Not on our watch: The Buckley Fire Department

Photo By Tech. Sgt. Timothy Kirchner | Mike Lehmier, a Buckley Fire Department firefighter, ensures the fire engines' ladder is fully functional during morning inspections on Sept. 9, 2021, on Buckley Space Force Base, Colo. This ladder gives firefighters access to tall buildings and has its own remotely controlled fire hose for extinguishing fires in high places. (U.S. Space Force photo by Staff Sgt. Timothy Kirchner)  

COLORADO, UNITED STATES

09.09.2021

Story by Staff Sgt. Timothy Kirchner 

Space Base Delta 2

Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, Colo., Rising with the sun, Buckley Fire and Emergency Services personnel check their gear each morning, ensuring it is in top condition should the need arise. All of the firefighters are ready at a moment’s notice and pride themselves on being the ‘First in and last out.’
“We are an all risk fire department,” said Lieutenant Scott Fitzhugh, Buckley Fire & Emergency Services lead firefighter. “We protect people, property, and the environment. As a Department of Defense firefighter, we wear a lot of hats; emergency medical service, structural firefighting, Aircraft Rescue Firefighting, as well as hazardous material and confined space. Really anything that gets thrown at us.”
Team Buckley’s Fire & Emergency Services has a unique mission when compared to an off-base fire department. The Fire & Emergency Services team has equipment, plans, and contingencies to handle all manner of emergency response that comes with the presence of aircraft and hazardous materials like jet fuel.
“We are different from city or county departments because we do firefighting and rescue of all ranges and sizes, including aircraft incidents.” Said John Gichert, Buckley Fire and Emergency Services, assistant chief of operations.
They also assist in areas east of Buckley that have insufficient firefighting capabilities.
One of the most unique aspects of Buckley’s fire department is the makeup of their personnel.
“We are unusual because we are an all civilian department,” said Gichert. “Most Air Force fire departments are a mix of military and civilians.”
Firefighters here are integral to the mission, ensuring that the mission never stops and can be completed without worrying about what would happen if there were an emergency, they are trained and ready. With their enduring motto: ‘Not on our watch,’ these firefighting professionals pledge to protect all who serve on Buckley SFB.
“This department is important in the aspect that we save lives and reduce property loss due to fire, natural disasters or accidents,” said Gichert. “We also provide paramedic response for emergency medical care, we are one of only two other Space Operations Command bases to provide that high level of care. Our department also provides the incident commander and incident management during all accidents, disasters and emergency events on the base.”
All the firefighters in this department are also certified emergency medical technicians and some are paramedics. This skill set allows them to respond to medical emergencies and in some instances, save lives.
“It’s most rewarding when we can actually make a difference in somebody’s life,” said Fitzhugh. “For me, it was when we responded to a call for a child, he was in bad shape and on the way to the hospital, we got his breathing and pulse back. Seeing a bad situation improve to a much better one like that, was very rewarding.”

• Date Taken: 09.09.2021
• Date Posted: 09.29.2021 21:41
• Story ID: 406372
• Location: COLORADO, US