Cultural asset protection training with Ashigara's Firefighting Union/Ōi

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1202080028/

February 9, 2012

Firefighters spray water.

On the 8th, the Ashigara Firefighters Union held a cultural asset protection drill at the Mishima Temple in the town of Ōi, Kamioi. In addition, a combined 40 of Ōi's volunteer firefighters and officials from the town of Matsuda participated. The temple contains a designated cultural asset of Kanagawa prefecture, a seated figure of Bhaisajyaguru. In order to defend it against fire damage, the departments received a report from a police box (119) of a fire and cooperated together until confirming it had been extinguished.

The same union has organized training in Minamiashigara City and the 5 towns of the Ashigarakami District, carrying out drills every two years. This year, a fire was imagined to have broken out at the shrine's main building. When the fire occurred, temple staff informed the nearest police station, who carried the treasure to safety. From there, firefighters came rushing to extinguish the fire.

Fire Union Chief Nirayama Shigeru commented: "In order to protect cultural treasures from now on, we would like to deepen our ties with the region in firefighting activity."


Original text

足柄消防組合が文化財保護訓練/大井
2012年2月9日

放水する消防隊員ら

足柄消防組合は８日、大井町上大井の三嶋神社で文化財保護訓練を行った。同組合のほか、町消防団や松田署などから約40人が参加。同神社の県指定重要文化財「薬師如来坐像（ざぞう）」を焼損から防ぐため、１１９番通報から初期消火、放水まで一連の連携体制を確認した。

訓練は同組合を構成する南足柄市と足柄上郡５町で２年ごとに実施している。今年は同神社の社殿から出火したという想定で行われ、火が出ているのに気付いた神社関係者が１１９番通報し、文化財を搬出。初期消火を行った後、駆け付けた消防隊員らが放水した。

同組合の韮山茂消防長は「今後も文化財を守るため、地域とともに防火活動を進めていきたい」と話した。