TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Fire Department at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base has been keeping up its training—but celebrating too. The base fire department just earned a special honor.
Firefighters from around the region were at Davis-Monthan Wednesday learning to work well with each other; and they’re working with an award winning fire department. The Davis Monthan Fire Department is the best medium sized fire department in the whole Defense Department.
Davis-Monthan is about to turn a hundred years old. D-M’s Fire Department was born with the base.
Techniques and gear have changed as the challenges have grown. Firefighters at D-M train for the same sort of fire and medical calls most departments do, but Assistant Chief Fred Itule says they have to be ready for the special world of an Air Force base too.
“We have to deal with aircraft. We have to deal with weapons and munitions, bombs, things like that, as well as the structural side, which is dealing with houses. And most of our calls are medical these days.”
Davis-Monthan’s Fire Department is a combination of uniformed Air Force, and Federal civilian employees. In a profession where thorough training and sharp performance save lives, the D-M firefighters beat out other firefighters from the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard to be named the best medium sized department in the entire U.S. military.
Senior Master Sergeant Zachary Sielaff put together the presentation on the department's training and performance. He watched the department declared the best of its kind in the Air Force, then the email popped in that said D-M Fire is the best Medium Sized department in the entire DOD.
“It was emotional. It's kind of like a yes, let's go. But it means more to me for these guys I'm surrounded with every single day, I just write down what these guys do every day. They're the ones that go out there, put in the work, day in and day out, and make this organization such an exceptional place to work at.”
