RAF Fairford Fire Department

== Area Served ==
Royal Air Force Fairford or RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located southeast of the Town of Fairford in Gloucestershire, some 94.4 kilometers (58.7 miles) northwest of the City of Bristol, in southwest England, United Kingdom. Despite its status as a RAF station, the base has been almost continuously in use by the United States Air Force (USAF) since 1950, and has been classified a Forward Operating Location (FOL) since the 1990s. The field has been made available to the United States by the UK Government as the only European air base for heavy bombers. RAF Fairford is currently the home of the 420th Air Base Squadron, the host unit assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA).
== Department Profile ==
Aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF), structure firefighting, emergency medical services, hazmat services, fire prevention and inspection for RAF Fairford is provided by the 422nd Fire Emergency Services Detachment / Fairford Fire Department, a subordinate unit of the 422nd Air Base Group / 501st Combat Support Wing, comprised of British civilian firefighters augmented by deployed US service personnel / firefighters.
== History ==
RAF Fairford opened on 18 January 1944 to accommodate British Short Stirling bombers and Horsa gliders for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. After the war, the base experienced many transitions until July 1, 1951 when the station was officially transferred to the US Air Force for strategic bomber operations. In 1977 the United States Air Force realized it needed more tankers in the European theatre to support the growing numbers of NATO aircraft in Europe, and to supplement the tankers already based at RAF Mildenhall. After much study, RAF Fairford was chosen as the new base. In 1990, the station was returned by the USAF to standby status, and upgraded to 'limited use' in the mid-1990s. Because of its strategic location and infrastructure, Fairford was subsequently designated as a forward operating location for the US bomber fleet. In addition, air refueling tankers from SAC, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve units rotate to RAF Fairford to conduct air-refueling operations in Europe under the European Tanker Task Force. Since September 2019, the base has played host to a Lockheed U-2S Dragon Lady high altitude reconnaissance aircraft detachment from Beale AFB, CA. RAF Fairford annually hosts the world's largest military airshow called the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT); typically held in July.
==Apparatus Roster==
All pump/tank measurements are in US gallons.
===Fire Station -===
:Fire Chief - Chevrolet Blazer
:Squad 5 (AF14C00038) - 2015 Ford F-550 4x4 / KME P-34 RIV (UHP/500/15A/56B)
:Crash 6 - 2020 Rosenbauer Panther 6x6 ARFF (2100/3000/400F/500 lbs. PK/460 lbs. Halotron)
:Crash 7 - 1994 E-One / Teledyne P-23 8x8 ARFF (2000/3300/500B/500 lbs. PK) 
:Squad 8 (AF14C00031) - 2014 Ford F-550 4x4 / KME P-34 RIV (UHP/500/15A/56B)
:Engine 9 - 2021 Pierce Saber 6010 P-24 4x4 (1250/500/2x25F) (SN#33996-04)
:Engine 11 (AF10L00883) - 2010 Pierce Contender P-22 (1250/750/25A/25B)
:Engine 12 - E-One
:Tanker 17 - International 4400 6x6 / Pierce Contender P-26 dryside (1250/4000)
=== Assignment Unknown ===
: (AF10L00898) - 2010 Pierce Contender P-24 4x4 pumper (1250/750/2x25F) (Ex-Engine 9)
==Retired Apparatus==
:(94L118) - 1994 E-One / Teledyne P-23 8x8 ARFF (2000/3300/500B/500 lbs. PK) (Ex-Crash 6)
:1992 KME KFT-12 P-24 4x4 pumper (1000/600/55F) (Ex-Engine 9) 
:Oshkosh Ti-3000 6x6 ARFF (1500/3000/420F/500 lbs. DC) (Ex-Crash 8)
:Oshkosh P-15 8x8 ARFF (2x1250/6100/515F/1x1200 turret) (Ex-Crash 5)
:FWD / Quality Manufacturing P-2 8x8 ARFF (1400/2300/200F) (Ex-Crash 7)
==Station Map==
Category:Gloucestershire
Category:US Air Force Fire Departments
Category:Military fire departments (Extra-Territorial)
Category:Military departments operating Rosenbauer apparatus
Category:Military departments operating Pierce apparatus
Category:Former military operators of E-One apparatus (United States)
Category:Former military operators of Oshkosh apparatus