Army firefighters are soldiers trained in firefighting after basic training. They face increased dangers compared to civilian firefighters due to the presence of explosives and ammunition in military bases. They also maintain combat soldier training and are often first responders to emergencies both on and off the base.
An army firefighter is a soldier who has chosen firefighter employment as his military occupation. Trained in battle tactics and weapon handling during basic training, the army firefighter receives firefighting training after basic training and continues to be trained throughout his military career. Military bases are susceptible to fires due to the use of explosive ordinances at firing ranges, as well as from the daily operations of a military base that is usually equal to or larger than the size of the nearest civilian city. The dangers of fighting a fire at a military facility are commonly increased for the army firefighter compared to that of a civilian firefighter.
Some of the dangers that the army firefighter faces are the frequent landings and departures of aircraft, as aircraft are often armed with explosives, as well as the presence of ammunition in almost every building on the base. Many of the army fire response locations are difficult to reach. Remote campsites are often accessible only by tank tracks or helicopters, leaving the firefighter in a struggle just to get to the fire. Firefighter training is above and beyond the typical army soldier, as a firefighter’s requirements far exceed those of the average soldier.
Along with firefighter training, army soldier is first and foremost a combat soldier and must be trained to stay fresh and sharp. Marksmanship, physical agility and tactics are trained, practiced and exercised frequently, leaving little opportunity for free time. Maintaining and cleaning the vehicle is also left to the army firefighter and can take up much of a soldier’s typical leisure time. In addition to maintaining a constant state of readiness to fight any type of fire, the army firefighter is also tasked with giving public presentations on fire safety and awareness and visiting schools on base to speak to students about fire safety.
Firefighters are the first responders to most accidents and other emergency calls at the facility and often serve a designated area outside the military base walls to assist local civilian fire services. The army firefighter is a frontline soldier on the battlefield as well as in the scenes of fires, natural disasters and public education demonstrations. Typically trained in first aid procedures, army firefighters can be valuable lifesavers at the scene of a fire, traffic accident or on the front lines of a battlefield.
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