Red Cross partnership brings Feel the Heat back to YARS Published Oct. 26, 2015 By Eric M. White 910th Airlift Wing Public Affairs YOUNGSTOWN AIR RESERVE STATION, Ohio -- In partnership with the American Red Cross Lake to River Chapter, Youngstown Air Reserve Station (YARS) hosted the second annual Feel the Heat event here, Oct. 22, 2015. The purpose of Feel the heat is to exercise and demonstrate the collaborative response capabilities of the Red Cross and 910th Airlift Wing. Maj. Scott Julian, 910th Force Support Squadron commander, is a board member of the local Red Cross chapter and helped coordinate Feel the Heat. “As you’ve seen in the local news, disasters can happen at any time and anywhere,” said Julian. “This is a great opportunity to highlight events that can happen and the capabilities that we have in this area to cope with these events involving the 910th Airlift Wing fire department and the local Red Cross.” The Red Cross set up several of their response vehicles, displaying information about their services, providing refreshments for attendees and demonstrating the abilities of their comfort dogs, a team of trained K-9s that help console survivors or those affected by disasters. Karen Conklin, executive director of the Red Cross Lake to River Chapter, says a big part of their work is with the Armed Forces as the only organization authorized by the Department of Defense to locate a soldier anywhere in the world. “We provide healing and comfort,” said Conklin. “We provide assistance. We have mental health counselors, the Red Cross does. A lot of people don’t realize that’s what we do. We’re here on this base for deployments and homecomings, and they’re a part of our every day work.” YARS personnel, Red Cross representatives, local media and approximately 100 community guests gathered in a staging area near the Fire Department training center. After opening remarks by Red Cross board members and 910th leaders, 910th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department Chief Anthony Wells radioed his unit to begin the exercise. A moment later, the large mock training apparatus, designed to simulate four types of aircraft commonly seen near YARS, was engulfed in flames. The fire department reacted, rolling into the area with several response vehicles and spraying the fire with truck-mounted water cannons. A handful of firefighters approached the apparatus to locate and extract simulated victims, while others disembarked the trucks to battle the blaze on foot. Observers applauded as the fire department extinguished the flames and pulled the simulated victims to safety. After the demonstration, guests had the opportunity to walk through the smoke house, a modular building that can be filled with simulated smoke to represent a structural fire. Attendees also toured the Emergency Operations Center, which serves as a command and information focal point for disaster response, and the Emergency Family Assistance Center, which provides an environment for military families affected by disasters to acquire assistance and care. Feel the Heat is a product of the Air Force Community Partnership Program, which began here in June 23, 2014.