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Air Force reservists help train Iraqi firefighters

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston
  • 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq --  Iraqi firefighters can now sharpen their abilities to operate effectively inside burning structures with the aid of a new training facility here.

Seven Iraqi firefighters learned search and rescue tactics at the new facility July 30 alongside firefighters from the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron.

The facility's construction marks a new phase of cooperative training that began a year ago, said Staff Sgt. Craig Cusenz, a crash and rescue combat firefighter with the 506th ECES. Its unique features allow firefighters to exchange information on tactics, techniques and procedures.

"This gives us a chance to leave our mark and show Iraqi firefighters what we've learned (from our academies)," said Sergeant Cusenz, a reservist deployed from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. "We also have the opportunity to see what they have studied at their academies."

Iraqi firefighters will learn how to don and use a self-contained breathing apparatus, said Master Sgt. Jimmy Mobley, the 506th ECES' assistant chief of training and a reservist deployed from Barksdale AFB, La. They will now know how to use American-style and European-style air packs.

The training available at the new facility cannot be found at most other facilities, said Sergeant Cusenz, who helped design the building, based upon his experiences as a volunteer firefighter in upstate New York.

"Two topics we cover are search patterns and different escape methods while using the air pack," he explained. "Trainees will be faced with different obstacles in various zones of the building. They may get tangled in electrical wires and have to rely on their teammates to get them out. They also have to low crawl where they may have to take their packs off.

"Some members may not know how to do these tasks and may not want to face the challenge of the course," Sergeant Cusenz said. "But the Iraqis will have the training to know they don't have to turn around and go back; they can navigate the course successfully."

The experience is difficult, but trainers have to create extreme conditions for the training to be effective, according to Master Sgt. Linda Thompson, deputy fire chief at Fire Department Station 1.

"The course contains a dark, smoke-filled room. The Iraqi firefighters will go in and rescue people who are unconscious or are having difficulty escaping," said Sergeant Thompson, who is also a reservist from Tinker AFB. "They will have to use a right- or left-hand search pattern and go through different obstacles like a house or office would present in an actual fire."

Although most buildings in Iraq are made of concrete, firefighters must still practice the basic skills of their career field, Sergeant Cusenz said. The training facility offers new and innovative training.

The long-term goal is to train an independent and capable Iraqi firefighting force, much as coalition forces have accomplished alongside the Iraqi military and police forces. The immediate result, however, is friendship and mutual respect among those who attend the training at the new facility.

"This is great. The Iraqis love it," Sergeant Thompson said. "They like to come here for their refresher course. They do about two months at the Iraqi academy, and then they come here after about two years on the job."

"It gives me peace of mind to know we've expanded our skills," Sergeant Cusenz said. "Now, we need to teach others those same skills for the day when we all work together as one."  (Air Force Reserve Command News Service)