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Airmen train firefighter managers, Iraqis graduate

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Tim Beckham
  • U.S. Air Forces Central, Baghdad Media Outreach Team
SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq --  The Iraqi air force took another step toward becoming more independent Feb. 4, this time in the form of firefighting capability, thanks to the joint training effort from the U.S. Air Force, the Iraqi air force and the Army National Guard.

Seventeen civilian defense and Iraqi air force members graduated from the 10-day long firefighter's managerial course, where they learned the skills necessary to run the day-to-day operations of a firehouse as well as leading teams of firemen.

"We cover general fire management, safety precaution, fire inspection, fire investigation and incident management system," said Tech. Sgt. Brian Partido, 821st Basic Technical Training Squadron Coalition Air Force Training fire rescue advisor, deployed from the 19th Civil Engineer Squadron in Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.

The course, which is taught by two U.S. Air Force members, one Army National Guardsmen, five Iraqi civil defense employees and one Iraqi air force member, consist of much of the same training firemen go through back in the U.S.

"It's similar in respect that we have multiple agencies working together to pull their ideas and share information," said Sergeant Partido. "It also resembles our training because it is taught at the international fire service accreditation level."

The class, which was the first of its kind, consisted of 10 civil defense Iraqi civilians and seven Iraqi air force members and was important, according to Sergeant Partido, for senior leaders to lead more efficiently.

"The significance of the class is to enable the senior leadership of the fire department to be effective managers, leaders and supervisors during fire emergencies," he said. "This is the first time the civil defense and Iraqi air force have ever had training like this in country, they typically outsource this type of training."

The Iraqi firefighter's senior leaders aren't the only ones receiving training. The basic firefighters also receive a 60-day hands-on-course.

"We have mirrored this course to reflect the exact same of what we do at the Department of Defense Fire Academy at Goodfellow AFB, Texas," said Tech. Sgt. J.W. Wingfield, 821st BTTS CAFT fire rescue advisor, deployed from Goodfellow AFB, Texas. "We have created a joint environment here with army, air force and civil defense. We are kind of creating a national standard for all firefighters in Iraq."

Sergeant Wingfield said, upon graduation the 24 members of the basic firefighter apprentice course will be trained as first responders.

"They are firefighter one and two, a hazardous material operations and airport firefighters, they will be able to go out and do anything an American firefighter can do," he said.

The instructors said it has been very gratifying teaching both the managerial and apprentice courses, but the biggest reward has been learning about the Iraqi culture.
"It's just the introduction to the culture and seeing how much we have in common," said Sergeant Wingfield. "Sometimes I have to think how I will apply things to Iraq."

"It's a real honor to be here and work with the civil defense and military guys so closely," said Sergeant Partido. "It's amazing to see how their culture differs from ours and to see how culture plays such a big part in their daily lives and how they actually operate as firefighters."