97th Civil Engineer Squadron, Award Winners!

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Seidl
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  The 97th Civil Engineer Squadron is Air Education and Training Command's choice for the Department of Defense Fire Prevention Program of the Year 2009.

Each year, the Department of Defense recognizes outstanding accomplishments and honors fire departments, fire fighters, and heroes through the annual DoD Fire and emergency Services Awards Program.

Altus AFB has been nominated by AETC to compete for the Air Force Fire Prevention Program of the Year. The winner of that competition will represent the Air Force at the DoD level.

"The fire prevention team every day went above and beyond assisting all the employees of the Mighty 97th in performing their fire prevention and safety responsibilities," said Chief Master Sgt. Paul Pitrat, Chief of Altus AFB Fire Emergency Services.

"The competition within AETC was very competitive; all the AETC installations were eligible to compete," he said.

Base nomination packages had to describe significant achievements and contributions in fire prevention inspections, engineering, code compliance, and enforcement, community and public education programs, innovativeness, and an 'other' category.

The Altus AFB Fire Department is responsible for 2.72 million square feet of on and off base facilities, approximately 35,000 military, civilian, tenants and temporary duty personnel, and $441 million of assets; during 2009, Altus lost only $42,000 in assets due to fire or fire related issues. By meeting "Fire Testing of Fire Extinguishing Systems for Protection of Restaurant Cooking Areas" standards, our Altus FD obtained $30,000 to upgrade the Solar Inn. By creating a cost effective solution for an oversight during a suppression system update, the largest hanger on base was restored for a savings of $2.3 million.

Through their fire prevention education, by teaching military family housing tenants fire safety skills, Altus housing occupants stopped six fires in 2009 and saved $900,000. Further, with their mobile training classes supplying 23 hands-on extinguisher classes, 680 personnel were trained in fire suppression. That meant our Altus airmen were ready to respond, and in the course of three government building fires saved our base $295,000.

"Altus' number one key was the fire safety minded employee who work, live and play at Altus AFB," said Chief Pitrat "They are the true fire heroes; they execute the fire prevention program every day and have put out fires before the fires grew into a massive destructive force."