MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- Marines from Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, conducted a day of simulation training Oct. 17 here to ensure they are ready for anything on a moments notice.

The training, consisting of spot fires and rescue procedures, was conducted on the airfield both day and night, explained Staff Sgt. Dexter Williford, assistant section leader, ARFF.

“The purpose of this training was to ensure all of the Marines, especially the new ones, are prepared for anything,” Williford said. “We do a lot of simulation training, most of the time we try to save it for when the airfield is closed, like on the weekends.”

The day of training began with spot-fire drills.

Spot fires, which are burning flames on or around the aircraft, must be extinguished as quickly as possible, explained Williford, a Bainbridge, Ga., native.

When doing spot drills, Marines practice using the correct spray technique while maintaining constant communication. The fire crew’s goal is to spray the water so the flames won’t push through to the second crew on the other side of the aircraft, explained Williford.

“It’s hard to communicate (when working) because of the gear and loud noises,” explained the section leader. “There is debris all over the place, and possibly ordinance we have to worry about.”

As the day went on, the ARFF Marines quickly moved from training on an F/A-18 Hornet with spot fires, to a downed C-130 crash set up with victims scattered aboard the aircraft.

While some Marines tackled the spot fires, others were practicing victim rescues. They practiced entering the downed aircraft and retrieving crew members.

The Marines entered the aircraft and assessed the scene, triaging patients to see who is the highest priority. In a training environment they use 200 pounds dummies  and remove from the crash site.

“I thought everything went well,” said Lance Cpl. Thomas Blanchard, a crash crewman, ARFF. “It helped us build our teamwork skills.”

"These Marines are highly trained firefighters who specialize in the extinguishing of aircraft,” said Williford.  “While the Marines are training, they have to constantly think safety. No crash is the same. It is all a judgment call to see how the scene is worked.”

The training was not only successful, but necessary, explained Lance Cpl. Ken Finley.

“The training we do is imperative in our line of work,” said Finley, a Sidney, N.Y., native. “At the end of the day, (most people) go home and relax, but as ARFF Marines we are here, waiting, to ensure everyone on the flight line is safe.”