Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Emily Beightol-Deyerle | Members of the 167th Civil Engineering Squadron Fire Department, 167th Airlift Wing,...... read more read more
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The 167th Airlift Wing Fire Department is looking for candidates to fill seven open firefighter positions at Shepherd Field, Martinsburg, West Virginia.
Firefighters are critical to the wing’s flying mission. They also provide services for the civilian side of the airport and support to the local community.
“We provide twenty-four-seven fire and emergency services to the wing and to the surrounding communities that include structural firefighting, aircraft firefighting rescue operations, offensive HAZMAT response and EMS (Emergency Medical Service) response to the EMR (Emergency Medical Responder) level,” said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Chris Taylor, 167th AW fire chief. “We run about 200 calls a year, off base and on base, but primarily our responsibility is to ensure the aircraft fly and to protect the personnel on this base.”
According to Taylor, the fire department would ideally be staffed with 11 to 12 firefighters. Currently, a typical shift is manned with 7 to 8 firefighters.
Col. Christopher Sigler, who recently took command of the 167th AW, said filling the vacancies is his top staffing priority.
“We are often tasked with some of Air Mobility Command’s highest priority missions and sometimes being short just one fire fighter on duty can impact mission success.”
As the number of firefighters on duty decreases the level of risk the wing accepts for each aircraft launch or landing increases.
“Recent events clearly show why it is important to have essential services, such as the fire department, properly staffed,” Sigler said.
To offset the manning shortage, the firefighters have transitioned from three shifts to two shifts, working a 48-hours-on-48-hours-off schedule, an average of 144 hours a pay period.
“That’s the max schedule that we're able to work before we're getting outside of industry standards,” Taylor said.
The two-shift system enables the fire department to continue providing services to the wing, airport and community but Taylor expects big impacts this spring when 10 firefighters are slated to deploy, underscoring the importance of filling the positions.
The firefighter openings are dual-status positions meaning one would work for the West Virginia Military Authority and would be required to enlist and maintain membership in the West Virginia National Guard.
There are numerous advantages to being employed in a dual-status position, according to Taylor, but he ranks access to military firefighter training as a top benefit.
“There's an endless amount of training courses and certifications that we can get our firefighters through the military that we just wouldn't be able to get if we were strictly state employees,” Taylor said. “We have specialized subject matter experts here, and it's because of the many military courses that we're able to provide them.”
A qualified applicant for a firefighter position will have a general ASVAB score of 57 and will meet the requirements of the firefighter physical fitness assessment. Beyond the basic eligibility requirements, Taylor said he is looking for coachability.
“We specialize here in training new firefighters, and the successful ones are able to be coached and mentored,” Taylor said. “I encourage anyone who is interested in a firefighter job to come and spend a day with us and see what we do.”
If you have questions or would like to apply, send an email to 167.FES@gmail.com.
| Date Taken: | 02.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.11.2025 10:48 |
| Story ID: | 490533 |
| Location: | MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 55 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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