Training heats up for local firefighters

06.15.2004

Courtesy Story

1-230th Cavalry Regiment

By Spc. Gretel Sharpee

For the first time, a group of Iraq airfield firefighters from the Mosul Fire Department suited up next to a group of firefighters from the 1440th Engineer Detachment as they prepared to train on interior firefighting tactics.

This training was not always a possibility for the Iraqi firefighters, who just recently received Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, allowing them to fight fires from inside the smoke filled buildings. Since the arrival of the new equipment and with the training from the coalition forces, the Iraqi firefighters are moving one step closer to becoming a self-sufficient firefighting force.

"Iraq is currently developing a training standard for all fire departments, which they didn't have before," said Staff Sgt. Todd Dittenber, fire chief of the 1440th, headquartered in Grayling, Mich. "There shouldn't be any difficulty in getting the Iraqi airfield firefighters to meet and exceed those standards."

Teams of Iraqi and coalition forces firefighters train side by side, entering the building that has been built specifically for training. Each man entering the smoke-filled building has to rely on the firefighter next to him to accomplish his job safely. Once they enter the building, they go through each room, looking for casualties and the source of the fire, as they work their way to the back of the building. Since the exercise is focusing on interior movement tactics only, once the fire is found the exercise is complete, and the next team can go in."The Iraqi firefighters received the training very enthusiastically," said Dittenber, who is from Au Gres, Mich.

"Many of them were firefighters for the city of Mosul prior to liberation so it's not a case of us retraining them, it's us working together with them to improve."

The training has recently focused on extinguishing structural fires from inside the building as opposed to only fighting it externally. Firefighters also train on tasks such as entering a burning building, search and rescue, hydraulic ventilation, hose operation and aircraft fires, since the firefighters work on an airfield.

"This training will be complete by September and our fire chief will be able to sign off saying these Iraqi firefighters have met the standards that are being developed," said 1st Lt. Gary J. Beelen, 1440th Fire Marshall, from Madison Heights, Mich. The Iraqi firefighters that train with the Americans everyday do not speak fluent English but it is obvious that camaraderie has developed between the two groups.

"Ever since the coalition forces arrived here they have done nothing but help us train to be a better firefighting team then we were before," said Mohammad Azez Mahmod, team leader for the Mosul Airport fire department. "We have better equipment and we are being properly trained on how to use it and how to maintain it. I have nothing but thanks for the coalition forces; it has been very exciting for us in the last couple of months.

"As the Iraq airfield firefighters continue to gain experience on their new equipment, the coalition forces look forward to having them take responsibility of their city's fire safety.

• Date Taken: 06.15.2004
• Date Posted: 06.15.2004 15:29
• Story ID: 7