U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) has secured $6.18 million in a House funding bill for a new academic fire instructional facility at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. The Military Construction appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2009 -- including the funding for NAS Whidbey – passed the Appropriations Committee this week and must pass the House and the Senate before it can be signed into law. 

“A new, permanent facility will help servicemen and women at NAS Whidbey train to fight fires on aircraft and be ready for any contingency,” said Larsen. “I will continue working in Congress to deliver federal resources for NAS Whidbey and Island County priorities.”

The $6.18 million Larsen helped secure would be used to replace the current, temporary facilities with a new, permanent 4,600 square foot academic fire instructional facility.  Any crew member who deploys from NAS Whidbey must be trained to put out fires on aircraft.