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Released: April 21, 2003

Joint training exercise enhances fire crew's water rescue skills

By Airman 1st Class Kerry Johnson
1st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) -- About three miles off shore of Langley, with no land in sight, a transmission from an approaching Coast Guard helicopter came from the Langley fire department rescue boat's radio.

"Maintain on course two-oh-eight, we are ready to approach," said the voice, initiating the joint training rescue exercise between the Coast Guard and Langley fire department Wednesday.

The goal of the training was to better the fire department's water rescue skills.

"We're building safety on the water," said Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Sherri Chamberlin, the assistant operations officer for Coast Guard Group Hampton Roads. "We work with other services to ensure quick and safe rescue operations."

Training for the firemen, who were aboard Coast Guard and fire department rescue boats, involved successfully receiving and returning a collapsible rescue basket from a coast guard rescue helicopter, hovering 40 feet overhead.

The basket, in an actual water-related incident, would transport a victim from the stern, or rear, of the fire department rescue boat to the helicopter.

Safety was the focus throughout the exercise because of the danger involved.

"There are several hazards which must be overcome," Lieutenant Chamberlin said. "The helicopter generates static electricity, so the basket must be grounded, either by touching the boat or water, before anyone can handle it. Propellers also generate a 'helo wash,' which could easily cause someone to go overboard."

Because water safety becomes a growing concern in the spring and summer, the fire department welcomed the opportunity to train with the Coast Guard, said Jeremy Simcheck, the fire department crew chief.

"It was an opportunity to utilize our rescue skills, put different training methods to use," he said.

"This training aids us because we have been limited with our ability to perform rescues with our so much of our manpower aimed at homeland security," Lieutenant Chamberlin said.

Though the fire department may have been out of their element on the water, they were not daunted by the task.

Aside from their role in homeland security, Coast Guard Group Hampton Roads has a role in maritime law enforcement, recreational boating safety and maintenance of aids to navigation. Their area of responsibility includes the lower half of the Chesapeake Bay and adjacent waters in the Atlantic Ocean out to 200 nautical miles. The Group coordinates the execution of over 1,500 search and rescue cases each year.

"We had confidence in their ability to do their part, and we had confidence in our ability to perform," said Airman 1st Class Cris Pennock, a firefighter at the fire department.

After the three-hour training, the fire department crew felt certain they could perform a water-rescue mission quickly.

"(The exercise) gave me confidence that I could confront this kind of rescue mission," said Airman Pennock.