ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- In honor of Fire Prevention Week, Airmen from the 97th Civil Engineer Squadron hosted events to train and educate the community on fire safety at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Oct. 7-12, 2024.
Fire Prevention Week was started by the National Fire Protection Association in 1922 after The Great Chicago Fire. This year's theme is “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!”, which emphasizes the importance of having functional smoke alarms in homes to prevent fire-related fatalities.
The 97th CES fire team kicked off the week by bringing their equipment and trucks to L. Mendel Rivers Elementary School and the Child Development Center. The children were able to tour the fire trucks, learn about preventative procedures, and meet Sparky, the Fire Prevention Week mascot.
On Wednesday, Oct. 9, the 97th CES fire team took to the training fields to perform a live fire exercise along with base leadership. Airmen and families around the base gathered at the live fire training ground to see the teams distinguish large flames from a controlled aircraft fire.
“Live fire burns are important for firefighters because we need to practice how we play,” said Senior Airman Korin Bushong, 97th CES driver operator. ”If an aircraft is going to catch on fire, we need to know exactly how to deal with the situation. Even though the scenario might not be the same today, the actions that the firefighters will perform are.”
The events continued with an Eagles and Chiefs Challenge where base leadership went head-to-head in a race to see who could crawl through a fire-training shipping container the fastest. The objective was to save a mannequin at the other end of the container. This gave leadership a glimpse of what firemen go through in a real-world situation.
Altus AFB’s Fire Prevention Week will conclude with a parade around base housing and a tour of the new Fire Station on Saturday, Oct. 12, at 10 a.m.
“I think Fire Prevention Week is going very well. It’s a great time for us to get out to the public and let them know what our mission is, here at Altus Air Force Base,” said Justin Shipman, 97th CES assistant chief for fire prevention. “Also, if you have an emergency, when in doubt call 911, you can always count on first responders.”