Fire instructors help local boy scouts earn merit badge Published March 30, 2010 By Senior Airman Tong Duong and Airman 1st Class Clayton Lenhardt 17th Training Wing Public Affairs GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The 312th Training Squadron fire department sponsored a Boy Scout Symposium here at the Louis F. Garland Fire Academy, for 20 youth March 13 and 14. With leadership and guidance from five scout troop leaders and the help of four fire instructors here, the boys were able to work towards earning their Fire Safety Merit Badge during their two day stay at the fire academy. Troop 22 is from here in San Angelo, Texas. To earn the badge, young scouts must learn and participate in a wide variety of training for home safety to fire science. "Earning the badge signifies that the scouts understand fire safety in the home and camping, but they must first attended the Fire Behavior Lab to learn the chemistry of fire, do a little team building on a mini version of our fire fighter physical training course and classroom lectures," said Master Sgt. Terry Dybdahl, 312th Training Squadron DOF and Committee Chairman for Troop 22. Some of the class instructions include how to check a smoke detector, the different types of fire extinguishers to use for grease or electrical fires, physics and chemistry of a fire, bi-products of combustion, safety checks and escape drills in the home as well as cooking safety. Some of the hands on stuff will be completed by scouts on their campouts, Sergeant Dybdahl, a scout in his time, said. To give the boys a 'home away from home' treat, Staff Sgt. Ricardo Campos, 312 TRS instructor fired up the grill for a barbeque prior to taking the young scouts to watch "The Tooth Fairy," at the base theater Saturday evening. On Sunday, they ate breakfast at the dinning facility before wrapping up the event by paying respect to the fallen firefighter at the Fire Fighter Memorial. "It was an honor to be able to help educate the young scouts. It is important not only for scouts but for all kids their age to learn about the dangers of fire," Staff Sgt. Ricardo Campos, 312 TRS instructor said. "I had the privilege to show them how four elements of the fire tetrahedron must first occure before a fire can start, and how different chemical combine can react, starting a fire. Overall, I think the scouts left with more of an understanding of fire and how we train students everyday to become the best firefighters in the world. According to Sergeant Dybdahl, there are more than 150 Boy Scout Merit Badges the young scouts can work towards. Some are Eagle Scout awarded badges, and some are not. While the Fire Safety Merit Badge is not required to earn the Eagle Scout Merit badge, it can be used towards the total badges necessary to make Eagle.
