Maintenance Squadron, others conduct annual fuel tank evacuation exercise

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Marc Nickens
  • 911AW/PA
PITTSBURGH AIR RESERVE STATION, Pa. --  If a friend or loved one was unconscious and inside a space just large enough for one person, do you think you could get them out? Do you think you could provide enough self-aid/buddy care to sustain their life until the proper emergency responders arrived? 

That's just what the Airmen at the 911th Maintenance Squadron, 911th Security Forces Squadron and the firefighters of the Allegheny County Fire Department simulated on a C-130 Hercules during unit training assembly (UTA) Sep. 9, 2007. 

The scenario calls for an Airman to be inside a simulated open fuel tank and that they begin to panic due to either a lack of air or an injury of some kind. The Airman then attempts to exit the tank but doesn't get to the entrance before collapsing unconscious and ceases breathing. They then need to be pulled out of the tank due to the medical emergency. 

"We're running a tank evacuation exercise," said Master Sgt. Brent Pederson, fuels shop supervisor. "According to regulations, we have to do a tank evacuation exercise each year to make sure that our emergency response plan will work," he said. 

"The main reason why we do this is to make sure our people are properly trained," said Master Sgt. Pederson. "In the event of a real emergency everyone would know exactly what to do," he said. 

Although the scenario was performed using a C-130, in a real-world situation the responding personnel may or may not change due to the type of aircraft or the availability of emergency responders. 

"Each real emergency of this type would have to be taken on a case by case basis," said Master Sgt. Pedersen. "We work on different tanks of the aircraft and who would be available to do the job at that time would be your response team," he said. 

"Besides the fact that we're required to do this once a year, it's good training so that our people will know how to respond in the case of a real emergency," said Master Sgt. Pedersen.