Latest training melds new technology, proven tactics in fight against fire

Seemingly out of nowhere, word spread of a fire in the galley and a missing crew member. A firefighting team wearing turnout gear and self-contained breathing apparatus mobilized quickly and stepped into the dark, smoky space.

- Casey Conley

Before reaching the flames, the responders found what appeared to be an unconscious crewmember on the floor. The hose team briefly split in two. Half carried the wounded person to safety while the others advanced toward the fire.

The firefighters shouted back and forth, relaying information as they attacked the flames coming from a vent above the stove. The fire receded or grew depending on their technique. Eventually, their efforts paid off.

“Fire’s out!” one firefighter shouted.

“Fire’s out!” another firefighter echoed as word moved to the rest of the hose team.

This training scenario played out repeatedly on a February afternoon at the multilevel firefighting facility operated by the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS) north of downtown Seattle. Propane gas-fed real flames coming from the replica galley, and smoke machines created a haze within the small room. Veteran firefighters moved with the trainees every step of the way, providing tips and guidance as they fought the flames in a controlled environment.

Randy Hyde, a retired federal fire service captain who served for many years at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, said the basic firefighting course has a few key objectives. Instilling confidence is a big one. Getting acclimated to fire, and the equipment needed to adequately respond to a fire, is another.

“I want them to learn tactics, and that is basically what we are teaching them in this scenario,” Hyde said. “How to be a member of a hose team and learn those different hose tactics, and that is what the Coast Guard wants for competency.”