USAG Rheinland-Pfalz DES hosts first ERS class, provides crucial training for first responders from across the theater

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany - U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz recently held a week-long emergency reporting class at the Sembach Education Center. The class aimed to offer Installation Management Command-Europe (IMCOM-E) fire departments initial and refresher training on the U.S. Army Enterprise application Emergency Reporting System (ERS) an all-in-one data management and data analytics platform for Army fire and emergency services.

Between July 8 and 12, 28 first responders from seven garrisons throughout Europe including garrisons Ansbach, Bavaria, Italy, Rheinland-Pfalz, Wiesbaden, Stuttgart and Army Support Activity Black Sea (now part of USAG Poland) participated in the class conducted by USAG Rheinland-Pfalz's Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

"This training is needed on a reoccurring basis as new firefighters are hired and promoted into new positions," said Lt. Col. David Castillo, USAG Rheinland-Pfalz's director of emergency services, noting that this initial training will likely pave the way for similar classes in the future.

He explained that the training serves as a "train-the-trainer" session, equipping participants with the necessary skills to train their departments on the different modules within ERS.

"We were thrilled to step up as hosts for this training," he said. "Given that this system acts as the central hub for our fire departments, this training plays a crucial role in ensuring precise data management and enhancing overall quality."

Attending the class provided firefighters with the essential knowledge to effectively monitor and oversee emergency response details, personnel, and equipment. This enhances services for stakeholders of USAG Rheinland-Pfalz and guarantees precision in data submissions to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), Castillo said.

"Our firefighters are able to network and share experiences with fellow Army fire departments," he added. "At the end of the day, this training is going to help further professionalize our emergency service first responders and ultimately enable them to better serve our garrison communities."

USAG Rheinland-Pfalz's Fire and Emergency Services directorate is an all-hazard response agency recognized by IMCOM as the Best Large Fire Department of the Year for 2023 with additional Department of Defense Fire and Emergency Services honors achieved by Deputy Fire Chief Adam J. Montoya, who received the Civilian Fire Officer of the Year, and Interim Training Chief Tobias Lang, who received Fire Service Instructor of the Year for 2023. Fire Chief Gerald Adams was also selected as IMCOM's best Fire Chief for 2023.

You can read more about the DoD Fire and Emergency Services Awards here:

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3764129/dod-announces-winners-of-the-2023-dod-fire-and-emergency-services-awards

U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz serves, supports, and secures the total force community enabling power projection for the European Theater.

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