Okinawa City, Japan -- Members from Kadena Air Base and the Okinawa City Fire Department participated in a hazardous materials incident exercise for the first time, Dec. 8, at the Okinawa City Civic Center.

The exercise was held to strengthen bilateral capabilities between the fire departments so they can be called upon at any time as part of a mutual aid agreement to provide emergency assistance to one another.

"We are doing this exercise to better ourselves," said Yasuaki Nakama, Okinawa City Fire Department rescue crew chief. "Right now we are testing to see how well we can work together and find out where there is room for improvement."

First responders from the OCFD arrived on scene of a simulated chemical spill to assess the conditions of the incident, determine what the spilled material was and what equipment and manpower was needed to make the area safe.

Shortly after, a team of six members from Kadena Air Base, comprised of two Airmen and four local national contractors, was dispatched to provide aid. While firefighters from both departments work just miles apart, this was the first time many of the participants had the opportunity to meet and work side-by-side with their neighbors.

"In case they're needed or we're needed, we can call them or vice versa," said Tech. Sgt. Caleb Dacay, 18th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Emergency Service Flight assistant chief of training. "It's a great opportunity to learn from each other and work together to get the job done."

While each department provides similar fire prevention skills, each has specialized assets to offer one another. The Okinawa City firefighters can provide extensive search and rescue capabilities and Kadena members can respond with additional biohazard disaster relief personnel and equipment.

The Kadena Fire Emergency Service Flight is slated to continue bilateral training with other agencies in the upcoming months, including fire departments from Sesebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture, and Yokusuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Whether extra manpower is needed to douse a large scale fire on base or provide natural disaster relief near a local school, Dacay said that both departments have each other's backs.