Moffett Field: CANG CSAR 129th Rescue Wing PJs jump into Pacific 1400 miles away rescue fishermen

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Moffett Field: CANG CSAR 129th Rescue Wing PJs jump into Pacific 1400 miles away rescue fishermen

California Air National Guard, Coast Guard team up for rescue mission

California Air National Guard 129th Rescue Wing Insignia

MOFFETT FEDERAL AIRFIELD, Calif. (9/5/12) — Members of the California Air National Guard’s 129th Rescue Wing this weekend launched a joint rescue mission with the U.S. Coast Guard in response to two distressed fishermen aboard a fishing vessel about 1,400 miles off the coast of Acapulco, Mexico.

On Sunday, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center in Florida contacted the 129th RQW concerning an injured fisherman aboard the Mirelur, an Ecuadorian fishing vessel. The fisherman was experiencing severe abdominal pain and required immediate medical attention beyond the capabilities of the fishing vessel’s staff.

On Monday, an MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft and two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters from the 129th RQW departed Moffett Federal Airfield for Mexico. Aircrews in the Combat Shadow flew to the location of the Mirelur, and 129th RQW pararescuemen – highly trained special operations medical personnel, also known as “PJs” – parachuted into the Pacific Ocean before boarding the Mirelur. Once on board, the PJs learned that another fisherman required medical treatment and began treating both individuals.

This morning, the PJs and patients were transferred from the Mirelur to the Coast Guard Cutter Morgenthau. If the fishermen’s medical conditions worsen, the aircrews from the 129th RQW will use Pave Hawk helicopters to fly to the Morgenthau’s location tomorrow and extract the patients and bring them to land-based medical facilities.

"This mission demonstrates the adaptability of the Air National Guard to fight wildfires in California one moment, and then save the lives of civilians in the Pacific the next,” said Air Force Col. Steven J. Butow, 129th RQW commander. "I am extremely proud of our Airmen and their selfless efforts to save the lives of these fishermen."

The primary mission of the 129th RQW is to conduct its wartime search-and-rescue duties anywhere in the world. In addition to its combat mission, the unit also works closely with the Coast Guard and local agencies on domestic civil-response missions throughout the year. Equipped with Combat Shadow aircraft and Pave Hawk rescue helicopters, the 129th RQW has performed a wide variety of civilian search-and-rescue missions, including responding to distressed persons aboard ships, lost or injured hikers, and conducting medical evacuations during natural disasters. Over the course of its history, the 129th RQW has rescued nearly 1,000 distressed people.

CFN - California Fire News 2012

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Wednesday, September 5, 2012