YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan – Staff Sgt. Larry Gee, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, refuels a Yokota fire truck headed to Fukushima March 15. The truck will be used to assist in recovery efforts in response to the earthquake and tsunami March 11. (U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Andrea Salazar)

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Yokota extends help to firefighters in Fukushima

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan – Staff Sgt. Larry Gee, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, looks on as Nobuhito Takeda, 374th CES fire department driver operator, instructs a group of Japanese firefighters from Fukushima on how to operate a Yokota fire truck March 15. The truck will be used to assist in recovery efforts in response to the earthquake and tsunami March 11. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Andrea Salazar)

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Yokota extends help to firefighters in Fukushima

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan – Nobuhito Takeda, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department driver operator, instructs a group of Japanese firefighters in Fukushima on how to operate a Yokota fire truck March 15. The truck will be used to assist in recovery efforts in response to the earthquake and tsunami March 11. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Andrea Salazar)

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YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan – Japanese firefighters in Fukushima examine the control systems on a Yokota fire truck March 15. The truck will be used to assist with recovery efforts in northern Japan following the earthquake and tsunami March 11. (U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Andrea Salazar)

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Yokota extends help to firefighters in Fukushima

Published March 15, 2011
By 2nd Lt. Christopher Love
374 Airlift Wing/ Public Affairs

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- A team of five Airmen and two Japanese nationals drove through the night March 15 to deliver a fire truck to firefighters in the city of Fukushima. The convoy, consisting of three Yokota vehicles and a police escort, departed the base at 1 a.m. enroute to a training site 50 kilometers from the power plant.

After more than seven hours of traveling, the team delivered the P-22 fire truck to six Japanese firefighters who were standing by. After delivering the fire truck, Nobuhito Takeda, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, instructed those receiving the truck on how to operate it properly. Once the training was complete, the Japanese firefighters thanked the team from Yokota for their help in delivering the truck and the team members began their journey home.

The request for assistance came from Japanese authorities, and it was intended to aid in the recovery efforts following the earthquake and tsunami March 11.