Parris Island Christmas Tree Burn

BEAUFORT, SC, UNITED STATES
02.01.2019
Photo by Lance Cpl. Shane Manson
Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island 

Sgt. Maj. William Carter, the sergeant major of Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, uses a World War II – era M2 flame thrower to burn last season’s Christmas trees at Elliot’s Beach Feb. 1, 2019. The fire department sponsors the event annually aboard the depot. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Shane T. Manson)

USAG RP fire department receives 2018 IMCOM-Europe awards

Courtesy Photo | U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department was distinguished as the Installation Management Command Directorate-Europe's 2018 Large Fire Department of the Year. The team of 203 firefighters protects IMCOM-Europe largest garrison of 41,000 people on 29 sites. (Courtesy Photo Illustration)

KAISERSLAUTERN, RP, GERMANY

02.08.2019

Story by Mary Davis 

U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz  

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department has once again proven its dedication to military and local communities with two Installation Management Command Directorate-Europe awards.

Germersheim Army Depot Firefighter Sven Mayer recently earned the 2018 IMCOM-Europe Emergency Medical Service Provider of the Year and the USAG RP Fire Department was named IMCOM-Europe’s 2018 Large Fire Department of the Year.

Mayer began his career as a garrison firefighter in 2008 and later became an emergency medical technician in December 2014 because he enjoyed helping people.

“My interest in medical care started through a colleague I knew in Heidelberg,” Mayer explained. “I wanted to learn more so I could provide more assistance.”

His penchant for learning was evident in his completion of several Regional Fire Training Center certifications and National Incident Management Systems accreditations, ensuring compliance with host nation and U.S. training requirements. 

“I try to pass on my knowledge to colleagues so we can do a good job as a team,” said the EMT, who volunteers as a civilian firefighter and German Red Cross volunteer in his off-duty time.

Although there were many reasons why Mayer won the award, one event stood out – he saved someone’s life.

Last year, Mayer and his team responded to a medical emergency on GAD where an individual suffered a severe cardiovascular episode. When the team arrived, the victim was not breathing and lacked a pulse. Mayer went to work providing CPR and successfully used an automatic external defibrillator to restart the victim’s heart to save his life. A doctor who attended the individual later said the team had performed their work flawlessly.

“Mr. Mayer is an outstanding firefighter who is committed to serving the Army,” said USAG RP Fire Chief Marshall Fiedler. “There’s no better feeling than knowing that we saved a man’s life that day. It’s something that all firefighters of USAG Rheinland-Pfalz can be proud of.”

While being a firefighter and EMT is tough work, Mayer said he enjoys his work because “it’s an important and well-respected job in our society, and through my work, I feel I can give something back.”

The USAG RP DES Fire Department also received accolades for protecting IMCOM-Europe’s largest garrison of 41,000 people on 29 sites.

In 2018, garrison fire department professionals responded to more than 900 calls for service to include 22 fires with no loss of life. Its fast-acting fire teams traveled great distances demonstrating an aggregate response time at 88 percent compliance rate – the best in Europe. 

Garrison firefighters responded to several emergency calls to include a solar panel fire atop an 850-square-kilometer facility. Their expertise and quick actions resulted in less than $80,000 in building damage. Fire teams also conducted 385 fire drills in garrison facilities and led 14 joint exercises with local communities.

Always committed to professional development, garrison fire teams earned 65 certifications and received 35 NIMS accreditations online, saving more than $20,000 in training funds. Garrison fire departments also implemented a job qualification standard so newly hired firefighters were armed with knowledge and skills prior to formal training to enhance their qualifications and duty performance.

“I’m very proud to be a part of our firefighters, fire officers and our organization. Our department is young and has rapidly grown with the garrison,” Fiedler said. “Each member of our team continues to impress me as we strive each day to provide the best customer service possible to our Soldiers, Army families and civilians. We are looking forward to making more progress and continue to work to serve our community.”

Good luck to Mayer and the garrison fire department as they compete at the IMCOM headquarters level.

Coast Guard rescues three divers off Maunaloa Bay

Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Amanda Levasseur | A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Honolulu located and recovered the men from the water and then towed their disabled, 20-foot Wellcraft to Ala Wai Harbor. 
(U.S. Coast Guard photo by Fireman Logan Breskin/Released)

HONOLULU, HI, UNITED STATES

02.04.2019

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Amanda Levasseur 

U.S. Coast Guard District 14 Hawaii Pacific  

HONOLULU — Coast Guard crewmembers rescued three divers off Maunaloa Bay, Monday. 

A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Honolulu located and recovered the men from the water and towed their disabled, 20-foot Wellcraft to Ala Wai Harbor. 

“Our crews are always ready to respond to matters of distress on our waterways,”  said Senior Chief Petty Officer Dustin Costa, a Sector Honolulu command duty officer. “It is important for people to realize when they need help, be proactive and report it. Just like this gentleman did.”

At 10:05 a.m., watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu command center received a call from Hawaii Fire Department notifying them of a disabled vessel about two miles offshore Kahala Hilton. The watchstanders called the vessel captain and learned he lost contact with three recreational divers in the water. This call prompted the launch of the RB-M crew from Honolulu and the MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew and an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Air Station Barbers Point to respond. 

Weather on scene was reportedly winds of over 20 mph and seas up to 5 feet.

In a second case off Maui Monday morning, Coast Guard watchstanders learned of a 63-year-old man in distress reported by the master of the vessel he was aboard. The man was reportedly struggling to breathe following a snorkeling outing. The Coast Guard duty flight surgeon was contacted and recommended a medevac. A Coast Guard Station Maui small boat crew, already underway for training, diverted to respond, rendezvous with the vessel Calypso and safely delivered the man in a stable condition to awaiting emergency medical personnel at Kihei Boat Ramp. 

Fire Department protects and serves the Fort Indiantown Gap community

Members of the Fort Indiantown Gap Fire & Emergency Services section pose in the vehicle bay of their headquarters building at Fort Indiantown Gap Jan. 25, 2019. From left to right: firefighter Robert McCann, firefighter William Gaiski, firefighter Daryl Spitler, fire chief Donald Wilson, firefighter Scott Huggins, and assistant fire chief Corwin Bomgardner. Photo by Sgt. Shane Smith

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PA, UNITED STATES
02.04.2019
Story by Sgt. Shane Smith
Fort Indiantown Gap 


FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Each year throughout the United States fires kill or injure thousands and destroy billions of dollars in property. But the individuals training, working and living here on post can rest easy knowing that a department of highly capable firefighters is working day and night to ensure the safety of the installation as a whole.

The department provides 24 hour emergency services, seven days a week to Fort Indiantown Gap personnel and property. Utilizing fire vehicles and installed fire protection systems, its firefighter's control, neutralize, mitigate, or extinguish any fire or emergency situation that occurs on installation property.

The Fort Indiantown Gap Fire & Emergency Services section provides a much broader range of services to the community than what most may expect. Such services include structural fire protection, aircraft rescue firefighting, wildland emergency fire response, emergency medical services, confined space rescue, operations-level hazardous materials response, a variety of fire prevention services, and rescue services including vehicle extrication and search and water rescue.

Chief Donald Wilson, Fort Indiantown Gap’s fire chief, describes the importance of having an on-post fire department.

“Fort Indiantown Gap is as big as some municipalities. To put it in perspective, the installation has its own water department, sewer department, electric company, phone and cable companies, airport and even private residences,” said Wilson. “It’s also the top National Guard training center in the country, so there’s a lot of throughputs here. It’s really its own community.”

The installation also has on-post ammunition storage sites, fuel storage sites and aviation facilities.

“It’s because of factors such as these that there’s required response times that we must meet. For an aircraft-related incident there’s a response time of just three minutes,” explained Wilson. “Incidents such as these that require such rapid responses are one of the main reasons an on-post fire department is so necessary. It wouldn’t be possible to do what’s expected of us without being stationed so nearby, ready to respond when needed.”

In addition to being responsible for the protection of an entire installation, the Fort Indiantown Gap Fire & Emergency Services section also has mutual aid agreements with five surrounding fire stations.

“Currently there’s a statewide crisis in manning for the volunteer fire service,” said Wilson. “Sometimes neighbouring fire departments will request our assistance and we’re happy to provide support when possible, and they’ll do the same for us when we have a major incident here and need additional resources.”

In 2018 the department responded to more than 500 service calls, a significant increase from the previous year. Fifty of those calls resulted in responses to actual fires, while approximately 170 were rescue or EMS-related.

“There’s a lot of change coming in the next few years that we’re excited for,” Wilson said. “The National Guard Bureau has reviewed our installation status reports and risk assessments and determined that we need more equipment to continue to perform our mission successfully. They’ve approved additional equipment for us, so we should be seeing a handful of new vehicles headed our way in the future.”

Currently, the department is utilizing ten vehicles with various capabilities to accomplish its mission. This includes two crash trucks primarily used for aircraft incidents, two fire engines most commonly used for structure fires and automotive accidents, and a brush truck used to respond to wildland and grass fires. Other vehicles at the department’s disposal include a hazardous materials response trailer, two rescue boats used for water rescue operations, and two additional four-wheeled utility vehicles often used for EMS missions and woodland search and rescues.

“But it’s not just the equipment at our disposal, it’s the people making use of that equipment that truly impacts the overall success of our mission,” Wilson stated. “We currently have 15 firefighters on staff, myself excluded. This is the hardest working group of guys I’ve ever worked alongside – they’re truly an incredible team.”

According to Chief Wilson, the state of Pennsylvania has a voluntary firefighter certification program. Of all the fire departments across the commonwealth, less than one percent of those departments have every single one of their firefighters certified.

“This department is part of that one percent, and I’m extremely proud of my team for that,” Wilson boasted with a grin. “They’re an incredible bunch of firefighters and I can honestly say I’d put these guys up against any task and have confidence that they’d get the job done.”

The Fort Indiantown Gap Fire & Emergency Services section is proactive and progressive. The ever-changing and dynamic environment of emergency services presents many complex and demanding challenges to emergency service personnel.

“At the end of the day our job is to provide services that protect the lives of the individuals here at Fort Indiantown Gap,” Wilson stated. “The unique thing about that is it’s not just Soldiers we’re protecting. There’s also Airmen, federal employees, state employees, the general public passing through or visiting the post, veterans, you name it. We strive to give them all the best services possible to protect them from fires, disasters and accidents. We’re really a one-stop shop: an all-hazards agency. It’s our job and we love it.”

Sailor, civilian combine to save life at Fleet Readiness Center Southeast

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Toiete Jackson | 190205-N-DG679-001 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 5, 2019) Fire Chief Mark Brusoe, center, of First Coast Navy Fire Rescue, presented certificates of appreciation today to Naval Air Crewman Mechanical 1st Class Philip Marshall, left, and Flight Test Supervisor Manny Cabal, right, for saving the life of a contractor yesterday who suffered a massive heart attack near Hangar 124. AWF1 Marshall and Cabal called 911 and administered CPR until paramedics arrived. This, Fire Chief Brusoe said, saved the man's life. (U.S. Navy photo by Toiete Jackson/Released)

JACKSONVILLE, FL, UNITED STATES

02.06.2019

Story by Clifford Davis 

Fleet Readiness Center Southeast  

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Naval Air Crewman 1st Class Philip Marshall was stopped by his command’s training lead petty officer a few days ago and asked for his CPR certification card – he could never have imagined how soon that training would prove critical.

Marshall and Fleet Readiness Center Southeast Flight Test Supervisor Manny Cabal put their training into practice Monday, and saved a man’s life who had just suffered a massive heart attack, according to First Coast Navy Fire Rescue Chief Mark Brusoe.

“If CPR hadn’t been started immediately, his family – who is now with him in the hospital – would instead be planning a funeral for next week,” Brusoe said. “But because of what these two guys did, he had a stint put in and he’s recovering.”

Marshall and Cabal both work with the Flight Test crew at FRCSE, a Naval aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul facility. Once an aircraft has been repaired at the facility, it’s their job to inspect it and ensure it’s safe for the pilots to fly.

Monday morning, they were busy moving office furniture when a man came in and asked for the building designation for the hangar in which they work.

“He said, ‘One of my guys is having a heart attack,’” Marshall said.

Marshall ran to assess the situation, and grabbed the nearest coworker to call 911. That was Manny Cabal.

While Cabal called 911, Marshall returned to the victim.

“By the time I got back to him, there was no heartbeat and he was having trouble breathing,” Marshall said.

The pair put the man on his back, and began administering CPR.

“We were trying to feel for a heartbeat, and couldn’t feel one,” Cabal said. “While doing CPR, his heartbeat would come in and out, then it would stop.

“There was once or twice where he tried to gasp for air, and foam came out of his mouth – then he was just gone.”

Just as Marshall is currently, Cabal was once a Naval Air Crewman. Along with free CPR classes he’d taken through FRCSE, Cabal had also been trained to administer it in the Navy.

“The training I received always taught that you don’t stop until the experts arrive,” Cabal said. “And that’s what happened.”

Within minutes, Paramedic Shawn Wardlaw and firefighters Justin Uhrmacher and Joey Fields arrived on the scene.

“We took over CPR and put him on the cardiac monitor,” Wardlaw said. “We saw there was enough cardiac activity that, hopefully, if we shocked him, it would put the heart back on the right rhythm.”

The man’s muscles jolted with the shock. Then … a pulse.

“He got his pulse back, and we quickly loaded him up and took him to the hospital,” Wardlaw said. “He was extremely fortunate.”

Fire Chief Brusoe met with Cabal and Marshall on Tuesday in front of the fire station on board Naval Air Station Jacksonville, to present them with a certificate of appreciation for their actions. Both were happy to learn the man was expected to recover.

“Last night, I’m sure as Marshall did too, I prayed for him that he could go back to his family,” Cabal said. “So that’s great news to hear that he did make it.”