Measles outbreaks in Europe: Make sure your child is immunized
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Energy Awareness:
Safety Check:
Save Energy While on Vacation
Protection from Heat Stress
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N A S SIG O N E L L A
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JULY 21, 2017
Vol. 34 No. 28
NAS Sigonella Fire Department Talks Fire Safety By MC2 Christopher Gordon NAS Sigonella Public Affairs
NAS SIGONELLA, Sicily – Since January, the Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella fire department has responded to at least 14 fires. With the fire season being between mid-May to the end of September, NAS Sigonella Fire Chief John Smithgall has a few fire safety suggestions. “In this extreme heat the best thing to do is watch how you dispose of flam-
mable items,” said Smithgall. “Watch how you discard your cigarettes especially when in your car, make sure your gasoline is stored in the proper container, and be mindful of how you dispose of charcoal; once it’s been cooled, wet down and completely saturated, put it in a metal container.” Being in the middle of the local fire season, the chances of house or brush fires multiply substantially. If a fire is spotted in NAS Sigonella, immediately call 911.
“Regardless of the size of a fire, immediately back away and call 911,” said Smithgall. “Material things can be replaced but your life cannot. Unless it’s a small fire in the initial stage and you can put it out with a garden hose or extinguisher, do not try to be a hero and put it out yourself.” If a brush fire is spotted outside of the NAS Sigonella fences, whether it’s on the roads around base or next to the gate, call 911 and inform them of the location of the fire.
SIGONELLA, Sicily (Oct. 11, 2016) Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella fire department extinguishes a fire during a demonstration held for a fire prevention week community outreach event. NAS Sigonella enables the forward operations and responsiveness of U.S. and allied forces in support of Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia's mission to provide services to the Fleet, Fighter, and Family. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ramon Go/Released)
“Legally we cannot go off base and fight the fires out there, that falls under the jurisdiction of Catania or the surrounding fire departments,” said Smithgall. “We pick about a 15 meter safe zone from the fence line where we start aggressively and defensively fighting the fire to prevent it from coming onto base and damaging government property.” When the fire department is called to the scene, they are prepared and ready to fight the fire. The fire department response time is no later than seven minutes from the time someone calls in a fire, but they aim to make it there between three and five minutes. Sailors like Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 2nd Class Jessica Jusino and Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 2nd Class Kira Edgehill are there ready to respond. On July 6, both Sailors, along with multiple others, responded to their first real-life fire right outside the Marinai housing complex. “We got there at about 3:30 p.m. and didn’t leave until about 7:00 p.m.,” said Edgehill. “It was all hands on deck. The wind kept changing direction and igniting spot fires, which are small little leaves that catch the spark. Then the wind blows again and pops up another one.” “We were keeping busy the entire time, our adrenaline was pumping,” said Jusino. “By the end of it we knew we correctly used our training and were finally able to utilize what we learned, this is what we came here for.” For more information on fire safety visit http://www.nfpa.org.
HC-4 Crew Remembered in Ramacca Memorial
Story and Photos by Alberto Lunetta NAS Sigonella Public Affairs
RAMACCA, Sicily - Naval Air Station Sigonella leadership and community leaders from the town of Ramacca came together to remember the crew of the Heavy Helicopter Combat Support Squadron Four (HC-4) "Black Stallions" who died in a U.S. Navy helicopter crash, fourteen years ago, on July 16, 2003. It was an emotional wreath-laying ceremony held at the crash site that was shared with the community of Ramacca represented by Deputy Mayor
Giovanni Savia, Father Giovanni Di Martino and local police authorities. NAS Sigonella leadership was represented by Cmdr. Charles McKinney, NAS Sigonella Executive Officer, who was twice previously assigned to Sigonella with HC-4 as a pilot. Cmdr. McKinney, who was accompanied by Community Relations Director Alberto Lunetta, along with Deputy Mayor Savia laid flowers at the site where small helicopter fragments still remain visible after all these years. According to investigators, once one of the helicopter’s engines caught fire, the pilots bravely and
selflessly made the decision to divert their route to avoid crashing into the city of Ramacca. The MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter crashed on land approximately 10 miles southwest of Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella near Ramacca. The crew was conducting a routine training mission, said media. The crew included the squadron’s executive officer, Cmdr. Kevin A. Bianchi, 40, from Maplewood, N.J.; Lt. Peter Ober, 27, a pilot from Jacksonville, Fla.; Petty Officer 1st Class Brian P. Gibson, 33, an aviation structural mechanic from Greenwood, Va.; and Petty Officer 3rd Class Samuel Cox, 21, an aviation electrician’s mate from Duluth, Minn.