JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. -- JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. — Joint Base Charleston’s 628th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Prevention Team earned the Department of War Outstanding Fire Prevention Program of the Year Award and will formally accept the honor this July during the 2026 Senior Fire Officer Training Summit in Reno, Nevada.
The Outstanding Fire Prevention Program of the Year award is the highest honor attainable in its category. One of only nine awards presented at the DoW level, it recognizes exceptional performance, mission readiness and sustained excellence in fire prevention.
“The biggest reward is knowing we’re making this community a safer place,” said Christopher Shaw, 628th CES Fire Prevention Team assistant fire chief. “The community was, is and always will be our top priority.”
The Fire Prevention team is composed of a lean group of dedicated professionals whose decades of experience and extensive expertise support a shared mission of protecting the Joint Base Charleston community.
Over the past year, the team completed 896 annual inspections, conducted 82 training events, and led outreach programs that educated more than 12,000 residents on fire prevention strategies. Team members also identified 290 fire safety deficits and hazards, eliminating 166 risks and helping safeguard more than 132,000 personnel.
“We are eager to capitalize on the momentum we built this past year,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Kapulskyagnew, 628th CES Fire Prevention Team noncommissioned officer in charge. “For this team, “good” is never the baseline. Our objective is excellence, and we have our sights set on reaching the same heights next year.”
Through diligent inspections, proactive community engagement and an unwavering commitment to the mission, the Fire Prevention Team continues to strengthen the installation’s safety posture and protect the community it serves.