910th, Red Cross hold second Feel the Heat event

910th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department Chief Anthony Wells observes the response of his unit members to a simulated aircraft accident during the second annual Feel the Heat event here, Oct. 22, 2015. Feel the Heat is an interactive training and demonstration event involving the 910th Airlift Wing and the American Red Cross Lake to River Chapter. During the event, the 910th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department ignited a mock training aircraft and responded with vehicles and personnel to combat the blaze and rescue victims. (U.S. Air Force photo/Eric M. White)

910th, Red Cross hold second Feel the Heat event

Attendees of the second annual Feel the Heat event, held here Oct. 22, 2015, watch as the 910th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department responds to a blaze on a mock training aircraft. Feel the Heat is an interactive training and demonstration event involving the 910th Airlift Wing and the American Red Cross Lake to River Chapter. (U.S. Air Force photo/Eric M. White)

910th, Red Cross host second Feel the Heat event

Col. Kevin Riley, 910th Mission Support Group commander, addresses attendees of the 2nd annual Feel the Heat event here, Oct. 22, 2015. Feel the Heat is an interactive training and demonstration event involving the 910th Airlift Wing and the American Red Cross Lake to River Chapter. During the event, the 910th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department ignited a mock training aircraft and responded with vehicles and personnel to combat the blaze and rescue victims. (U.S. Air Force photo/Eric M. White)

910th, Red Cross hold second Feel the Heat event

Members of the 910th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department remove a simulated victim from a blazing mock training aircraft during the second annual Feel the Heat event here, Oct. 22, 2015. Feel the Heat is an interactive training and demonstration event involving the 910th Airlift Wing and the American Red Cross Lake to River Chapter. During the event, the 910th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department ignited a mock training aircraft and responded with vehicles and personnel to combat the blaze and rescue victims. (U.S. Air Force photo/Eric M. White)

910th, Red Cross hold second Feel the Heat event

910th Airlift Wing Civil Engineer Fire Department Chief Tony Wells and members of the Youngstown-area media watch 910th firefighters respond to a controlled fire on a mock aircraft during the American Red Cross’ Feel the Heat event here, Oct. 22, 2015. The Feel the Heat emergency response capabilities exercise, observed by an audience of invited guests and area media representatives, showcased the partnership between the military and the Red Cross as part of the Air Force Community Partnership Program, which has been ongoing here since June 23, 2014. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Bob Barko Jr.)

Partnership brings Feel the Heat back to Youngstown

Published Oct. 26, 2015
By Eric M. White
910th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

YOUNGSTOWN AIR RESERVE STATION, Ohio --

The 910th Airlift Wing partnered with the American Red Cross here Oct. 22 to host the second annual Feel the Heat event to showcase collaborative emergency response capabilities.

Maj. Scott Julian, 910th Force Support Squadron commander, is a board member of the local Red Cross chapter and helped coordinate Feel the Heat.

“As you’ve seen in the local news, disasters can happen at any time and anywhere,” said Julian. “This is a great opportunity to highlight events that can happen and the capabilities that we have in this area to cope with these events involving the 910th Airlift Wing fire department and the local Red Cross.”

The Red Cross set up several of their response vehicles, displaying information about their services, providing refreshments for attendees and demonstrating the abilities of their comfort dogs, a team of trained K-9s that help consul survivors or those affected by disasters.

Karen Conklin, executive director of the Red Cross Lake to River Chapter, says a big part of their work is with the Armed Forces as the only organization authorized by the Department of Defense to locate a soldier anywhere in the world.

“We provide healing and comfort,” said Conklin. “We provide assistance. We have mental health counselors, the Red Cross does. A lot of people don’t realize that’s what we do. We’re here on this base for deployments and homecomings, and they’re a part of our every day work.”

Base personnel, Red Cross representatives, local media and approximately 100 community guests gathered in a staging area near the fire department training center. After opening remarks by Red Cross board members and 910th leaders, 910th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department Chief Anthony Wells radioed his unit to begin the exercise. A moment later, the large mock training apparatus, which simulates four types of aircraft, was engulfed in flames.

The fire department reacted, rolling into the area with several response vehicles and spraying the fire with truck-mounted water cannons. A handful of firefighters approached the apparatus to locate and extract simulated victims, while others disembarked the trucks to battle the blaze on foot. Observers applauded as the fire department extinguished the flames and pulled the simulated victims to safety.

After the demonstration, guests had the opportunity to walk through the smoke house, a modular building that can be filled with simulated smoke to represent a structural fire. Attendees also toured the Emergency Operations Center, which serves as a command and information focal point for disaster response, and the Emergency Family Assistance Center, which provides an environment for military families affected by disasters to acquire assistance and care.

Feel the Heat is a product of the Air Force Community Partnership Program, which began here in June 2014.