The 'Commissioner' is ready to burn

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Thomas Dow
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  The 5th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department and Minot AFB welcomed a much anticipated training facility during a ribbon cutting ceremony here June 7.

The newly constructed trainer, named "The Commissioner", is the largest fire training facility in the Air Force and only one of two AF fire trainers of its kind. The five-story fire facility is able to burn Class A (wood) on the second floor and Class B (propane) fires on the bottom. It has Class B props that are interchangeable and can be configured into six different scenarios that include stoves, compressed gas cylinders, beds, sofas, etc.

Though there are 66 "Commissioner" trainers in the Department of Defense, this is only the second one that is built thus far in the Air Force.

"This is a great day for our fire department, our base and our community," said Col. James M. Gallagher, 5th Mission Support Group commander. "And that's because of our CE Squadron and Fire department. It's their vision to have things like this."

According to Lt. Col. Monte Harner, 5th Civil Engineer Squadron commander, the trainer is the perfect tool to increase preparedness and skill or our Airmen responding to fire emergencies and ultimately save lives and property.

The multi-use structure provides an ability to train firefighters at all levels, from hose evolutions to command and control scenarios. It has movable walls to change room layout and can test firefighter skills conducting search patterns and victim locating in blackout conditions. It provides opportunity for forcible entry training, confined space rescue and offers realistic and scenario based sounds during training to add to the realism.

It also has reinforced, roof-mounted anchor points which allows an array of rescue scenarios from standard rappelling to advanced double-little lowering techniques, which Airmen from the 5th CES fire department demonstrated during the ceremony.

"The completion of this structural trainer is a testament to the Air Forces continued commitment to ensure our fire fighters have the capability to train as we fight," said Colonel Harner.

According to Colonel Harner, the new structure is not just for the base personnel. It offers a perfect opportunity for joint training and continuing the strong partnership of Team Minot.

"This trainer is a $1.2 million investment not only into the readiness of Minot Air Force Base firefighters, but also into the local fire departments throughout our local community," said Harner. "It increases additional training opportunities for our 23 mutual aid partners providing fire protection for the city of Minot and other rural communities spread throughout the 8,500-square-mile missile field."

"Ultimately this investment will better prepare our firefighters. The realistic training it provides will directly translate into more efficient emergency responses, increased safety of our firefighters, and improved protection for Team Minot and the local communities," said Harner.