Eglin’s Duke-based firefighters received a hands-on briefing and an up-close look at the aircraft, the power system, batteries, shutdown procedures and how to handle an accident or emergency.

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Upon the imminent arrival of Eglin’s first electric aircraft, the 96th Test Wing fire department began creating emergency response procedures to ensure they were ready.

To do this, firefighters assigned to the Duke Field fire station teamed up with BETA Technologies to learn all they could about the electric battery-powered aircraft. The fire department had plenty of procedures for all manner of aircraft and they could pull from other bases, but due to the novelty of the E-aircraft, something new had to be created.

Eglin firefighters traveled to BETA’s headquarters in Vermont to work directly with the aircraft’s designers and created what is now their response strategy for the Alia aircraft.

A few days after Alia’s arrival, Eglin’s Duke-based firefighters received a hands-on briefing and an up-close look at the aircraft, the power system, batteries, shutdown procedures and how to handle an accident or emergency.