Altus AFB breaks ground on its new Fire Rescue Center

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  • U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Amanda Lovelace Col. Matthew Leard, 97th Air Mobility Wing commander, speaks during the Fire Rescue Center ground breaking ceremony at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Jan. 26. Once complete, the new station will house firefighting equipment and crews, a central fire alarm system, a 24-hour crew, and a colocated emergency communication center for security forces and the fire department.
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ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE – Officials broke ground Jan. 26 on a new construction project at Altus Air Force Base.

The ceremony marked the beginning of an effort to build a new, $21 million Fire Rescue Center, which will double the size of the existing center, the Air Force said in a news release.

As the ceremony began, 2nd Lt. Mitchell Hollman, 97th Civil Engineer Squadron project programmer, shared the significance of the new center with more than 50 airmen and community members in attendance.

“The new Fire Rescue Center will be adequately sized and configured to provide fire protection and firefighting services for base facilities,” said Hollman. “It will also provide aircraft crash rescue and aircraft firefighting services.”

The station will also house firefighting equipment, a central fire alarm system, a 24-hour crew, and an emergency communication center for security forces and the fire department. The center will have five pass-through vehicle bays to support 10 firefighting vehicles.

“Ultimately, this new Fire Rescue Center will be critical to securing the health and well-being of Altus Air Force Base personnel and community,” Hollman said.

Following Hollman’s remarks, Col. Matthew Leard, 97th Air Mobility Wing commander, recognized the team effort that made the project possible.

“It’s really tough to get new buildings in the military,” Leard said. “To do it, it takes a really strong team effort. Not only the team here on the installation but our representatives all the way at the national level and our community partners.”

Concluding the ceremony, the 97th AMW leadership team, state and local civic leaders and members of the Fire Rescue Center construction team performed the “first dig.”

Construction was scheduled to start Monday, with a projected completion date of Aug. 1, 2022.