Photo By Sgt. Natalie Loucks | Fire Academy recruits stand in formation at the opening of the Salman Pak fire station...... read more read more
By Sgt. Natalie Rostek,
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division
FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – A fire station opened in Salman Pak on April 2, the only one of its kind in the entire southern area of the Mada'in Qada, home to approximately 1.2 million citizens.
Leaders of the Mada'in Qada and the 3rd Brigade Combat Team attended the grand opening of the station. The project began six months ago, said Col. Ryan J. Kuhn, from Clarks, Neb., deputy commanding officer of the 3rd BCT.
"This shows how we can work together with the Iraqi security forces and the government of Iraq to put a great facility into a town that has been cut off since 2005," Kuhn said.
In addition to providing fire trucks and equipment to the station, Kuhn said, the GoI has also provided 80 firefighters to work full-time in the facility.
"All we had to do was work with the government of Iraq to build the facility," he said. "They are going to man it and equip it. It's very significant to this fire department. We are very happy to assist and be part of it."
Although not trained firefighters yet, Kuhn said the recruits will attend a three-month course at a training academy in Baghdad.
Emergency calls are routed through the joint security station located near the fire station in Salman Pak, Kuhn said. The JSS is manned by police officers, government officials, emergency services and coalition forces.
"We all work together to ensure the good citizens are provided for," Kuhn said. "This is just a huge step in the right direction. There is security here because of the Iraqis. They have said, 'Enough with the violence. We want to get back to what we need to be doing and that is taking care of our families and providing for all the good people.'"
The 3rd BCT, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 2007.
| Date Taken: | 04.06.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 04.06.2008 20:15 |
| Story ID: | 18136 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, IQ |
| Web Views: | 401 |
| Downloads: | 373 |
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