DFAS fire causes ‘minimal disruptions’

[unhappycamper]

Tokyo Metropolitan Fire Department trucks pull to the front of the DFAS Japan office on Yokota Tuesday night. Japanese and American firefighters working in shifts, battled the massive blaze throughout the night.


DFAS fire causes ‘minimal disruptions’
By Vince Little, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Sunday, January 25, 2009

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — More than 100 original documents containing customer and support vendor information were lost in the fire that destroyed the Defense Finance and Accounting Service Japan building last week and will have to be resubmitted, officials said Friday.

Tom LaRock, the DFAS deputy director of corporate communications based out of Virginia, said all other critical records and paperwork — including checks, treasury bonds and classified material — were in a fireproof vault and salvaged by officials.

"Contingency plans have been activated and Service customers have been contacted," he said in an e-mail to Stars and Stripes. "We expect minimal disruption to their operations." All documents required for accounts payable processing may be retrieved electronically, LaRock added.

The DFAS Japan facility, one of two on base, was empty when the blaze broke out at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. About 115 people worked in the one-story building, across the street from Yokota’s flight line. No one was hurt.

It took firefighters two days to extinguish all the hot spots and embers in the rubble, base officials said. Overall damage was estimated at $13.5 million.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60226