JUNE 30, 2022 – U.S. Army Garrison Benelux firefighters joined local Belgian firefighters in a joint exercise June 23 in preparation for the 2022 Chièvres Air Fest.
“For us, I guess you would kind of consider it like a cheat sheet,” said Master Sgt. Eric Kautz, deputy fire chief at Chièvres Air Base, 48th Mission Support Group. “A cheat sheet in figuring out the aircraft, shutdown procedures, how to save the pilot, how to save the aircraft and the contents inside. If we have all those ideas in place and we are all on the same page, that makes communication a lot easier. That also allows us to do our job a lot safer.”
Because of the large number of anticipated participants in this year’s fest, additional support was needed in case of an emergency. More than 35 firefighters from the surrounding towns of Chièvres, Saint-Ghislain, Quiévrain, Mons, Soignies, Braine-le-Comte, and La Louvière came to train in this joint exercise. Additionally, U.S. firefighters brought in support from Spangdahlem and Ramstein air bases in Germany.
“Our three priorities are life, property and environment,” said Sgt. Andrew Daniels, noncommissioned officer in charge of training at the Chièvres Air Base fire department. “That pilot’s life obviously comes first. We want everyone to understand the magnitude of getting him out but keeping yourself safe as well.”
During the training, firefighters acquired hands-on experience working with aircrafts they were not familiar with prior to this exercise.
“For us, it’s not our specialty,” said Sebastian Thabissan, firefighter in Brussels and volunteer firefighter in Soignies, Belgium. “I go often to a fire in a house, but in a military plane, never.”
In the morning, firefighters met in a classroom setting and had a brief on different aircrafts. Afterwards, they toured the fire department and became familiar with equipment on site.
During the afternoon, firefighters met with Master Sgt. Denes Kenyeres a Hungarian Air Force technician for the JAS 39 Gripen to learn about the extricating the pilot, shutdown procedures, and hazards specific to the aircraft.
This joint exercise designed to familiarize firefighters with aircraft and procedures prior to the event increased the team’s competencies as each fire department learned of their counterpart’s capabilities.
“We want to integrate ourselves with the Belgian fire department so they know what we are capable of and we know what they are capable of and we can work together to mitigate the emergency,” said Daniels.
U.S. firefighters at Chièvres Air Base hope to continue training with local counterparts in ongoing education and collaborative efforts.
“We’ve done a few joint [exercises] and are looking forward to doing many more in the future,” said Daniels.
The 2022 Chièvres Air Fest took place June 24 and 25 at Chièvres Air Base. USAG Benelux welcomed more than 18,000 individuals from surrounding communities on base to partake in the activities.
As a part of the partnership, multiple first responders offered assistance during the fest. In additional to fire departments working together, local police, the Belgian Red Cross, and medical experts were on site to assist in case of any emergencies.
We thank our host nation counterparts for their continued support and are grateful for their guidance and expertise in making the Chièvres Air Fest a success.
By Libby Weiler