“I would say that a lot of people think, based on TV shows and movies, that when we are not actually out on a call, we’re just sitting around the fire station.” King said. “We are busy the entire time we are here. We take this time to hone our skills by becoming proficient in unique rescue techniques, updating our Emergency Management Training or paramedic-level continuing education, or the required training established by the Air Force.”
King estimates each of his more than 80 firefighters receives more than 1,000 hours of education a year while on the job. All that training helps make the department members flexible in how they respond to emergencies.
“Most of our guys are multi-faceted in their jobs,” said Joe Ruhe, Special Operations assistant chief who oversees the rescue program. They’re fire; they’re EMS and they’re rescue and HAZMAT."
Ruhe added that about a quarter of the department is also dive-qualified.
“Prior to last year, we only had about 10 divers and then in the last two years we increased by about 20 more people,” Rhue said.
Ruhe said there is more water, and thus a greater need for water rescue, than people might realize.
“We’ve got more water than just the lakes,” he said. There’s quite a few bodies of water on base and then we are also responsible for part of the Mad River behind the base."
The rescue program includes training in vehicle extrication, confined-space, trench and structural collapse rescues in addition to the dive and water.
The diversity of training adds to the diversity of base agencies the fire department assists.
“We help a lot of agencies on base,” Ruhe said. “If it involves more than two agencies, the fire department is going to be there, and we’ll probably be assisting them with setting up their command team and safety.”
According to Larry Osterhage, Fire Prevention assistant chief, the fire department assists security forces, the medical group’s bioenvironmental flight and the base’s emergency management office. The organization they work with regularly is the hospital’s emergency medical services.
When a 911 call is placed on base, it is the fire department that answers the phone. Osterhage explained that if it is an emergency management service call, an engine is dispatched as well as the hospital notified to send an ambulance. Depending on where the emergency is, the firetruck often arrives there first.
“If it’s in Area B, we are there first because they don’t have a pre-staged ambulance in that area,” Osterhage said. “One of the firetrucks in Area B actually has a certified paramedic on it, so they run what is called an advanced life-support engine. This engine has all the bells and whistles as in EMS equipment, like advance life pack and stuff like that where they are putting leads on the patient.”
Osterhage estimates the department averages between 1,000 and 1,200 responses a year, about three or four per day. Distress calls can be either on or off base as the fire department has mutual aid agreements with the surrounding communities.
“We know a lot of the members that work here, have family members here and live in those communities surrounding Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.” King said. “That is why we have established a large mutual aid agreement so we can support our members by supporting their local communities.”
One of those communities is Fairborn and the city’s Fire Chief, David Reichert, said the communities are glad to have the help.
“Most of us aren’t entirely self-sufficient. So, obviously, there are events and situations that can happen that will tax the staffing or the resources of the city.” Reichert said. “We have these agreements in play with our surrounding neighbors to be able to share resources. We work together all the time to help mitigate the larger scale events that we have going on in the city.”
Reichert remembers several times when they were very glad to have the help. One was a trench collapse near Wayne State University.
“Wright-Patt came out with the specialty trench trailer which was a huge resource for us to help stabilize this incident and actually got the gentleman out of the hole, which he was way down into, successfully,” Reichert said. “It was a positive outcome.”
Another time it was the scene of a traffic accident.
“We had a semi-trailer that went off the road where we had a large fuel-spill fire down below Interstate 675.” Reichert said. “They were actually able to bring one of their crash trucks out and made short work of an event that it probably was going to take us a while to get it taken care of.”
Reichert said he respects the skill and professionalism of the base fire department.
We are definitely blessed to have number one, the men of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Fire Department. They are extremely well trained. They train all the time.” Reichert said.
For King, who has been with the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Fire Department for 24 years, and chief for 11 years, being a firefighter was all he ever wanted to do.
“My parents will tell you that I said I was going to be a fireman from the youngest of age that I could speak. I knew I was going to go into the fire service when I graduated high school,” he said. “I love coming to work every day and supporting and doing this job.”
The part he said he likes best is putting service before self.
“It doesn’t matter if you are rich or if you are poor. It doesn’t matter what color of skin that you have or where your origin is.” King said. "When you call, we are coming to help you. We are coming to support you, to put out your fire, provide medical care, or rescue you from whatever location you are trapped in, whether it is a vehicle or a trench, swift water or underwater with our dive team. We are here to serve and protect you.
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