Dyess Fire Department trains with local college

by Senior Airman Peter Thompson
7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

12/24/2014 - DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The Dyess Fire Department participated in a mass casualty exercise Dec. 12, 2014, at the Texas State Technical College Abilene campus in Abilene, Texas.

The Dyess Air Force Base firefighters provided auto extrication service for paramedic students at the school.

For many of the paramedics, this was the first time they had come in contact with the heavy machinery firefighters would use to pry open and remove vehicle parts to access injured patients. After windows, doors and roofs were removed, patients were moved to a triage area where they received medical care.

Dyess emergency services often work hand-in-hand with ambulatory services from the city of Abilene. The training provided participants a glimpse into the coordination between both organizations, similar to what they would see after a real-world incident.

"Here at Team Dyess, one of our main priorities is to maintain a community bond with downtown emergency service providers," said Master Sgt. Jeremy Pickett, 7th Civil Engineer Squadron assistant chief of fire prevention. "It is great when we are able to train with them, so we all know how to function during a real-world scenario. We have to be able to rely on the local community, and they have to be able to rely on us as well."

Firefighters from Dyess and the paramedics from TSTC each brought capabilities the other organization wouldn't ordinarily have.

"If someone was trapped in a car, in most cases, TSTC paramedics don't have the ability or equipment to get to those individuals. As a fire service, we carry all the equipment necessary to open up a car or provide that auto extrication," Pickett said. "As Dyess has no emergency medical services at its clinic, paramedics from Abilene respond and transport personnel from Dyess to local area hospitals."

The event came with cost savings to the base's fire department as well.

"Real-world training gets fairly expensive, such as buying vehicles to cut apart, paying for fuel and using life flight helicopters to transport victims," Pickett said.  "Anytime we can team up with someone and get training without having to pay for everything, benefits us because we save all money."