Photo By Sgt. Shannon Yount | Gabriel Hammett, a prevention officer with fire station 402, Yermo Annex, Marine Corps...... read more read more
MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif. - At the age of seven, Gabriel Hammett decided he wanted to be a firefighter.
Unlike those childhood dreams that change frequently, Hammett pursued this particular passion and it is now part of his everyday life.
In 2004, Hammett joined the ranks of the Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow Fire Department as a firefighter. Today, Hammett serves as the fire prevention officer with Fire Station 402, Yermo Annex, MCLB Barstow, and has become an active member of the community.
“I love the nature of the job,” said Hammett, who believes that serving the community is important, and his job is one that truly matters.
“We give back … when it really counts. When people are at their lowest point, we are there to help them,” said the Barstow native, who moved here after serving in the Army honorably as an active duty firefighter.
Fire prevention and emergency services are reciprocals of each other, explained Hammett.
“We prevent fire through fire investigation,” explained Hammett.
As an example, Hammett recalled the recent tragedy in Prescott, Ariz., that claimed the lives of 19 firefighters. When the incident investigation is complete, there will be safety briefs and revised training throughout the whole fire service in order to make our jobs safer, he said.
“If we can prevent it from starting, it puts us ahead of the game,” stated Hammett.
During his time on the installation, Hammett has pursued other avenues in fire services such as firefighting, fire inspecting and fire investigating.
Along with upholding the responsibilities of a fire prevention officer, Hammett continues his childhood dream of being a firefighter.
To maintain this billet, Hammett is required to maintain his fire fighting skills and annual training along with maintaining his fire inspector and investigator training requirements.
“I get the best of both worlds,” he explained.
As a firefighter, there is an adrenaline rush and a desire to fight fires that never goes away, he said.
A fire prevention specialist prepares and prevents fire emergencies.
“Fire prevention is more proactive, and you see more of a return in investment as you would call it,” said Hammett. “Every day is different. There is no daily routine, and that’s an enjoyable part of the job.”
Fire prevention officers have many responsibilities, he explained. They are responsible for inspecting all buildings on the installation, along with educating the community on potential fire and safety hazards in residential and office areas.
When the fire prevention specialists inspect an area or building, they look for a number of things.
“We really look for things out of the normal, and if it catches our eye and it doesn’t look safe, we look in to it,” he added. “The key role of inspecting is keeping the safety of the community first and foremost.”
“Every structure [on the installation] is inspected semi-annually, and some are inspected quarterly because they are considered a higher risk,” he explained.
When following the rules and regulations of fire prevention, the MCLB Barstow Fire Prevention Branch follows the base order P11320.5G which follows the Marine Corps and National Fire Prevention Association guidelines.
So far, the Marine Corps is the only service who has adopted the current regulations published by the NFPA, explained Hammett.
When a fire does occur on the installation, it is the responsibility of the fire prevention branch to investigate it.
“It is a requirement that every fire is investigated, and the cause of the fire is determined,” explained Hammett. “From the fire prevention point of view, we want to get to the cause of the fire and figure out how we can prevent it from happening, again. We want to educate the community. We have a vested interest in investigating fires … to prevent them.”
“We take every aspect of fire prevention seriously,” he added.
Dedicated to improving the safety of the community, Hammett and fellow fire prevention officers continue to live by their mission statement "Protect life, Protect environment, and Protect government property."
| Date Taken: | 07.11.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 07.11.2013 14:08 |
| Story ID: | 110070 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 127 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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