Group commander takes on burn trainer

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Frank Casciotta
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  As water, smoke and steam burst from a window of the burning building, Col. Christopher Daniels mans a fire hose.

The building is called a structural burn trainer and Daniels, the 71st Mission Support Group commander, suited up with Vance Air Force Base firefighters Aug. 29 to get a first-hand look at what they do.

"It's hot," said Daniels as he exited the building, removing his fire-fighting gear and wiping sweat off his forehead. "You really gain a new appreciation for what these brave men and women do."

Daniels learned two firefighting techniques. Hydraulic ventilation and indirect fire attack.

Hydraulic ventilation is what it sounds like - using water from the hose to ventilate the room. The water will push out heat, smoke and steam when fired out a window, said Richard Huffstatler, the training chief for the Vance Fire Department.

"An indirect fire attack uses steam to put out a fire - usually in a confined space like today," said Huffstatler. "We spray above the fire to let the steam do the work. If you spray water directly at a fire in a confined space all the layers of heat above you will come down and the situation becomes much more dangerous."

The three-story burn trainer is outfitted with a specialized coating to make the building hotter - up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit during training.

Although it looks like it might belong in a horror movie, the training building is a tremendous asset to the firefighters at Vance.

To ignite fires in the building firefighters use a hay-like wood fiber product called excelsior.

Firefighters can practice forced entry procedures for multi-room, multi-floor and confined space fires within the building. They can also train in rappelling down the side of the building.

"It's important for our firefighters to keep their proficiency and hone their skills," said Hilda Moses, the Vance Fire Department chief. "These exercises help build the reserve memory banks and critical thinking skills of our firefighters. We try to get out here a minimum of twice a year."