Photo By Chief Petty Officer Patrick Gordon | PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland (July 11, 2024) - Fire Chief Ryan Gallant, Naval District...... read more read more
Four of Naval District Washington (NDW) Fire Department personnel stationed at NAS Patuxent River were honored in a ceremony July 11 in front of family, friends and colleagues.
The gathered crowd were welcomed by NDW Fire and Emergency Services Chief Kevin Grinder in a bay of Fire Station 2, before honoring the newly promoted Fire Inspectors on the Pax River firefighting team.
“Each time a member is promoted it signifies a few things,” said Grinder. “First, it shows that they were successful in their previous position and that leadership knows they are up for taking on a new task, it shows they were motivated to take and successfully complete the required training, and third I shows their commitment to the department and the civilian and active duty military community we serve.”
Grinder then welcomed to the front Firefighters Robin Jones and Ray Currie, both promoted to Fire Inspector. The position requires them to be responsible for fire inspections, fire extinguisher and flightline extinguisher training, plans review, code enforcement, food truck inspections, burn permits, and a host of other tasks. Fire inspectors also assist in staffing and overtime mitigation and special events while continuing to ensure the safety of residents, visitors, and personnel at Pax River.
Grinder then moved on to accolades, recognizing two of NDW’s top performers of the previous year.
“Each installation was tasked with submitting nominees for the multiple categories of Commander, Naval Installations Command awards – firefighter of the year, fire officer of the year, inspector of the year, etcetera,” said Grinder. “These nominations were then sent to a panel that consisted of the deputy N3, emergency management director, and safety director, where they were reviewed and a winner in each category was selected and forwarded to CNIC as NDW’s nominee. Beginning in 2022 our management team felt that we also needed to recognize these individuals locally to show our appreciation for the work they perform.”
First to be honored was Fire Inspector Mike Fuhrman, announced as the Navy Fire Inspector of the Year 2023.
Fuhrman’s achievements were varied and many in earning this award. In the execution of his duties he single-handedly performed 297 inspections and ensured all deficiencies – 212 in total – were documented and brought to compliance, executed more than 157 hot work permits with zero mishaps, and worked with the Naval Air Warfare Center- Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) safety department to identify safe muster locations for military and base populations. He made professional development a priority, instructing a HAZMAT tech class for the region, became a Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute-certified fire investigator, maintained Maryland State EMT certifications, instructed all flight line fire extinguisher training at NAS Patuxent River, and conducted more than 20 fire safety presentations to more than 1,500 personnel at Pax River.
Fuhrman also served as the lead fire department representative for the flight line, providing subject matter expert guidance to hangars and hot pits, was the liaison to the NAWCAD safety division providing practical fire education to their personnel, and was recognized by his supervisor as a “Superior Performer” earlier in the year for outstanding customer service to the base population.
“I never thought I’d be a fire inspector, I thought I’d be riding a truck forever,” Fuhrman said after being presented the award. “But I want to thank the chiefs and the guys and gals here, because they’re what really made this possible and it means a lot.”
Grinder then recognized Fire Chief Ryan Gallant as the Navy Civilian Fire Chief of the Year 2023.
Among his many achievements, Gallant managed fire safety for 31 bases, 200,000 personnel, and approximately $20 billion worth of assets, and overseeing 200 plans reviews and $1 Billion in renovation projects. He was cited for spearheading the implementation of a 60-hour workweek for inspectors, resulting in a maximized inspection output of 30%, a 40% reduction in backlogs, and a $200,000 savings in overtime. Gallant proactively engaged in 16 hours of Outward Mindset training, taking that training and mentoring eight peers on mindset transformation. He certified in tactical emergency care, enhanced active shooter response capabilities, and EMT-B.
Gallants skills were in high demand to critical assets and teams throughout the region. He supported the White House Secret Service Fire Auxiliary program, training 12 U.S. Secret Service agents in White House fire suppression and HAZMAT incidents, and served as the active shooter exercise liaison to the National Capital Region Fire Interoperability Planning Team. He also revamped the extinguisher course, training 500 employees in periodic checks and emergency operations, replaced 8,000 extinguishers in the region, and obtained $50,000for flight line extinguisher repairs.
“It’s tough competition once you’re standing up against other chief officers, because there are so many great ones in the region,” said Gallant upon receiving the award. “Thank you to everyone who does this job every day and helps us complete the mission, because it’s a daunting task.”
Capt. Douglas Burfield, NAS Patuxent River Commanding Officer, reinforced Gallant’s theme of mission preparedness as he addressed the awardees and the Fire and Emergency personnel in attendance.
“We don’t have an air station without a fire department,” said Burfield. “Whether it’s in a building, in the air, or on the ground, the work you do is essential to our mission here, and I want to thank you for the hard work you do every day to keep us safe and mission ready.”
| Date Taken: | 07.11.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.12.2024 11:50 |
| Story ID: | 476046 |
| Location: | PATUXENT RIVER, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 207 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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