Guilford Professional Firefighters Train At Naval Submarine Base New London

GROTON, Connecticut - Guilford Professional Firefighter's not only put out fires but are also trained in Confined Space Rescue which is a vital skill that is needed for fighting fires in submarines. Confined Space Rescue Technicians are trained to enter spaces below ground level to perform difficult rescues that may involve packaging and removing victims from confined spaces below ground and in industrial spaces like large tanks. The US Submarine Base located in New London, CT has asked that Guilford Professional Firefighters be added to an automatic response if there is an

incident involving fire or other situations on one of their submarines. In order to stand ready for response, Naval Submarine Base New London (SUBASE NLON) and Naval Submarine Support Facility (NSSF) hosted more than a dozen regional fire and rescue organizations Wednesday, Nov. 10, for a large-scale fire response exercise at the Groton, Connecticut, Navy base. Firefighters were taught the ins and outs of an actual military submarine which included reviewing onboard fire suppression systems, how to access and connect to firefighting supplied air stations, how to access the ship, fighting engine room fires and how to deal with extricating victims. Many area departments took part in this vital training. "This has been an incredible opportunity to train with our fellow regional partners in the event of a major incident at this facility", stated Guilford Fire Department Assistant Chief Michael Shove who also took part in the training.