Base fire department trains local emergency responders

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Rae Perry
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  Members of the 4th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Emergency Services flight invited the Goldsboro Fire Department to learn about the mission of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., the aircraft flown here and to receive specialized fire training.

Aircraft familiarization training provides local emergency responders an opportunity to take an up-close look at the airframes and learn about associated hazards in the event of an aircraft emergency.

"We try to reach most of the (local) departments on an annual basis, perhaps every other year," said Sean Quinby, 4th CES Fire Emergency Services Flight assistant fire chief. "It's important because, as much as we wish there will never be a plane crash, we have to prepare for it."

The goal of the training is to teach local firefighters about the best methods to approach a downed aircraft and how to protect the community from any associated fires. In addition, they learn how to deal with hydraulic fluid, fuel, oxygen and the aircraft.

In the event an aircraft crashes off base, local emergency responders would likely to be first on scene.

"Our obligation is to help prepare those emergency responders to handle the hazards involved with an aircraft crash," Quinby said.

Since an emergency response involves on-and-off base responders, team work is imperative.

"The Goldsboro Fire Departments are very aware of the presence of Seymour Johnson and if there is an emergency, it's probably not going to happen on base, but in the community." said James Farfour, Goldsboro Fire Department assistant chief of operations. "We won't be the primary responders, because as soon as they arrive, we will take on an assistance role. We have to work with each other in that and make the transition."

This is not the only joint training the two fire departments conduct.

"We participate in (exercise) Orbit Comet every year and try to work our area of operations, though it's not fire department based; we help as much as we can." Farfour said.