 |
| Cédric Reygaerts, USAG Benelux fire inspector, stands with Belgian elementary school children during an educational visit to learn about emergency services on Chièvres Air Base, Oct. 16, 2021. (U.S. Army photo by Libby Weiler) |
CHIEVRES, WHT, BELGIUM
01.10.2024
Story by Libby Weiler
U.S. Army Garrison Benelux
[Editor’s Note: In this series, we are shining a light on our workforce in and around the Benelux. This Spotlight is on Cédric Reygaerts, fire inspector for U.S. Army Garrison Benelux, who has found a way to merge his work life and personal life together to achieve one mission – taking care of others.]
01.10.2024
Story by Libby Weiler
U.S. Army Garrison Benelux
[Editor’s Note: In this series, we are shining a light on our workforce in and around the Benelux. This Spotlight is on Cédric Reygaerts, fire inspector for U.S. Army Garrison Benelux, who has found a way to merge his work life and personal life together to achieve one mission – taking care of others.]
CHIEVRES, Belgium – Reygaerts, fire inspector for USAG Benelux, whether on the job or volunteering in the community has countless years of experience helping others.
Before his career as a host nation employee, Reygaerts worked as a volunteer firefighter and paramedic in the local Belgian community.
“Since I was 20 years old, I was doing firefighting,” said Reygaerts. “With the system of on call I wouldn’t be available [while at work] so I had to stop.”
After 20 years of volunteering as a firefighter in the Belgian community and 12 years as a paramedic, Reygaerts took his skills to USAG Benelux.
"In the job you learn that you don’t do it for the money, you do it, in fact, for the people,” said Reygaerts.
Helping people is still what he finds himself doing at the garrison. Whether he’s teaching young children at SHAPE International School about fire prevention techniques or working closely with the Corps of Engineers and the local Zaventem fire chief on future developments at Sterrebeek Annex in Brussels, he’s helping to take care of us in the Benelux.
Because of his unique background in the local community, Reygaerts finds himself heavily involved in the training of local firefighters now.
“I go to all the special events. I help them with meetings and special cases. I like to see how we can update our procedures.”
Working for the U.S. Army has also helped him expand the expertise that he can share with others.
“We always take the most stringent regulation,” said Reygaerts. “On USAG we work with Belgian regulations, Army regulations, and U.S. regulations.”
Because of this unique skill set he’s highly sought after as an expert in his field.
Reygaerts works regularly with the U.S. Air Force on Chièvres Air Base helping with firefighter trainings and cross-cultural engagements where the local Belgian fire departments are brought on base. His hope for the future is to include more coordination with host nation fire departments.
“Sometimes I ask host nation [fire] to come by and do a combined exercise,” said Reygaerts. “It helps because they have their own intervention techniques, and we have our own; we learn from each other.”
Although his day-to-day tasks can change in an instant if an emergency were to arise, Reygaerts will always be found lending a helping hand in the Benelux community.
This Spotlight series will continue to tell the stories of our workforce in and around the Benelux. We are the Army’s home - we are IMCOM.
