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Video by Daisuke Sato

USAG Japan, Tokyo firefighters train together to hone lifesaving skills

U.S. Army Garrison - Japan

Dec. 10, 2023 | 2:32

Narration: Firefighters from the Tokyo Fire Department trained together with U.S. Army Garrison Japan Fire and Emergency Services personnel during a recent visit to Sagami General Depot.

Under the guidance of DES instructors, the Tokyo firefighters tested their skills and knowledge by facing a training facility that incorporates real fire.

Interview: Kinichiro Yuse, Rescue Section Chief, Fire Suppression and Rescue Services
We have a training facility similar to the one the U.S. Army has, but theirs has more capabilities when training on heat and smoke operations. So the purpose of our visit here is to be able to experience those capabilities to help determine if it would benefit our department to purchase a similar facility in the future.

Narration: The Tokyo firefighters first received classroom instruction on facility. They then moved to the training site and walked through the inside of the structure to confirm their operational positions for their eventual live training portion.
Next, they experienced a live blaze in the so-called "burn room," where temperatures can reach between 800 and 900 degrees Fahrenheit and there is zero visibility.
They were also divided into groups of two, and each teams was tasked with entering the structure, rescuing a survivor, extinguishing the blaze, and exiting - all while dealing with 250-to 300-degree temperatures inside the elevated container.

Interview: Hisashi Yamada, Counselor/Chief, Fire Suppression and Rescue Service
I experienced the facility myself today and realized how good it is. I would definitely like to my staff to experience training on this facility in hopes of reducing future injuries or fatalities.

Interview: Kenji Takeda, Training Leader, Fire Suppression and Rescue Service
The way fire behaves in modern homes has changed in comparison to older homes, especially the speed at which a house can become completely engulfed in flames. The enhanced realism this training structure provides will help to greatly improve our real-world firefighting operations.

Narration: This marked the first time Tokyo Fire Department personnel were able to train on the installation's facility at Sagami Depot.

Interview: Koki Saito, Training Captain, Fire and Emergency Services, USAG Japan
I believe the Tokyo Fire Department is one of the best in Japan, so it was an honor to host this training for them and for us to work together. As instructors, we were very motivated to provide the training and share our knowledge with them.

Narration: For U.S. Army Garrison Japan, this is XXXX XXXX.