LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- It’s 3:25 a.m. and the emergency alarm sounds bringing the 19th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department to life.
The men and women of the 19th CES Fire Department rush out of their living quarters, donning 50 to 70 pounds of equipment as they hop in their firetrucks and leave the station to respond to possible life-threatening situations.
“We do everything we can to make sure that when people have their worst days, we are there to help them out,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Christopher Gold, 19th CES fire protection journeyman.
The Little Rock Air Force Base Firefighters work 48-hour shifts - eating, sleeping and training at the fire station. Firefighters perform specialized training tailored to improving emergency response skills by incorporating the use of fire equipment into workouts.
Along with responding to emergency calls, training for real-world and wartime missions, and ensuring vehicles and equipment are fully operational they provide the local community with education services.
“We have multiple community partnerships, not only in the response aspect, but also in fire prevention and fire education,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Christian Lyle, 19th CES assistant chief of operations. “We feel that if we can teach and help to prevent fires, we can help save people from having a bad day.”
On average, the fire department team receives about a 1,000 calls per year ranging from aircraft emergencies and auto accidents to hazardous material emergencies. Since firefighters regularly work together, often in dangerous conditions, a good working relationship is vital.
“We have to communicate effectively when we are out on emergencies. Each person on the team needs to know that we have each other’s back,” Gold said. “Being part of the fire department is being part of a family.”
By the end of the day, the Airmen are able to have some downtime to relax and families are welcome to stop by the station to share a meal, keeping in mind they might have to respond to an emergency at a moment’s notice.
“We live by the motto: if we’re not actively fighting fires, we’re training to fight the fire,” Lyle said. “If we’re not actively supporting the war mission, we’re training to support the war mission.”