Kirkuk firefighters train Iraqis

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Ruth Curfman
  • 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  A siren pierces the early evening night calling attention to the bright yellow firetruck speeding toward a pillar of smoke in the distance.

People here are accustomed to the sounds and sights of the emergency response crews as they hurry to save lives and property, but this crew is different.

Instead of U.S. servicemembers deployed to Iraq driving the 10-ton firetruck to its destination, the men behind the wheel have a far more compelling interest in their destination, because they are Iraqi guards.

As part of a program to help rebuild Iraq, the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron’s fire department graduated 19 Iraqi students here Oct. 13 after completing a three-day first responder, first aid and firefighting course.

In all, more than 284 people have received this training which began in February.

The firefighters and Staff Sgt. Shannon Anderson, course instructor and assistant chief of training, are “providing an invaluable service to the Iraqis and doing a remarkable job in solidifying our relationship with them,” said Col. Phillip Murdock, 506th Air Expeditionary Group commander.

Part of the process of helping Iraq get back on its feet is to train people on how to save lives. This course will help these students have the confidence and know-how to make a big difference in the lives of their people.

As class begins, there is a little nervousness in the air, but within an hour, the students begin to realize they are learning critical life-saving skills which will only enhance their job requirements. By the end of the class, the students are interacting like old friends.

“The first two days of the course we teach first aid/first responder techniques as well as CPR, patient assessment, spinal immobilization [and] treatment for burns,” said Sergeant Anderson, who is deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga. “In addition, we teach them about certain explosives and how to safely identify them.”

Sergeant Anderson said training Iraqis to help save others makes him feel honored.

“I tell every class that I teach how honored I am to be able to come to their beautiful country and help them to help others,” he said.

In the mornings, Sergeant Anderson teaches students about the different aspects of being the first person on the scene. In the afternoons, they do more intense-style training and practice what they learned earlier.

“The main thing to remember is that repetition and proficiency (are keys) to being successful in this course as well as this career,” Sergeant Anderson said.

The second day entails more aspects of life-saving techniques such as splinting fractures and being able to control bleeding and treat for shock.

“In addition to the basic techniques, we also teach them how to treat victims of snake, scorpion or spider bites since they are so common in areas of Iraq that these people will be working in,” he said.

On graduation day, the students learn basic firefighting techniques including using a hose and personal protection equipment, and they get to practice putting a fire out in a structure which is set ablaze.

When Sergeant Anderson first deployed to Iraq, he said he had hoped to meet the local people and looked forward to helping them rebuild their country. This training program left the 10-year fire department trainer with a lasting impression of the dedication the local citizens have in protecting their homes and families.

“I was impressed with how knowledgeable they were in their previous trade, and we are just helping them build on the foundation they already have by providing them more updated information,” Sergeant Anderson said.

The students said they also consider this a way to show their country they will do anything to help it out.

“By taking this course in life-saving (techniques) it shows our country how sincere and faithful we are,” an Iraqi student said.

The students said they were more than happy to attend this course and take away from it the confidence that they could make a difference.

“I wanted to become a firefighter because I want to save lives,” another student said.

This relationship with the people of Iraq further solidifies the resolve of the Iraqi people and their country.

“By continuing the good working relationship with Iraq, we help to reconstitute the country through advances in the medical training that we receive and in turn teach the Iraqi students how to save the lives of their countrymen,” Sergeant Anderson said.

In the distance, the sound of another firetruck’s siren begins to fade into the distance as crews rush to the scene of another emergency. Thanks to the training of the 506th ECES firefighters and the dedication of a few brave Iraqis, the future of emergency response crews in northern Iraq is in good hands.