Barksdale Fire Muster gives squadrons a taste of a firefighter’s life

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Samuel O'Brien
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Four squadrons stepped into the boots of Barksdale's bravest to compete in the third annual 2nd Mission Support Group Fire Muster outside Barksdale's Airman Leadership School June 10.

The 2nd Force Support Squadron, 2nd Contracting Squadron, 2nd Communications Squadron and 2nd Civil Engineering Squadron squared off in a competition of firefighting skills.

"The competitive environment gave the Barksdale Fire Department an opportunity to give hands-on experience to Air Force members who may never have the chance to see some of the training and skills required to be a firefighter," said Staff Sgt. Steven O'Brien, 2 CES fire crew chief.

"The event is also a morale booster," Sergeant O'Brien continued. "Anytime the opportunity to intermingle with the base community is presented, it's a positive experience. The Fire Department demonstrates some of the practices used in their day-to-day operations, and the community gains a better understanding of the skills needed to be a firefighter."

The muster was made up of five competitive events that provided the participants a variety of challenges.

Teams competed in search and rescue, an exercise in which firefighters in full gear move through a smoke-filled house to retrieve a 175-pound dummy. In the hose connection relay event, teams unraveled, connected and used a hose to knock over a traffic cone as quickly as possible. For the midnight alarm event, teams simulated receiving an alarm while sleeping. They had to get out of bed and get their gear on as quickly as possible. The self-aid buddy care event required team members to strap a dummy to a litter and navigate several obstacles to reach safety. The final event was the hose joust, which is described as a 'reverse tug-of-war.' Two teams with a hose try to push a suspended target toward the other team.

All the teams had their individual triumphs, but in the end, the 2 CONS emerged victorious.

"Instead saying we participated, I would say we conquered, because 2 CONS came out on top," said Senior Airmen Jennifer Coffin, a contracting specialist.

Airman 1st Class Daniel Speed, 2 CONS contracting specialist, felt the event was a productive distraction from everyday tasks.

"It was good to get everyone out here, have a good time and take a break from the mission for a second, so we can be refreshed going back into it," he said.

While the muster only touched on a small number of the skills necessary to be a firefighter, it simulated actual events and conditions, which created a real-world feeling and experience for those from other squadrons.

"I respect the firefighters," Airman Speed said. "They have a tough job. This was hard out here today."