BLACKFIVE: Firefight - Army Reserve Firemen

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Firefight - Army Reserve Firemen

Posted By Blackfive

"Like all soldiers, we’re watching each other’s backs. We’re like firefighters anywhere – most people don’t really think about us until something happens … then we’re there."

Tough job - an Army Reserve Fireman on active duty in Iraq - to fight a fire inside a M1A2 Main Battle Tank with a full combat load. Aside from the Explosive tank rounds, the .50 cal and 7.62mm rounds cooking off, you have an intense fire to fight. Then, there's the fact that you are outside the wire in Iraq, a target of opportunity for the terrorists...

Fire Outside the Wire By Master Sgt. Jack Gordon
LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, BALAD, Iraq September 7, 2004) -- As the first notes of the fire alert sound from the ERC’s (Emergency Response Center) horn, firefighters react – newspapers and magazines about “life back in the other world” are dropped, conversations stop in mid-sentence, soldiers suit-up into firefighting gear and the engine in the fire truck of the 475 th Engineer Detachment … starts. Within sixty seconds after the alarm has sounded, the truck exits the door.

“While we were in route we were getting information about the ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) of the EOD (Explosives-Ordnance Detachment) and QRF (Quick Response Force),” said Sgt. Jamel Linzey, 475 th Eng. Det., from Creston , Iowa .
<...>
After learning more about the nature of the emergency – an M1 Abrams Tank had caught fire while being towed outside of Anaconda’s perimeter -- Linzey knew the firefighting team would have to await the additional support required.

As soon as the soldiers towing the unoccupied tank noticed it smoking, they wisely abandoned the tow vehicle. Both tanks contained full combat loads of high explosive rounds, as well as 50 caliber and 7.62 rounds.

“We had to wait on EOD because the rounds were cooking off,” Linzey said, “and we needed the QRF because we were going outside the wire.” The current threat in Iraq dictates any and all activity outside a U.S. or Coalition compound must be supported by an appropriately measured force protection team. The QRF teams respond to potential threats and force protection situations local to their assigned posts.

“We could see the dense black smoke and hear the explosions,” Linzey said. After the QRF arrived, they sandwiched the ERC’s response elements – the fire truck (pumper), the water resupply tanker and the medical support van -- for safer movement to the site about 500 meters outside the north gate. Two Cobra rotary wing gun ships circled overhead, prepared to employ fire support if necessary while also providing aerial reconnaissance.

For today’s Army, the practical theory, intent and mindset of firefighting in a military uniform is no different from fighting a fire back home, so the soldiers’ attitudes don’t vary much from the center.

“The two things we always do are save lives and protect property. We knew that there wasn’t a life safety issue here, so we kicked into the preserve mode,” Linzey said. “We had two tanks – one towing the other, with the towed tank involved (on fire). The point of contact from the 81 st Brigade requested we save the first tank, so that’s what we did.”

“We had to re-size the scene three times,” said Sgt. Dwayne Lizama. “We did an initial knockdown, then a surround and drown. We were able to use the lead tank as cover and protection as the rounds were cooking off in the towed tank. Then … we unhitched them.”

Lizama said the possibility of the rounds cooking off inside the tank posed a significant threat that forced the team to retreat twice during the course of the event, but after EOD confirmed the positioning and direction of the ammunition load, they were able to approach from the front. The impact rounds were all facing out and to the rear.

The unit’s Fire Chief, Staff Sgt. Richard Diephuis, said that he is proud of his soldier-firefighters and how they approach their duties and responsibilities in keeping Anaconda a fire-free zone.

A fire inside Anaconda’s perimeter is challenging enough, given that the soldiers are layered in protective clothing that insulates them from fire, but also raises the body’s core temperature significantly, especially during sustained periods of exertion. Add on physical demands and the stress of fighting a fire strategically and safely with an unseen enemy who may decide to engage you with small arms fire or casually lob in a mortar, and you have a recipe for real danger. But these soldiers don’t blink … they respond...

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September 15, 2004 • Permalink
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"Like all soldiers, we’re watching each other’s backs. We’re like firefighters anywhere – most people don’t really think about us until something happens … then we’re there."

Fire Outside the Wire By Master Sgt. Jack Gordon
LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, BALAD, Iraq September 7, 2004) -- As the first notes of the fire alert sound from the ERC’s (Emergency Response Center) horn, firefighters react – newspapers and magazines about “life back in the other world” are dropped, conversations stop in mid-sentence, soldiers suit-up into firefighting gear and the engine in the fire truck of the 475 th Engineer Detachment … starts. Within sixty seconds after the alarm has sounded, the truck exits the door.

“While we were in route we were getting information about the ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) of the EOD (Explosives-Ordnance Detachment) and QRF (Quick Response Force),” said Sgt. Jamel Linzey, 475 th Eng. Det., from Creston , Iowa .
<...>
After learning more about the nature of the emergency – an M1 Abrams Tank had caught fire while being towed outside of Anaconda’s perimeter -- Linzey knew the firefighting team would have to await the additional support required.

As soon as the soldiers towing the unoccupied tank noticed it smoking, they wisely abandoned the tow vehicle. Both tanks contained full combat loads of high explosive rounds, as well as 50 caliber and 7.62 rounds.

“We had to wait on EOD because the rounds were cooking off,” Linzey said, “and we needed the QRF because we were going outside the wire.” The current threat in Iraq dictates any and all activity outside a U.S. or Coalition compound must be supported by an appropriately measured force protection team. The QRF teams respond to potential threats and force protection situations local to their assigned posts.

“We could see the dense black smoke and hear the explosions,” Linzey said. After the QRF arrived, they sandwiched the ERC’s response elements – the fire truck (pumper), the water resupply tanker and the medical support van -- for safer movement to the site about 500 meters outside the north gate. Two Cobra rotary wing gun ships circled overhead, prepared to employ fire support if necessary while also providing aerial reconnaissance.

For today’s Army, the practical theory, intent and mindset of firefighting in a military uniform is no different from fighting a fire back home, so the soldiers’ attitudes don’t vary much from the center.

“The two things we always do are save lives and protect property. We knew that there wasn’t a life safety issue here, so we kicked into the preserve mode,” Linzey said. “We had two tanks – one towing the other, with the towed tank involved (on fire). The point of contact from the 81 st Brigade requested we save the first tank, so that’s what we did.”

“We had to re-size the scene three times,” said Sgt. Dwayne Lizama. “We did an initial knockdown, then a surround and drown. We were able to use the lead tank as cover and protection as the rounds were cooking off in the towed tank. Then … we unhitched them.”

Lizama said the possibility of the rounds cooking off inside the tank posed a significant threat that forced the team to retreat twice during the course of the event, but after EOD confirmed the positioning and direction of the ammunition load, they were able to approach from the front. The impact rounds were all facing out and to the rear.

The unit’s Fire Chief, Staff Sgt. Richard Diephuis, said that he is proud of his soldier-firefighters and how they approach their duties and responsibilities in keeping Anaconda a fire-free zone.

A fire inside Anaconda’s perimeter is challenging enough, given that the soldiers are layered in protective clothing that insulates them from fire, but also raises the body’s core temperature significantly, especially during sustained periods of exertion. Add on physical demands and the stress of fighting a fire strategically and safely with an unseen enemy who may decide to engage you with small arms fire or casually lob in a mortar, and you have a recipe for real danger. But these soldiers don’t blink … they respond...