Firefighters train to contain hazardous materials Published July 28, 2015 By Lee Ross Nucleus editor KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- The fire department at Kirtland hosted a two-week training in hazardous materials handling for 14 firefighters. One firefighter, Senior Airman Tyler Ritchey made a nine-hour drive from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kan., to do the training. He said the plastic suits firefighters have to wear for the training are not his favorite. "It's pretty bad in the suit, being claustrophobic," he said. Lee Shaffer, assistant chief for the Kirtland Fire Department, said trainees communicate by yelling and using hand signals as they attempt to contain the simulated spills. They go in with a detailed plan and knowledge of what needs to be done, which helps quite a bit, he said. "We do a lot of pointing," Shaffer said. Robert Davis, a civilian firefighter for the Department of the Army at White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico, said working with members of different fire departments was a bonus. "It's great that all these departments come together and train as one," he said. Specifically, he said, working with firefighters from Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, was useful, as they are about 40 minutes away from White Sands. "If we get a big hazmat incident, we will be working together," he said. It's also cheaper to host the training at Kirtland, Shaffer said. Two trainers were brought in from Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas, at a cost of about $3,000, which was paid for by the Air Education and Training Command. It would have cost $5,000 to send one firefighter to Goodfellow, when one includes the cost of the flight, rental car and daily expenses, Shaffer said. Five firefighters from Kirtland attended and were brought to technician level, meaning they are qualified to respond to a spill. Shaffer estimates that bringing the trainers to Kirtland saved the Air Force $25,000. "It's a great savings for the government," he said.