The new edition of the web series “That’s Navy” is now on air and shows the military’s firefighting training
By First Lieutenant (RM2-T) Thaís Cerqueira
In cases of fire, all time is precious to save lives and reduce material damage. Therefore, having professionals trained for these emergency situations becomes indispensable for preventing a chaotic scenario. At the Brazilian Navy’s (MB) “Almirante Marques de Leão” Training Center (CAAML – Centro de Adestramento “Almirante Marques de Leão”), located in Parada de Lucas, Rio de Janeiro (RJ), crucial training is offered: Firefighting Courses (CBINC – Cursos de Combate a Incêndio) and related training.
The main objective of this training is to enable MB military personnel and civilians to prevent and fight fires on ships and military organizations ashore, playing a key role in preventing accidents that can threaten lives and equipment on board.
The course provides students with theoretical and practical training capable of providing the necessary tools to act in both fire prevention and firefighting. In the event of an emergency on ships, for example, this preparation becomes imperative, since most of the time navigation is carried out far from the coast, in the Blue Amazon or on the high seas, without the possibility of external support and with limited communication with the services on land.
CBINC is divided into two phases: theoretical and practical. In the theoretical part, concepts such as the classes of fire and methods for extinguishing them are presented, which will be widely used in the practical part. In addition, case studies are carried out, such as that of the US Navy Amphibious Assault Ship “USS Bonhomme Richard” (LHD-6), which suffered a major fire in July 2020 after an explosion while undergoing scheduled maintenance in the Port of San Diego, California. The fire was intense and lasted for four days, leaving victims and causing such considerable damage that the US Navy decommissioned it for good in December of the same year.
The practical phase of the course is taught with the aid of fire simulators that meet teaching, safety and environmental requirements, and are carried out by instructors who have extensive experience and qualifications. During training, fire is used in a controlled manner, which brings realism to the actions and brings the soldiers closer to the difficulties they will encounter on board.
“That’s Navy” is back
The new episode of the program “That’s Navy”, a successful webseries on MB’s YouTube channel showing the activities of the Force, was recorded at CAAML in Parada de Lucas. Full of action scenes, this edition shows the difficulties of training to fight fires and flooding on ships. The presenter of the series, Lieutenant Ohana, takes part as a student in the Firefighting Training Course and shows details of the challenges overcome by the military personnel who complete this training.