Photo By Lisa Woodbury Rama | Fire Captain Charles Volhein, Naval Support Activity, Naples (left) stands in front of...... read more read more
Installation Emergency Response Vehicles must be certified “operational” annually to remain in use. If the nearest qualified Emergency Vehicle Technician (EVT) is in another country, during a world-wide pandemic, timely certification can be challenging. Luckily, overcoming challenges is part of the DNA of emergency response personnel and, when you combine that commitment with other equally dedicated professionals, a solution WILL be found.
Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Europe, Africa, Central (NAVFAC EURAFCENT) supports procurement and maintenance of fire and security vehicles on all naval installations in EURAFCENT. Fire Captain Charles Volhein, Navy Support Activity (NSA) Naples, knew that the lack of EVT’s was a huge issue and voiced his concern to Edgar Catala, NAVFAC Public Works Department (PWD) Naples Transportation Branch Head.
Volhein and Catala looked for a local solution to keep the fleet fully certified and, thanks to the willingness and dedication of an Italian local national staff member, they found one. Mr. Giochhino Russo, a PWD Auto Mechanic Technician, volunteered to take on the challenge of becoming EVT certified.
“My first thought was Giochhino,” said Volhein. Capt. Volhein had first-hand knowledge of Russo’s commitment and competency from working with him earlier on major repairs to two engines.
Brian Bartles, Deputy Fire Chief for Navy Region Europe, Africa and Central is inspired by this example of how leadership and collaboration at all levels can make such a contribution to mission success.
"Charlie (Volhein) identified a problem and didn't hesitate to take it on and look for a solution to resolve it for the entire region - not just his own station here in Naples. He pursued getting certified as an EVT so that he could provide Giocchino the guidance and support he would need to get his own certification. He set up the pathway to allow us to internally certify over 100 emergency vehicles spread throughout the region without the need to contract externally. This will save money, save time and help us to keep the fleet as operational as we can which helps all of us to be as prepared as possible to respond to emergency calls wherever and whenever they come in. It's this type of collaboration and teamwork that allows us to find lasting and innovative solutions to our challenges," he said.
“I did a huge job (repairing aerial systems on two engines) and it was the first time for me, working on the fire truck. Working on it is a really interesting job and I’m developing - step by step- the passion on these trucks and this job. I’m really excited for every step I’m doing because I think it will be a great career for me,” said Russo.
The path to becoming EVT certified involves learning maintenance, inspection, and testing of fire apparatus systems and aerial fire apparatus. An additional hurdle for Russo was that the exams are only given in English. Mr. Russo had to know the curriculum and understand each of the 100 questions on the test well enough to answer them correctly.
Russo passed the exams and certified as an EVT on May 10. He has already certified his first fire engine saving the government the $4,000.00 per vehicle labor and certification costs.
“His initiative and will to succeed has left a footprint for all his colleagues to follow and created a path for future advancement opportunities. We have created a culture that will stand the test of time for many years to come,” said Catala. Catala has already submitted to have an “Emergency Vehicle Technician” position officially added to the manning documents in Naples.
“I plan on achieving more certifications. I hope that I will be through the second level for next year. This way maybe I can support the trucks of all of the bases in the Europe region. I hope to do this job for the Navy,” said a very grateful Russo when asked what was next on his list to accomplish.
NAVFAC EURAFCENT executes approximately $1 billion per year in construction, professional engineering and facilities services for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and NATO commands in countries throughout Europe, Africa and Central Command where the Navy is the DoD lead agent for military construction.
| Date Taken: | 07.14.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 07.14.2021 11:00 |
| Story ID: | 400869 |
| Location: | IT |
| Web Views: | 539 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Italian local national steps up to save Navy money and time while improving safety, by Lisa Woodbury Rama, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
