Manas firefighters keep base safe

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Phyllis Hanson
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgystan (AFNS) --  Whether protecting the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing's flightline, living quarters or support facilities, firefighters here stand ready to do their job day or night.

It's not an easy job. Manas is an air mobility hub, with aircraft coming and going at all hours of the day. Some carry troops or supplies, others fuel needed to keep an array of aircraft airborne. 

But it's this high operations tempo that makes the 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's contracted firefighters a must. They are an essential element to protecting the base's people and assets, and to do so they have to be ready for anything.  

"Each member actively participates in a mandatory physical fitness program and attends scheduled training within the department ," said Roy Hernandez, chief of fire and emergency services. 

This training includes structural firefighting tactics, aircraft familiarization, confined-space training, aircraft rescue, vehicle familiarization and aircraft egress. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

"In addition to these classes held internally, are those offered through the Air Force Career Development Course, in which 12 Department of Defense certifications have been issued by the Fire and Emergency Services Certification Program to our personnel since our transition from military to civilian back in June 2008," said Chief Hernandez. "That is quite an accomplishment."

When the firefighters are not attending a class or training, they are performing fire prevention surveys, or inspections, averaging about 52 per month.

"The day-to-day operations in a fire department can sometimes be slow, but you learn how to savor those times, as many days are spent training or running calls," said Dustin Miller, who has been a firefighter for 13 years. "A lot of people don't notice us much unless there are calls that they see us on. You have to be ready for anything anytime."

The intensity and job demands create a brotherhood among the firefighters.

"You generally get a pretty strong bond with each other. It has been called a brotherhood by many. You especially tend to get close to the guys on your shift, as you are together constantly on shift. But it doesn't matter what department you work for or where you are from, you are still a firefighter, and that bond is strong, even if you don't know each other," Mr. Miller said. 

And within this brotherhood lies a strong commitment, not only to each other, but to the job. 

"The most satisfying part of the job to me is that when I leave from work, I know I was able to perform my duties to the best of my abilities, and my shift and everyone we dealt with that day all made it home as well," Mr. Miller said. 

Still, having a deployed family doesn't replace the real thing. And these firefighters understand the sacrifices their loved ones back home make - sacrifices that allow them do the job they love.
 
"I know it is hard on my family, not knowing what could happen or when, but they know that this is what I enjoy doing. And that is the one thing that was hard about this deployment - the distance from family," Mr. Miller said. 

Because many are prior Air Force, the firefighters here all have a strong sense of service. But the reasons they became firefighters are as varied as their hat sizes. 

"My mom's father was a volunteer firefighter and I always thought it was neat to see him put the gear on and race to the scene of an emergency," said Daniel Tuttle, who has been a firefighter for five years. "I never really thought I would end up in this career field, but when I entered the Air Force I picked firefighter as one of my choices. When it came up that I was slotted to be a firefighter I was pretty excited about the challenges of the job and to be able to help people at the same time."

There is one thing the firefighters do have in common: Their love for the job and desire to serve. 

"The most satisfying part of my job is being able to help others in need. I get a rush of adrenaline each time I get dispatched to a call. Hearing the sirens scream as we race to the scene is amazing," Mr. Tuttle said. "When everyone else is running from a burning structure and you are the one going inside to help rescue those still inside or fight a fire that is giving off intense heat -- that is what firefighting is all about!"