Exercises

An Air Force Unit Conducts Combat-Oriented Intensive Training (实战化强训) in Basic Firefighting Capabilities to Temper Officers and Soldiers

空军某部开展消防基础能力实战化强训为官兵加钢淬火

PLA Daily (解放军报) 27 June 2026

Summary

An unnamed PLA Air Force unit ran a one-month tiered firefighting training program at an airfield, organized by firefighting specialist Zhang Guangcheng, covering six personnel categories from flight support command staff to grassroots soldiers in hose handling, protective equipment, and emergency response exercises. The article documents a recurring airfield support readiness problem: non-specialist personnel at aviation bases lack baseline firefighting competency, and the unit's explicit five-link framework ('personnel, equipment, cases, training, methods') confirms this is a structured remediation effort rather than ad hoc drill. It fits a broader PLA Air Force pattern of formalizing combat support functions—here airfield fire response—that were previously treated as secondary to primary mission training.

Translation

In order to further enhance the firefighting safety awareness and emergency firefighting response capabilities of unit officers and soldiers, an Air Force unit has in recent days organized support personnel to conduct a one-month combat-oriented intensive training (实战化强训) in basic firefighting capabilities.

Fire truck deployment. Photo by Huang Rongkai.

"In the early stages of a fire, what can non-professional firefighters do?" At the comprehensive training ground, firefighting specialist backbone Zhang Guangcheng conducted instruction for grassroots officers and soldiers, drawing on the characteristics of airfield firefighting and typical cases. Fire hose connection and use, firefighting protective clothing, air breathing apparatus donning and wearing… Firefighting specialist backbones and grassroots officers and soldiers were organized into groups, with each training subject demonstrated and explained one by one, allowing grassroots officers and soldiers to immerse themselves in learning basic firefighting skills.

Firefighting water-jet posture training. Photo by Huang Rongkai.

Fire hose connection and use training. Photo by Huang Rongkai.

Air breathing apparatus donning and use training. Photo by Huang Rongkai.

"Firefighting rescue and support capability bears directly on the lives of our comrades and the security of state property. We are focusing squarely on five key links: 'personnel, equipment, cases, training, and methods' (人、装、案、训、法). The Party committee takes the lead in scientifically coordinating and rigorously implementing the training. In accordance with firefighting support capability level requirements, six categories of personnel—flight support command staff officers, 'three-rescue' (三抢) emergency response detachments, full-time firefighters, part-time firefighters, and grassroots officers and soldiers—are organized into groups and trained in tiers. Through systematic study of laws and regulations and theory, special inspection and maintenance of firefighting facilities and equipment, and comprehensive firefighting emergency response exercises, the unit's emergency response capability is being enhanced across multiple dimensions." The unit leadership provided this introduction. Participating officers and soldiers expressed that they would further strengthen their sense of responsibility and duty, enhance safety awareness, and improve coordinated support capabilities.

Through this intensive training, officers and soldiers have been effectively guided to master basic firefighting skills such as fire prevention and fire suppression, laying a solid foundation for improving the quality and effectiveness of training for combat readiness (练兵备战).

Original Chinese

为进一步提升部队官兵消防安全意识和消防应急处置能力，连日来，空军某部组织保障官兵开展为期1个月的消防基础能力实战化强训。消防车出动。黄荣开摄 “火灾发生初期，作为非专业消防员，可以做些什么？”在综合训练场，消防专业骨干张光成结合机场消防特点和典型案例，为基层官兵开展授课。消防水带连接使用、消防灭火防护服、空气呼吸器穿戴……消防专业骨干与基层官兵编成小组，逐个课目演示讲解，让基层官兵沉浸学习消防基础技能。消防射水姿势训练。黄荣开摄消防水带连接使用训练。黄荣开摄空气呼吸器穿戴使用训练。黄荣开摄 “消防救援保障能力事关战友生命和国家财产安全，我们重点扭住‘人、装、案、训、法’5个关键环节，党委带头科学统筹严密实施，根据消防保障能力等级要求将飞行保障指挥参谋、‘三抢’应急处置分队、专职消防员、兼职消防员、基层官兵等6类人员编组分层施训，通过开展系统性法规理论学习、消防设施器材专项检查维护和消防应急综合处置演练等手段，多维提升部队应急处置能力。”该部领导介绍。参训官兵纷纷表示，要进一步强化责任担当，增强安全意识，提升协同保障能力。通过此次强训，有效引导官兵掌握防火、灭火等基础消防技能，为提升练兵备战质效打下坚实的基础。