Ca$hing in on IDEA$

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Tong Duong
  • 17th Training Wing/Public Affairs
Strapped for cash in this economy? Not many Airmen may be aware that there is free money floating around waiting for them to collect. One such Airman at the 17th Civil Engineer Squadron, Goodfellow Air Force Base, did just that.

Airman Christopher Wright, 17 CES fireman submitted an idea to the Air Force Innovative Development through Employee Awareness Program, suggesting the fire department here, purchase new hazardous material suits, which earned Airman Wright a cash award of $8,450 for his approved IDEA.

"The Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency sent us $30,000 to replace the HAZMAT suits in our fire departments inventory," said Airman Wright. "After receiving the specs and pricing on the current suits I realized we could only buy 10 suits. This seemed outrageous, so I did some price shopping to find a better deal. That's when I found the One Suit Pro from Saint Gobain Performance Plastics."

Not only did Airman Wright find new HAZMAT suits at a reduced cost, but it still meets stringent Air Force specifications.

"The One Suit Pro has many advantages. First, it only costs $900 per suit, pending the contract bid, which is one third of the price of the other suits used in the Air Force," he said. "It also covers both National Fire Protection Association 1991 and NFPA 1994 requirements for the suits, which prior to the One Suit, none met the necessary requirements. In the past this meant having to purchase two different types of suits, creating a huge dent in the budget and storage capabilities."

Another benefit of the new suit was that it lasts twice as long with more than seven year's shelf life, extendable to 10 or more years, as long as the suit passes its pressure tests. Previous suits only lasted a maximum of five years and had to be removed, Airman Wright added.

According to Charles Sutherland, 17th Force Support Squadron, Goodfellow IDEA program point of contact, thirty-three of the new suits were purchased at a savings of $1,400 each.

Additional savings of $8,800 was the result of the new suits lasting longer than the previous suits, so less suits needed to be ordered. Total first-year savings for the Air Force was $55,000, he noted.

"I think it is a great tribute to Airman Wright's initiative and understanding of HAZMAT operations. Additionally, it shows that our Airmen, no matter the rank, can make a difference at all levels," said Lt. Col. Michael Beach, 17 CES commander.

Airman Wright recommends the IDEA program to other members of the Air Force.

"It is a great way to get paid a little extra for following one of our greatest Core Values 'Excellence in All We Do," he said. "These IDEAs are what keep us ahead of the game. You might as well get the credit for the IDEA and put some extra change in your wallet."

The Air Force IDEA Program pays up to $10,000 to anyone with a qualifying idea. All Air Force personnel are encouraged to submit their ideas, innovations, patents and scientific achievements, to make operations more efficient, effective and economical. Individuals, teams and groups can submit their ideas as long as they provide a solution to a problem and state the expected benefits of its implementation.

Active-duty Air Force, appropriated funds civilians and reservists on active duty are eligible for monetary awards. Contractors and non-appropriated funds employees are not eligible for monetary awards. However, they are welcome to submit their ideas.

Users can access the IDEA Program Data System from any Air Force computer at https://ipds.randolph.af.mil/.

For more information on the IDEA Program, call Brett Sutherland at (325) 654-3164.