abilities and their ability as a unit.
NSA Naples is an operational ashore base that enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to be where they are needed, when they are needed to ensure security and stability in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia.
For more news about NSA Naples and the Sailors who serve onboard the installation, please follow us on Instagram @NSANaples and Facebook at facebook.com/NSANaples.
| Date Taken: | 02.24.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 04.23.2021 06:25 |
| Story ID: | 394551 |
| Location: | NAPLES, IT |
| Web Views: | 34 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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