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Firefighters learn rescue techniques while building partnerships

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Holly Mansfield
  • 81st Training Wing Public Affairs
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Keesler Air Force Base hosted a three-week fire rescue course Jan. 26. to Feb. 13  in which members from the Keesler, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. and Gulfport Naval Construction Battalion Center fire departments learned about different types of fire rescues such as rappelling and confined-space techniques.

"The first week of class, we started with the basics like rope rescue," said Tech. Sgt. Aaron Brackett, an instructor at the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas "We start with tying knots and go all the way to building anchors and mechanical advantages. From there, we get into rappelling. We start them out on the wall. We take those basics and build from them. From Week 1 all the way to the end of Week 3, we continue to build on that foundation."

The academy instructors are part of a mobile training unit that travels to bases across the country and teaches fire rescue classes to different fire departments.

"It was a really awesome opportunity to go through the course," said Senior Airman Aaron White, 81st Infrastructure Division driver operator.

The students not only learned rescue techniques, but also how to work and solve problems with other firefighters from different fire departments. During the training, the students were put through different types of rescue scenarios and had to collaborate quickly as a team to accomplish the mission.

"It's a great feeling to get a class of 10 to 12 students who haven't really worked together and show them the basics to bring them together as one," said Brackett. "By the time we leave here, they are working together as a nice efficient team and a group of people who can execute any mission we put in front of them."

For White, knowing he would be rappelling down the side of a building made him anxious, but enthusiastic. With the help of his classmates and instructors, he knew he was ready to accomplish any task thrown at him.

"When I heard I was going to be going through this course, I was excited and nervous at the same time," said White. "I was excited about the opportunity to get advanced training, but let's be honest -- not everyone likes going to the top of a building and jumping off. I was a little nervous about that, but once we started going and getting comfortable with the equipment, I wasn't nervous anymore.

"The training definitely helped me be ready for any kind of rescue response we might have here," he added. "We have high-angle water towers and confined space. It helps us be ready for that type of response."
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