JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Beads of sweat trickle from every fireman's brow. The air is heavy with smoke, ash and embers and walls are bathed in flames. Containing the chaos and getting everyone out alive is the main priority. This is not a nightmare; it is the reality of every fireman here at Andrews who enters a burning building.
Team Andrews firemen alternate 24-hour shifts, on-and-off duty, seven days a week. Undergoing constant and intense training, like repelling down the sides of buildings, connecting couplings to supply the truck and breaking through structures with an ax keep these responders sharp and ready.
"We have to be proficient at everything we train for," said Airman 1st Class Jim Chavez, 11th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter. "We're really critical of our performance because attention to detail is crucial. We take great pride in what we do."
This attention to detail is born from repetitive drills donning fire protection gear, loading the fire truck and operating in and around a fire.
"Our Airmen train for search and rescue, smoke operations and handling fire safety equipment," said Tech. Sgt. Roger Dupuis, 11th CES Fire Department assistant chief of training. "We're trained to make sure we contain the situation methodically."
When operating in a dangerous environment like a burning building, mental preparation is just as important as physical. Starting on the lowest level of the fire, firemen must choose a path to follow along the inside of the burning building and stick to it until they get back to the point of entry.
If the risk of willingly running into a fire and smoke-kissed room is not dangerous enough, the burden of hauling extra gear and equipment from one floor to the next could wear down anyone not primed for such a task.
Being fit-to-fight takes on a new meaning when time is of the essence.
"If we get a call on base, we usually have to be on the truck and at the scene within three minutes," said Chavez. "Since everything we do needs to be quick, our training focuses heavily on timed-drills. Every day incorporates different training; there's no room for error."
Emergencies can break out anytime, so preparation is essential. Continuous training allows responsive reactions to become second nature in the event of a real emergency.
"We expose ourselves to electrical hazards, the danger of ceiling cave-ins, smoke inhalation, severe burns or even death," said Dupuis.
Along with training, Dupuis emphasized the importance of teamwork, comparing the 11th CES to a football team. Everyone has their own position and needs to know where everyone else is. The team must work together to execute each mission successfully, he said.
The courageous determination of Team Andrews firemen in the face of danger helps keep a bad situation from spinning out of control in order to secure the safety and peace-of-mind of the Andrews family.