Photo essay: Lajes fire dept. saves AF $400K annually with new training aid

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chenzira Mallory
  • 65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
LAJES FIELD, Azores --  Firefighters from the 65th Civil Engineer Squadron break in their new structural live fire trainer, Mar. 29, 2013, at Lajes Field, Azores. Portuguese and U.S. firefighters jointly operate the Lajes Fire Department. They respond to emergencies on and off the installation, including base housing and the airfield, which serves NATO, U.S., third country and commercial aircraft.

This new fire trainer saves the Air Force an estimated $400,000 per year in TDY costs and Portuguese overtime pay for off-site training. The Lajes Fire Department also gains more training opportunities to include rappelling and using litters to evacuate incapacitated people from burning buildings. The new structural fire trainer will promote continued professional development of the Portuguese and U.S. firefighters at Lajes Field.

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