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Show pporting firefighting aircraft J 4,'rT !. rx' . y v a Nl 1 A.t s., j; ' y! y jhj 4 j x rv, 44 t.WW II., ,v; w4 4v, '' iIf S.ib , iv Photo by Tech. Sgt. Tracy Hancock Suit The suit allows firefighters use the buddy system while testing the fighters to safely battle fires at close proximity in a chemical warfare environment. Hill re fire- Hill 'perfect location ' for suit test J-Fi-re by Mary Galbraith Hilltop Times a above, are equipped with two large manifolds that can drop 3,000 gallons of fire retardant in five seconds. The retardant adheres to any surface it comes in contact with, so ground-crew- s spray off residue after each drop.. 44 $ agents. The new Suit is an Explohazsive Ordnance Disposal-leve- l ardous materiel suit. Before the new suit was developed, firefighters wore the, same re i K Hill AFB served as a test site for revolutionary fire suit that will permit commanders to save the most critical buildings during an ing. attack scenario while firefighters With the new suit we can remain protected from chemical interior fire and still be safe fight from Photos by Mary Galbraith and Senior Airman Brian Christian j.'; staff chemical warfare ensemble as every- one else. That limited their ability to respond to accidents or fires involving hydrazine (an 6 emergency fuel) because old suit filters didnt protect them from the fuel. Firefighters were also limited to fighting building fires from outside because they werent able to wear suits over the chemical gear. The problem was compounded by older chemical warfare masks, which often melted under intense heat. With design of a new suit, firefighters, can now enter a building and fight fire in some of the most intense areas while in chemical warfare ensemble. Chief Master Sgt. Joe Rivera, the Fire Protection Program Manager from the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency headquartered at Tyndall AFB, Fla., was on base to provide training and support for the firefighters testing the new suits. Rivera said Hill was a perfect test location because of the large team of 75th Air Base Wing and 419th Fighter Squadron firefighters. Rivera also said they wanted to test the suits in a dry climate. Its likely the suits will be used in a desert environment, which made testing during a Utah heat wave the ideal environment. During testing, temperatures reached 104 helping firefighters measure their physical limits while fully equipped in the gear. Rivera said the base supported F-1- fire-fighti- .yy s"' FIRE FACTS ill in Utah rC burning over ve keen 1.477 recorded ) acres. yes. Across the country reSur4r ,000 reported fires, ear more than double lingcloset been placed on all en-yeh- tags ltr Utah. Stage II prohibits onalF.r', developed campground ! campy ying, except within an ecreaty ' a developed recreation osed veW a cleared of flammable Charcoal orvyyiameter. at bri-eri- al looped campgrounds or ttesareP eatioO ie vA M Staged daily: tiesfre1' tk nicatiyra 011 the number unts rtate s they, per-- f eres always a fresh aboatera People will make continue. His unit deployment, so oieed ree or our rotations inirea Kelly yefafi AyvAv YWIWsAS't A l, For - 1 ; ' ' . s Ij ' ' s , t t, c:. ' 1 !or visit information, fire,, www.blm.govutahfireutflre.html. 7 updated . 'ying to work in with them a while hen we were and what QSsthefT everyone got comdo'11 Les here understood pere and that we needed 'WqffVWY Operating a chainsaw or motorized equipment for any purpose. Operating motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails. Using explosives, blasting, welding, or any other activities which generate flam or flammable material. This restriction does not change the travel management policy on the Uinta National Forest which permits motorized vehicles on designated roads and trails only. The restriction is in effect for the Ashley, Dixie, Uinta, and Wasatch-Cach- e Fishlake, Manti-LaSaNational Forests until further notice. Any violation of this order is punishable by a fine oF not more than $5,000 andor imprisonment for not more than six months. , r i day 10 & iwr , Prohibits the following ori0?ns 'Myy' ff Str'MS t V '' i- - r , , net at the tanker basej MAFFS pilots follow a lead Forest Service plane and always drop on the backside of a mountain so they can use downward momentum to their advantage. Kelly said the combination of the planes weight and Utahs altitude and heat pushes the aircrafts limits each time they takeoff. In fact, the plane takes 6 off with the pair of manifolds that drop the is in case the dant hanging out the back forced to rapidly drop its weight, As of Aug 23, 2000, the Forest Service has recorded 70,000 fires, which have charred over 5,700,000 acres. Burned acreage is more than double the 10 year average. . retar-raP5611- C-1- 30 new suit will eventually be introduced Air Force wide. For now, its being shipped to overseas units first. Once the manufacture catches up with production, stateside bases will receive the suits and begin train- ng his agency 1,000 percent. He added that although Hill firefighters had long hot days, there was never a bit of complaint. Tech. Sgt. Jeff Beck supervised testHills participation in the well. The went and it felt very ing re the biological and chemical threats, he said. Several Hill firefighters equipped in the Suit tested a new conre tamination control area system. Beck said wherrfirefighters leave an area where they may have been exposed to a chemical agent, they enter a zone set aside for removing their gear and preventing contamination. He said the old system had 14 stations versus the new systems four stations. Its easier to use for everybody. Its specifically designed for . We learned how well the suit was going to work, said Beck. During Phase II testing, the firefighters came up with some new procedures and pointed out the systems strengths and weaknesses. Six participants spent a week in the suit. Active duty participants were Staff Sgt. Lorenzo Williams and Staff Sgt. Virgil Jones and Beck. Sandy Cooper, the 419th Fighter Squadron reserve fire chief said her people were excited at the opportunity to do a practical study of the suits. Master Sgt. Nolan Smith, Tech. Sgt. Kevin Parsons and Staff Sgt. Brad Tippetts were some of the Reservists who helped with testing. Beck said while fully dressed in the system, they were sprayed with a substance that glows in the dark to simulate a potential hazardous materiel. After going through the four-ste- p system and removing the suit, firefighters walked under a black light to see if theyd been contaminated. Beck said they were IJ-Fi- clean almost every time, and proved re the system worked. The suit is not only effective, its much more comfortable than its predecessor. The suit as worn normally is actually much lighter weight than the chemical warfare suit we currently wear, said Beck. Its like a BDU. So, in a desert environment for fire folks, wearing the JLIST its actu- See Suits, page 18 |
