Norfolk firefighters train at RAF Mildenhall

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  As the aircraft fire raged, sirens sounded as blue and white warning lights flashed and a huge U.S. fire truck roared up on scene. Turning on the truck’s water cannons, British and American firefighters quickly extinguished the flames before refilling their water supply ready for the next battle.

Although this aircraft fire was simulated, the training is vital in preparing firefighters for a real-world scenario.

Firefighters from Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service visited the 100th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department June 26 to gain familiarization training with RAF Mildenhall’s KC-135 Stratotankers, in addition to learning different tactics used for aircraft response firefighting by training with a live-fire trainer.

The majority of the Norfolk firefighters were full-time recruits at the end of their intensive training course. They said it was a valuable training opportunity to ensure their crew are prepared to support their U.S. Air Force and Defence Fire Service colleagues if and when required, should they ever have to respond to an aircraft crash off base.

“It’s good to be able to use your facilities – we don’t have anything like this, so it gives us an appreciation for what goes on at international airports, and an insight into worst-case scenarios,” said Terry Pinto, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service learning and development watch manager at Bowthorpe Training and Development Centre in Norfolk.

“This visit has resulted in shared techniques which allows us to learn from each other through best practice,” Pinto said. “We’re doing the same job but with a fence between us. Being able to share facilities offers a real benefit to our crew.”

A mutual aid agreement between RAF Mildenhall and the community means U.S. Air Force emergency responders are able to assist in emergencies off base when required, and local first responders can offer help on base. The British first-responders would also usually be first on scene to any incident that happened off base. In order for each to be knowledgeable on the others’ areas of expertise, each fire department can offer different training to benefit both parties.

“In the past, there have been aircraft that have crashed away from the installation which would require host nation support and resources,” said Tech. Sgt. Kyle Houseman, 100th CES Fire Department assistant chief for training, fire emergency services. “It’s important to know what resources are available to RAF Mildenhall, and it’s just as important for the host nation to know what resources are available to them if the need arises.

“The host nation fire stations offer instruction including incident command training and emergency vehicle advanced drivers’ training, and we can offer them training on aircraft and aircraft response firefighting capabilities that they will not have access to without Air Force assistance,” Houseman added. “There were aspects of the training that most host nation fire departments will not receive anywhere else based on our flying mission. We gave them thorough training on our KC-135 aircraft and the recruits were able to train on our fire trucks, utilizing the roof and bumper turrets while modulating to knock down exterior aircraft fires and creating rescue paths for would-be passengers exiting the aircraft.

“The most beneficial part is effective communication and being able to network and accomplish the mission more effectively,” he said.