Dover firefighters know all about 'running towards danger'

Published June 13, 2011
By Airman 1st Class Jacob Morgan
436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- An aircraft can burn at more than 5,600 degrees Fahrenheit -- enough to obliterate everything in its path. If this fire spreads it could take down the entire flightline.

While most service members would be scrambling away, the firefighters of the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron head directly to the emergency.

"Our job is pretty intense," said Staff Sgt. Matthew Varchetto, 436th CES fire protection crew chief. "Stressful scenarios are coupled with the physical and mental challenge of long days, recurring training and staying physically fit."

The road to becoming an Air Force firefighter begins at technical school at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas. The course is 64 training days long and consists of different situations including emergency medical, hazardous materials and live-burning structure and aircraft rescue. After tech school, multiple DoD firefighter certifications are required to remain in the career field and the training continues until a firefighter retires or leaves the Air Force.

"When firefighters arrive on-scene, it's like skydiving; we only get one chance to do it right," said Rodney Coleman, 436th CES fire chief. "That is why firefighters train so hard and so often. Our customers want us to make their problem go away."

Each crew works a 24-hour shift, one day on, and one off, said Sergeant Varchetto. Staying fit is an extremely important part of the job and goes hand-in-hand with training. Every morning, the crew coming on shift wakes up to a two-mile run, two hours before their shift starts. They follow up the morning workout with an afternoon weightlifting session.

"I know firefighters who have pulled 300 pound people out of burning buildings on their shoulders," said Sergeant Varchetto. "Sometimes it happens, and you can't just say, 'I'm not strong enough.'"

Staying fit and training non-stop allows firefighters to be ready at a moment's notice. Mr. Coleman said base firefighters exit the fire station in full gear and ready to go within a minute of an official emergency call.

This means the members on duty, at least 15 at all times, must be ready. They are divided into crews and assigned fire trucks. Seventy percent of all assets are dedicated to the flightline and 30 percent are dedicated to other emergencies; however, during an emergency, all assets can be dedicated to either side.

"We respond to hazardous materials, automobiles, fires, fuel spills, medical, automatic fire alarms and aircraft emergencies to name a few," said Mr. Coleman. "We average four to five aircraft emergencies a month, plus numerous medical emergencies and fire alarm activations."

The career field is unique because firefighters are always on duty and the fire house never closes, said Sergeant Varchetto. "The camaraderie is outstanding and unmatched, it's like having two families."

This firefighting family extends outside of Dover AFB all the way to civilian firefighters around the world. This is why firefighters from the 436 CES formed the Eagle Fire Fighters Association. The association is dedicated to taking care of each other and fundraising for charities and other events. The latest project is a memorial dedicated to the firefighters and all who died on Sept. 11, 2001 in New York City.

Complete with two pieces of steel from the former New York City World Trade Center, the memorial is tentatively scheduled to be dedicated on September 11, 2011 at the Air Mobility Command Museum.

"Our firefighters personify the Air Force fire protection motto," said Mr. Coleman. "They have the 'desire to serve, ability to perform and courage to act.'"