Suspicious vehicle prompts gate closure at Fairchild Published Dec. 6, 2011 By Scott King 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Fairchild security forces stopped a civilian woman from attempting to enter the base through the outbound lanes Dec. 3 at 11:45 a.m., prompting the base to close the main gate for nearly five hours. The woman was detained by security forces and was later released to the Spokane County Sheriff's Office and Washington State Patrol where she was taken to a local medical facility for evaluation. It was determined that the woman's vehicle should be thoroughly searched, so the 92nd Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was called upon to perform the search. As a precaution, the surrounding area was evacuated by first-responders, including security forces, firefighters and an EOD team. Following that, the vehicle was deemed not to be a threat and the base went back to normal operations. "Our security forces, firefighters and explosive ordinance disposal teams did exactly what they are trained to do -- respond, assess and take the necessary actions to secure the scene," said Col. Mike Hill, 92nd Mission Support Group commander. "They did a fantastic job doing just that." The wing commander appreciates the efforts of all who were involved. "The safety and security of everyone at Fairchild is one of my top priorities, and I'm proud of the way our Airmen responded," said Col. Paul Guemmer, 92nd ARW commander. "It's unfortunate when things like this happen, but it's good to know that 'Team Fairchild' always comes together to resolve any situation that arises -- we truly have a group of highly trained, professional Airmen." The incident remains under investigation.