Personnel Stays Response Ready with Fire Drills

Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Yokosuka Fuels personnel hosted a Mutual Aid Fire Drill that brought together Commander Navy Region Japan (CNRJ) and Yokohama City fire fighters for a joint exercise at Defense Fuel Support Point (DFSP) Tsurumi Nov. 12 in Yokohama, Japan.

On the coastal outskirts of Japan’s second largest city lies a major U.S. naval fuel facility that keeps the 7th Fleet and other Department of Defense (DoD) customers moving at the tip of the spear; to maintain that consistent level of readiness, safety and emergency drills have become second nature.

This particular emergency training scenario involved an “explosion” at DFSP Tsurumi’s tank #301. NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka fuel professionals discovered the simulated fire and reported it to the regional dispatch center, which then triggered CNRJ and local Japanese fire and emergency services to spring into action to control the blaze and protect life and property.

DFSP Tsurumi is one of nine DFSP’s operated by NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka, which has a very significant fuel mission that spans from points in the north Pacific to the Indian Ocean, managing roughly 45 percent of the total Navy fuel in the region.

Understanding the importance of the facility and its mission was not lost on the participants as approximately eight trucks and more than 50 firefighters where on the scene within minutes.

The first responders pulled hoses into place, raised mechanical truck-based nozzles into the air and aimed engine-mounted water cannons toward the simulated blaze. That administered a deluge of water power to combat the heat and flames that would be expected when battling a tank fire in a real-life situation.

The multinational incident response was seamless as all participants executed their duties according to the plans that are in place, which have been practiced regularly.

As the firefighters shut off the water, signaling a successful end to the exercise, they marched across the fuel farm to receive debriefs from their commanders as well as the NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka commanding officer. All leaders explained that events like the one just completed have built a mutual trust between the on- and off-base first responders, which provides the peace of mind that fuel and fire professionals stand ready to deliver.

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Press release, Image US Navy