WILLIAMSTOWN - Maintenance employees for the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport attended their annual firefighters training Wednesday with the help of the Waverly Volunteer Fire Department and the West Virginia University Fire Service Extension.
"This is probably the best training the (airport) guys have all year," said airport manager Terry Moore.
The airport's 10 line-and-maintenance employees must be certified firefighters in the event something goes wrong at the airport. The yearly training is done with a training airplane, which is owned and operated by the WVU Fire Service Extension.
"We are here every year to help the airport firefighters do a certification burn," said Brian Grieco, adjunct instructor with the WVU Fire Service Extension.
Along with the airport firefighters, members of the Waverly Volunteer Fire Department and the National Guard participated in the classes.
"It's good for us to be part of this because we are the closest to the airport and will be the first to arrive for backup if something happens," said Chief Terry Hefner with Waverly.
The firefighters formed five, 2-men teams to fight engine, landing gear and cabin fires in the WVU fire training plane.
Not only was the day's training to help with fighting fires, but it was also to make sure the firefighters were looking out for one another.
"We do buddy checks and gear checks as part of the training," Grieco said.
Moore said the day of training is more than just how to put out a fire on and around a plane.
"It's also how to put your gear on correctly and how to breathe in the mask, all of which is very important," he said.
The training session is a little different each year with new obstacles with the different types of fires, Grieco said.
"We like to change it up for the guys each year, so they aren't doing the same thing all of the time," he said. "This year we spent a good portion of our time helping them get to know their new fire truck better."
In January the airport received the new aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicle and equipment, which was paid for by a federal stimulus grant issued by the Federal Aviation Administration.
"I'm glad they spent time focusing on the new truck because if there is a problem, the guys are more used to the old one and would be more inclined to take it than the new one," Moore said. "With the further training on the new one, the guys will be more comfortable with it and that will be a real gain to the airport."
Moore said he hopes the airport employees will be fully comfortable with the new truck in time for the airshow next month.
The cost of the training was paid by the state of West Virginia, which has given the airport money for three years for firefighter training.
"I honestly don't know how much it would cost us, but their help is greatly appreciated," Moore said.
Moore explained he does not know the cost of the training session because the state has funded it every year since he began with the airport.
"While we don't pay for the training, there is an extra cost to the airport in paying our employees overtime for being here," he said.
