Hill AFB and Davis County conduct live-fire training for mutual aid

Firefighters from Hill AFB Fire and Emergency Services and neighboring Davis County departments conducted live structural-fire training during the week of Oct. 19 at Hill Air Force Base. The exercises were designed to strengthen mutual aid partnerships that support emergency response efforts both on and off the installation.

The training involved Hill and local firefighters working through realistic structural-fire scenarios at the base's training grounds. This controlled environment allowed participants to compare procedures and equipment, while building familiarity with the crews and incident commanders they may encounter during real-world responses.

Syracuse Fire Department Battalion Chief Jared Sholly noted that having access to this type of facility is a significant gain for firefighters. Sholly added that mutual aid is a routine part of emergency response in Davis County and that training together helps personnel reduce confusion and bring resources together quickly during an incident.

Hill AFB Fire and Emergency Services maintains approximately 20 mutual aid agreements with agencies and jurisdictions located across Davis, Weber, Tooele, Box Elder, and Morgan counties. These agreements support the main installation as well as the Little Mountain Test Facility and the Utah Test and Training Range.

Richard Partington, the F&ES assistant chief of fire prevention, stated that training such as these live structural burns gives firefighters the opportunity to understand each other's capabilities and how different departments operate. Partington emphasized that the goal is to ensure that when someone calls 911, qualified firefighters arrive who can work together to solve the problem.

The training is part of a broader network of mutual aid agreements. These partnerships allow agencies to share specialized capabilities, equipment, and personnel while building the relationships necessary to coordinate effective responses for the community and the base.