AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --
Firefighters from
the 31st Civil Engineer Squadron will participate in Rescue Technician One
training to further improve their operational capabilities, from July 25 to
Aug. 12, here.
Instructors from the 435th Construction and
Training Squadron from Ramstein Air Base, Germany are conducting a 15-day
course, which includes classroom and hands-on training on different rescue
techniques.
"During the course we are teaching
low-angle, high-angle and confined-space rescue," explained Tech. Sgt.
Justin Hrusovsky, 435th CTS NCO in charge of fire rescue and contingency
training. “By the end of the course the Airmen will know how to maneuver in
small spaces, and secure and remove patients during emergencies."
According to Hrusovsky, the course
offers information on how to construct systems for rappelling when extracting
patients or hauling heavy loads from inaccessible areas.
“Aviano is
geographically located near mountains—you never know if you’re going to get
called off base to help someone," he explained. "The Air
Force also has confined-space missions at almost every base. We teach our
students how to access a hole that may be two feet by two feet, crawl around,
package the patient and remove them from a small space."
Students have already
noted the benefits of the course, though it still in progress.
"This class will
help prepare me to do all I can when an incident happens," said Airman Ryan Neuville, 31st CES fire protection apprentice. “If
we were are called to assisst victims during an accident, I am confident we will play our part to help each patient."
Each student will have
to pass five written tests and 23 performance tests to earn the Rescue
Technician One national certification. Once completed, Team Aviano’s
firefighters will be better prepared to help the local and Wyvern community in
times of emergency.