Firefighters joint train at Aviano

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Tabitha M. Mans
  • 31 FW/PA
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  Firefighters with Aviano and Italian Air Force's Rivolto Aeroporto attended an annual Fighting Falcon emergency response action training here. This training is critical in ensuring the safety of pilots and aircrafts.

"They are here to learn the emergency procedures for the F-16 aircraft," said Bryant Nicodemus, 31st Civil Engineer Squadron assistant chief of fire prevention. "Topics being covered include emergency aircraft entry, aircrew removal, shut-down and actions to take when the emergency power unit is activated."

In case of an in-flight emergency, and Aviano pilots may be diverted to the Rivolto airport. There, firefighters must respond to the incident properly to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

"Rivolto is an alternate landing site for Aviano F-16s," said Tech. Sgt. Adam Montoya, 31st CES firefighter assistant chief of operations. "The firefighters must be trained on aircraft hazards and emergency procedures so they will be ready to respond in the event of an emergency landing at their airport."

This is a joint training environment where both parties will receive an opportunity to share experiences and expertise of dealing with aircraft emergencies.

"They will become familiar with the emergency procedures to follow in the case of an in-flight or ground emergency," Mr. Nicodemus. "The topics learned will assist in saving the pilots life and the aircraft."

Training was done through classroom instruction and live rescue response exercises. Italian air force firefighters were also given the chance to evaluate and discuss the operating procedures used by Aviano firefighters.

In addition, this training allowed for new relationships to be formed between U.S. AIr Force and Italian air force.

"All firefighters involved with the joint training are given the opportunity to share experiences and techniques with our host nation counterparts," said Sergeant Montoya. "Camaraderie is established between both sides and a professional relationship is formed."

The Aviano community can rest assured in knowing that the firefighters at Rivolto Airport are properly trained on the correct procedures to save the lives of Aviano's pilots and aircraft.