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Firefighters stand by for air show action

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Christopher S. Stoltz
  • Air University Public Affairs
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. --  Maxwell Air Force Base firefighters stood ready to answer and respond to any incident during the "Thunder Over Alabama" air show March 27 and 28.

Fire Chief Lee E. Anderson, who is charge of readiness for the base's fire department, spent months preparing his team with a series of base exercises.

The exercises consisted of sporadic "emergency" events where the firefighters had to respond with speed and precision. These events varied, ranging from simulated plane crashes where the firefighters have to eliminate the flames from a fake accident scene, to assisting simulated air show patrons with medical assistance.

The firefighters even had the chance to learn about all of the aircraft participating in the air show. Pilots and crew taught the firefighters each aircraft's vital entry and exit points so they may extract injured pilots if an accident were to happen. They even learned how to shut down the airplane if needed.

Before the Maxwell air show, Chief Warrant Officer Five Dan Mordarski, aviation operations officer for the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team, showed the firefighters the Golden Knights airplane and how to help in an emergency.

"The firefighters are critical to our mission," Chief Mordarski said. "I know we do air shows every year, and we just take it for granted that if something happens they will be there to protect us."

Thanks to their busy training schedule leading up to these events, the pilots know if an accident were to happen they would be in good hands.

Chief Anderson said the incredible amount of training the firefighters receive allows them to respond and handle any accident in a matter of seconds, increasing the chance to save lives.

Christopher Taylor, a Maxwell-Gunter firefighter, said though the training may be stressful, he still loves his job and the satisfaction of knowing he protects others.

"I love my job," Mr. Taylor said. "Every day I can be called upon to save someone's life. It's just the greatest job in the world."