FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- Pushing through the burning aircraft, the three-man crew works together to steady the hose. The noise from the burning aircraft is deafening, making situational awareness the difference between life and death.
As the flames lick up the sides of the cockpit, the only thing between them and the unbearable heat is their personal protective equipment. On this day, the goal is not only to put out the fire, but to familiarize themselves with the differences between aircraft fires and what they are trained to fight -- structural fires.
Fort Campbell's fire and emergency services conducted Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting training at Campbell Army Airfield with firefighters from the Clarksville and Hopkinsville Fire Departments Monday through Wednesday.
The CH-47 Chinook simulator used to train Fort Campbell and area firefighters can simulate a fire in the cockpit and two fires in the rear of the aircraft, one in the passenger compartment and one in the cargo compartment. There is also an area outside the aircraft which simulates a ground fire.
While the training aid resembles a Chinook, Donny Plaster, assistant chief of training, said the training scenarios change often so the firefighters gain firefighting knowledge on the different types of aircraft.
"We have a set of SOPs that dictate how we respond to an aircraft," said Plaster. "Every aircraft is different -- fixed wing is on the left hand side, rotary wind is on the right hand side."
Plaster said helicopter blades can be problematic when firefighters approach an aircraft to put out a fire. The simulation helps them train to be aware of these issues.
"If this was running, we would approach from the side and make our way in through the rear," Plaster said. "It's always best to approach an aircraft from a 90-degree angle … to keep from getting hit by the rotor blades."
Weapons and munitions can also be an issue, especially when dealing with the AH-64D Apache Longbow. This helicopter has an M230 chain gun attached to the front controlled by the pilot's helmet display, which aims the gun wherever the pilot is looking.
"If you have a crew inside the aircraft and they are assisting the pilot with getting out and he has his helmet on and the gun is moving around up front … if you have a crew up front, the gun could swing around and hit your legs," Plaster said.
These are only a few differences between aircraft and structural fires. With aircraft from various military units flying over Fort Campbell and the surrounding areas, joint ARFF training is critical.
Lieutenant David Stokes, Clarksville Fire Station 7, attended the joint training because Clarksville Fire Rescue does not have an aircraft simulator.
"We have a burn building, but it's not as elaborate as this -- this simulator is great and it's something we need," he said.
The added benefits of hands-on training verses reading about it or watching a training video are immeasurable, Stokes said.
"You get the feel of how hot it is, and we got to know that because you don't want to go in there and get into something unexpected," he said. "This is still simulation, but it's still more realistic."
Fort Campbell's fire and emergency services has a mutual aid agreement with every fire department, every jurisdiction that touches Fort Campbell, said Kevin Falsetto, deputy fire chief.
"These helicopters don't just fly over Fort Campbell, so we want to make sure the surrounding communities are familiar with the different aircraft and aircraft fire fighting procedures because there is some differences between these different hazards -- it isn't a house fire," Falsetto said.
Lieutenant Jay Carr, Hopkinsville Fire Department Station 1, agrees with Falsetto and said they see helicopters fly over Hopkinsville all the time, which makes this training important.
"If Fort Campbell ever calls us … we will know how to fight fire the way they do, we know their equipment … everybody's on the same page," Carr said. "Same thing here -- if they have something big, we have a lot more structural firefighting experience."
Building good relationships throughout the community and surrounding fire departments through mutual training is important and it benefits the communities both on and off the installation, said Falsetto.
"I don't believe that anybody I pick up the phone to call for help would say no," Falsetto said. "If there is something going on, if something bad is happening, I know no matter which fire department I reach out to they are going to show up, and they are going to show up in force.
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