Canadian Forces fire officials visit Niagara Falls

Published Sept. 28, 2012
By Peter Borys
914th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. -- Niagara Falls ARS firefighters got to show off their capabilities and fire training pit to Canadian Forces fire officials here Sept. 26.

Maj. Rick Dunning, 1 Canadian Air Division fire marshal for the Royal Canadian Air Force, and Warrant Officer Ron Johnson, 8 Wing Canadian Forces Base Trenton Platoon fire chief, received a tour of Niagara's fire training capabilities. Dunning is in charge of all firefighting protection for the Canadian Air Force.

The Canadians crossed the border to compare what they have with what the Americans use to train firefighters on their main operating bases.

"We are using the U.S. Air Force as our guiding principal," said Dunning. "Your Air Force has had so much success in establishing simulators on your bases. Instead of trying to re-invent the wheel, we are saying let's look to our friends to the south, let's see how they are doing it and apply the lessons learned that you have over the years."

Niagara was their first stop on the tour of U.S. Air Force facilities.

"What we are looking at is a fixed system," said Dunning. "We will then be heading to Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., to look at a mobile system. We want to look from the U.S. perspective which one you prefer and why and how we can apply that to our own air force.

"We have bases that go from the North Pole and extend right across Canada," he said. "Depending on the location, that will be the driver deciding on a fixed or mobile system."

Dunning and Johnson were impressed with the simplicity of the system at Niagara.

"There is a real propensity to often go for the more technologically advanced, difficult systems," said Dunning. "This is one thing we want to avoid and the beauty of the system I see here is that this is very, very user-friendly.

"You are not relying on a whole team of technical experts," he continued. "This is standard hardware that you have put together that's going to help train your firefighters and this is what we need."

Niagara Falls ARS Assistant Fire Chief Aaron McLane enjoyed demonstrating the capabilities of the aircraft live-fire training facility at Niagara.

"Here at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station we have the USAF-designed AFTF, very similar to the 163 other AFTFs throughout the Air Force," said McLane. "The Canadians were very impressed with our trainer because of its size and ease of operation."

Dunning said he appreciated being hosted by the Niagara firefighters.

"We have such a great working relationship and always have fun doing so," he said.