LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas-- After hours, when the base is quiet and everyone has gone home, it may seem as if Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, is still and empty.
In all actuality, the heartbeat of the base—the mission essential troops—are still holding the fort down.
The 47th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department is a key player in keeping Laughlin safe. The ‘fire dogs’ stay involved through community engagement, raising fire prevention and safety awareness, and continual training.
One area in which the firefighters remain hands-on is participation with the community. Some of the activities the firefighters are involved in are the firetruck pull in Del Rio, Texas, which they say builds camaraderie, Fill the Boot, a volunteer opportunity that raises funds for children with muscle dystrophy, and taking part in parades as well to build a relationship of trust with the community.
“We do a lot of career days and volunteer to go downtown to the elementary schools to give them our spiel on firefighting because most kids don’t know what we actually do or what military firefighting is all about,” said Kenneth Gonzales, 47th CES station captain. “It shows that the base supports the community and the community supports the base.”
One of the reasons Laughlin firefighters value community engagement is because they work with the city of Del Rio, and Val Verde county—even as far away as Laredo, Texas. According to Ramero Pina, 47th CES crew chief. Their memorandums of understanding with the local area emergency teams supports in responding to fires, assisting with railroad mishaps or hazmat incidents.
Another of the fire department’s goals at Laughlin is to give people at Laughlin the key of wisdom. During Fire Prevention Week, which is the second week of October, a team accompanied by Sparky the fire dog from the fire department toured Team XL, sharing tips to avoid unwanted fires, displaying the fire truck, and reading to children at the library.
“It’s important to teach young children not to be scared of firefighters," said Staff Sgt. Tyler England, 47th CES firefighter. "If they’re ever in a fire and it’s smoky and they see a firefighter so they don’t run away and hide but go toward them."
The fire department's responsibilities often involve more than putting out fires. They also respond to medical incidents, structural issues and aircraft mishaps.
Because of the broad variety of calls the fire department responds to, it is imperative for them to run regular exercises.
“A lot of people think we sit back in recliners and watch TV all the time,” said Joe Graves, 47th CES assistant chief of training. “But I’ve been in this position almost two years and this is one of the most dedicated departments as far as training so they do the job well. [Our firefighters] are ready to respond.”
Senior Airman Micah Adams recalled a time that impacted him deeply as a firefighter and as an Airman in which his training proved crucial.
“When I was stationed in Ramstein, we went on a call for a four-year-old girl who was throwing up all over the place,” Adams said. “We got there and put our training into play as we realized she had an infected appendix, and if we hadn’t gotten there in the time we got there, it could have been terrible.
"I actually carried her in my arms to the ambulance," he continued. "About a month later, I was walking through the commissary on base, and I saw the parents, and heard them say, ‘That’s the firefighter who saved my daughter!’”
For Adams and other firefighters like him, moments like the one where he took part in rescuing the little girl, makes the job all worthwhile. At any moment during the busiest day or the quietest of nights, the Laughlin fire team could receive the call and would be ready—grounded in training, experience and discipline.