AEDC Fire Department among best in AFMC

  • Published
  • By Shawn Jacobs
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  The Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) Fire Department has been selected as the Air Force Materiel Command's (AFMC) Small Fire Department of the Year for 2010.

The department will now compete in the same category among the various major commands at the Air Force level. The winners at that competition will vie for honors across all levels of the Department of Defense (DoD).

"It's an annual competition," AEDC Fire Chief Daryle Lopes said. "The package is put together with information on categories like customer service, department-level awards, accreditation, certifications and other recognition that you might get, innovative actions within your department, health and safety initiatives on the firefighters' side, quality of life efforts and other information."

Lopes said the Air Force-wide winners will be announced at the Air Force Civil Engineer's luncheon in Washington, with the DoD winners announced in Atlanta in August.

"I've been involved in one fire department that went all the way to DoD and that was at Little Rock AFB in Arkansas," Lopes said. "The recognition is cool as far as other people seeing our department is strong and doing a good job, but I like to think of it as a way to pat the men and women in the department on the back for really doing an excellent body of work."

Col. Robert Bender, chief of AEDC's Mission Support Division, said he is excited for the fire department.

"They work hard all the time," he said. "Command-level competitions are very, very tough, so I think it's fantastic. This win means our fire department has excelled. Additionally, I'm really glad that AFMC competitions are blind to whether it was a contractor- or government-manned fire department. We at Arnold are a 'one team, one fight' organization, and I could not be prouder."

Colonel Bender called the department "unsung heroes" for the job they do every day on base.

"You never think about firefighters until the day you need them, and the day you need them you're glad they're there," he said. "The support that we give responding to fires in the community is just really superb. Additionally, employees on this base should sense what a great insurance policy we have with our fire department; that sense allows us to go to work knowing that if there is an emergency that we have the best team in the AFMC that's going to come get you.

"We have a great partnership with ATA (Aerospace Testing Alliance) and the military. I know the team works hard every day, between our firemen and Security Forces and all those professionals over there that don't do the test missions but make sure that they come off, and I'm proud of all of our support entities."

Lopes praised his employees from top to bottom of the chain of command but said many other entities deserve credit, too.

"There's a lot to be said about the support that we get from other people; Security Forces are great friends to us, our mutual aid partners outside the gate are great friends to us and they're part of our strength," he said. "The leadership at ATA and the Air Force are very supportive of us.

"The way that ATA and the Air Force work together to try to keep us well cared for and supplied is awesome. The quality of life change when we got the new fire station is awesome, and that's one of the examples how other people work together for the good of the fire department. When these guys have that excellent living environment, it translates to good ops."

Odell "Crutch" Crutchfield, firefighter/crew chief and chief steward of Local I-14, a member of the Air Engineering Metal Trades Council (AEMTC), said the department's rank and file personnel are pleased and humbled that the AFMC recognized what they do.

"It's a small base, but this past year we did respond to several incidents in which life-preserving measures were accomplished," he said. "It's all a team effort. There is no big 'I' or little 'U' here, and that's what makes us a special department and makes it so enjoyable to work here.

"Everybody's working together and we accept the honor as a team, including the fire officers, our secretary, paramedics, firefighters, dispatchers and everybody. As emergency responders ... there to try to make the best of a bad situation, you realize you've got grace and mercy coming from a higher source. That understanding further strengthens our resolve and purpose in service."

Neil Felver, DoD Emergency Management and Fire Department program manager at AEDC, joined other officials in expressing his congratulations.

"I am so proud of Chief Lopes, his firemen and the paramedics for this outstanding accomplishment," he said. "Their dedication and willingness to go the extra mile truly sets them apart from the rest of the AFMC fire departments. I look forward to hopefully congratulating them again as they compete for the Air Force Best Small Fire Department."