Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue has signed a formal agreement with RAF Croughton’s fire department for both organisations to provide additional resources during an emergency.
It means, during an emergency, the US air force fire crews can help at blazes near Croughton without having to seek formal approval, and Northamptonshire firefighters can enter the base more quickly.
Northamptonshire County Council cabinet member for fire Councillor Andre Gonzalez de Savage said: “The fire crews at RAF Croughton have access to a large array of specialist firefighting equipment that we can tap in to and we’ve called upon them in the past to assist us.
“One example is the East Hadden Hill bus park fire in 2011, when they provided a large dam to hold the water for firefighting and a large capacity water tanker, with personnel, to ferry water from surrounding supplies. We have also previously been called in to assist their fire crews on the air base at incidents including property and vehicle fires.
“I am very pleased that we have properly cemented this agreement as it makes good sense that we can help each other out.”
RAF Croughton, which is close to the border with Oxfordshire, is currently used as a US Air Force communications base.