By Taylor Jensen/nw news editor

Flames, smoke and jet fuel — just another day at the NW fire training center.

A training exercise centered around a simulated military aircraft crash dominated the scene Aug. 29 as TCC students were beginning their first week of classes.
The joint exercise included police and fire first responders from Fort Worth and Benbrook as well as the Fort Worth Naval Air Station and was designed to help refine communications and response procedures.

During the emergency scenario, Capt. Trip Littleton of the Marine Aerial Refueling Transport Squadron was the pilot of the C-130 aircraft.

“We use it for aerial refueling, troop transport, cargo hauling and anything in between,” he said. “We build scenarios on a quarterly basis, and with this particular one, we flamed out all four engines.”

Naval Air Station deputy public affairs officer Rusty Baker said the exercise helped the participants prepare for the dangers of a real-life situation.

“We schedule this type of exercise throughout the year, whether it be simulated chemical spills, an active shooter scenario, bomb explosions or aircraft mishap like we have here,” he said. “If this aircraft actually crashed full of fuel, it would be a lot of fire to fight.”

The first responders to such a mishap are people in a five-mile radius, Baker said. The first thing they’ll do is ask those on the aircraft what’s on board so they know how to successfully fight the fire, Baker said.

“There is a coordinated effort with everything that goes [on] here,” he said.

During the crisis exercise, city of Benbrook duty captain Jason Tate and other firefighters brought a heavy rescue truck to the scene.

“We regularly work with Fort Worth,” he said. “The exercise was about knowing faces and using radios to communicate with each other.”

When they can all get on the same page and can discuss tactics, it helps them successfully extinguish the fire, Tate said.

“It was a great exercise, and we all learned a lot,” he said.