Airmen from the 163d Reconnaissance Wing partnered with the CAL FIRE / Riverside County Fire Department Hazardous Material Response Team to train their skills on responding to a hazardous materials incident at March ARB, Calif., September 17-18, 2014. Fire Capt. Sean Sunahara and Fire Apparatus Engineer Andrew Kibby were the instructors for the course. They trained 16 Airmen, including personnel from the 163rd Civil Engineering Squadron, the 144th Fighter Wing, and Bio Environmental personnel from the 163rd Medical Group, the 452 Mission Support Group, and the 752 Medical Squadron. The first day of training covered First Responder Operations, training participants to respond to releases or potential releases of hazardous substances as part of an initial response. Trainees learned how to protect nearby persons, property, or the environment from the effects of a hazmat release by responding in a defensive fashion without actually trying to stop the release, containing it from a safe distance, keeping it from spreading and preventing new exposures. The training was diverse, combining in-class lecture, group activities, hands-on exercises and a written exam. Day two covered the principles of decontamination, how to set up a decontamination corridor as well as how to don and doff chemical protective clothing. All trainees were able to obtain CSTI certifications as a result, pushing through the final exam fully suited in their protective gear while enduring the sweltering southern California heat. The experience was particularly memorable for Airman First Class Michelle Gomez, Emergency Management Specialist, 163 RW. “You cant control when an incident occurs,” said Gomez. It could be in the dead of summer or on a rainy day. I think thats why this training is so valuable; in the event something happened, this would be something I’d actually be doing- decontaminating base personnel and ultimately saving lives.” The National Guard, Airman Magazine, Air National Guard, Air National Guard Director, Chief Mitch Brush, Command Chief Master Sergeant of the Air National Guard, General Frank J. Grass, United States Air Force
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 22:27:09 +0000
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