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Four new firefighters with the Nebraska Air National Guard Base Fire Department receive training on Aircraft Rescue Firefighter (ARFF) operations, Aug. 26, 2020, at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb. Since firefighter schools closed for COVID-19 concerns, the Nebraska Air National Guard decided to conduct the required training on its own in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base for the newly-hired firefighters.
(Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. R Denise Mommens)VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 17Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Four new firefighters with the Nebraska Air National Guard Base Fire Department receive training on Aircraft Rescue Firefighter (ARFF) operations, Aug. 26, 2020, at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb. Since firefighter schools closed for COVID-19 concerns, the Nebraska Air National Guard decided to conduct the required training on its own in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base for the newly-hired firefighters.
(Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. R Denise Mommens)VIEW ORIGINAL3 / 17Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Four new state firefighters with the Nebraska Air National Guard Base Fire Department receive required training on ladder operations, Aug. 24, 2020, at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb. Since firefighter schools closed for COVID-19 concerns, the Nebraska Air National Guard decided to conduct the required training on its own in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base for the newly-hired firefighters.
(Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. R Denise Mommens)VIEW ORIGINAL4 / 17Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Five new firefighters with the Nebraska Air National Guard base Fire Department receive required training on ladder operations, at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb, Aug. 24, 2020. Since firefighter schools closed for COVID-19 concerns, the guard conducted the required training for the newly-hired firefighters locally in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base.
(Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. R Denise Mommens)VIEW ORIGINAL5 / 17Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Firefighters from the Nebraska Air National Guard train their newly hired state employee firefighters from June to September locally in Lincoln and Omaha due to schools being closed due to COVID-19 concerns. Firefighter Helmut colors identify the status of firefighters: yellow for trainees, black for firefighters and red for captains.
(Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. R Denise Mommens)VIEW ORIGINAL6 / 17Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Five new state firefighters with the Nebraska Air National Guard Base Fire Department train on vehicle extrication at the Lincoln Airpark in Lincoln, Neb., July 2, 2020. Since firefighter schools closed for COVID-19 concerns, the Nebraska Air National Guard decided to conduct the required training on its own in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base for the newly-hired firefighters.
(Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. R Denise Mommens)VIEW ORIGINAL7 / 17Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Five new state firefighters with the Nebraska Air National Guard Base Fire Department train on vehicle entry and fire safety, at the Lincoln Airpark, July 1, 2020, in Lincoln, Neb. Since firefighter schools closed for COVID-19 concerns, the Nebraska Air National Guard decided to conduct the required training on its own in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base for the newly-hired firefighters.
(Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. R Denise Mommens)VIEW ORIGINAL8 / 17Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Offutt Air Force Base Fire Department Firefighter, Brent Bergstrom, advises new firefighters with the Nebraska Air National Guard Base Fire Department during training on Aircraft Rescue Firefighter (ARFF) operations, Aug. 26, 2020, at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb. Since firefighter schools closed for COVID-19 concerns, the Nebraska Air National Guard decided to conduct the required training on its own in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base for the newly-hired firefighters.
(Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. R Denise Mommens)VIEW ORIGINAL9 / 17Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Four new firefighters with the Nebraska Air National Guard Base Fire Department receive training on Aircraft Rescue Firefighter (ARFF) operations, Aug. 26, 2020, at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb. Since firefighter schools closed for COVID-19 concerns, the Nebraska Air National Guard decided to conduct the required training on its own in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base for the newly-hired firefighters.
(Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. R Denise Mommens)VIEW ORIGINAL10 / 17Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Four new firefighters with the Nebraska Air National Guard base Fire Department receive training on Aircraft Rescue Firefighter (ARFF) operations, Aug. 26, 2020, at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb. Since firefighter schools closed for COVID-19 concerns, the Nebraska Air National Guard decided to conduct the required training on its own in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base for the newly-hired firefighters.
(Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. R Denise Mommens)VIEW ORIGINAL11 / 17Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Four new firefighters with the Nebraska Air National Guard base Fire Department receive training on Aircraft Rescue Firefighter (ARFF) operations, Aug. 26, 2020, at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb. Since firefighter schools closed for COVID-19 concerns, the Nebraska Air National Guard decided to conduct the required training on its own in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base for the newly-hired firefighters.
(Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. R Denise Mommens)VIEW ORIGINAL12 / 17Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Four new firefighters with the Nebraska Air National Guard base Fire Department receive training on Aircraft Rescue Firefighter (ARFF) operations, Aug. 26, 2020, at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb. Since firefighter schools closed for COVID-19 concerns, the Nebraska Air National Guard decided to conduct the required training on its own in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base for the newly-hired firefighters.
(Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. R Denise Mommens)VIEW ORIGINAL13 / 17Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Four new firefighters with the Nebraska Air National Guard base Fire Department receive training on Aircraft Rescue Firefighter (ARFF) operations, Aug. 26, 2020, at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb. Since firefighter schools closed for COVID-19 concerns, the Nebraska Air National Guard decided to conduct the required training on its own in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base for the newly-hired firefighters.
(Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. R Denise Mommens)VIEW ORIGINAL14 / 17Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Hayden Huenink and Rob Rector, two of the five newly-hired firefighters with the Nebraska Air National Guard Base Fire Department receive training on rescue operations, Aug. 25, 2020, at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb. Since firefighter schools closed for COVID-19 concerns, the Nebraska Air National Guard decided to conduct the required training on its own in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base for the newly-hired firefighters.
(Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. R Denise Mommens)VIEW ORIGINAL15 / 17Show Caption +Hide Caption –
(From left) Jesse Rood, Hayden Huenick and Rob Rector, three of the five new firefighters with the Nebraska Air National Guard Base Fire Department receive required training on rescue operations, Aug. 25, 2020, at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb. Since firefighter schools closed for COVID-19 concerns, the Nebraska Air National Guard decided to conduct the required training on its own in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base for the newly-hired firefighters.
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Four new state firefighters with the Nebraska Air National Guard base Fire Department receive required training on ladder operations, Aug. 24, 2020, at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb. Since firefighter schools closed for COVID-19 concerns, the Nebraska Air National Guard decided to conduct the required training on its own in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base for the newly-hired firefighters.
(Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. R Denise Mommens)VIEW ORIGINAL17 / 17Show Caption +Hide Caption –
Jesse Rood and Rob Rector, two of the five newly-hired firefighters with the Nebraska Air National Guard Base Fire Department receive training on vertical ventilation, Aug. 24, 2020, at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb. Since firefighter schools closed for COVID-19 concerns, the Nebraska Air National Guard decided to conduct the required training on its own in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base for the newly-hired firefighters.
(Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. R Denise Mommens)VIEW ORIGINAL
LINCOLN, Neb. – The COVID-19 pandemic has curtailed or closed formal firefighting schools, making it difficult for the Nebraska Air Guard Base Fire Department to fill openings as members deployed, retired or transferred to new jobs.
So, members of the fire department decided to try a novel approach to solving the problem: Instead of waiting for the formal firefighting schools to reopen, they would train their own.
According to Bruce Craig, Nebraska Air National Guard Fire Department assistant chief, by training newly hired firefighters locally in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base, they were able to meet the critical shortage of trained and qualified firefighters, while also giving them the crucial training they need to respond to aviation emergencies and their many other duties.
"The amount of people out on the streets to be able to do this job with prerequisites, (those) numbers were way down," said Craig before a three-day progressive training at Offutt Air Force Base Aug. 24-26. "So we opened it up with no prerequisites."
Typically, Craig said, there are requirements a potential Nebraska Air Guard firefighter must meet before being hired. For example, selected individuals normally have already attended firefighter schools or they are sent to a formal school shortly after being hired. The coronavirus, however, forced schools to limit the number of students who could attend, or they canceled courses altogether.
"With schools being closed, we are having to teach them to be a firefighter," Craig said. This training includes vehicle extrication, putting on protective gear, correct ladder techniques, licensing on various vehicles and how to rescue people trapped in a building or an aircraft fire.
"Our fires are usually hotter for the most part because a fuel fire is hotter than regular combustible material fire," Craig said. Base firefighters must know how to deal with hazardous materials and have emergency medical response training to help people injured in such fires.
Probably the most important skill, though, is the ability to know how to quickly and accurately respond to an aircraft fire, Craig said.
"We respond out onto an airfield. We don't have hydrants out there, so our distance for hydrants are a lot larger," he said. "Most of our trucks carry large quantities of water," along with special fire-retardant material "because we fight fuel fires."
According to the new firefighters, the training has been a great way to learn under realistic conditions.
"Everything that has to do with the aircraft, engines, the fuel, makes it a bigger challenge, which makes it more exciting," said Rob Rector, one of the five new firefighters. "There is that element of aircraft and being on base that makes it a little different."
"We have different instructors every day," said Adam Braun. "Our overall task here is you make sure the airplanes on the runways coming in, if they have any emergencies, we are the first responders."
Craig said there was a second advantage to conducting the firefighting training. While teaching the new firefighters, the more experienced team members had to relearn some skills as well.
"It gave us a huge opportunity to get people that were already here back to the basics by allowing them to instruct it," said Craig. "They really had to get back into it, get back to the basics to teach the basics."
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