MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. --
The Cherry Point Fire and Emergency Services Department was
awarded the Marine Corps Small Fire Department of the Year Award during a
ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., Oct. 15.
“This is not the first time Cherry
Point has won this award,” said Chief Rodney Wade, fire chief for the department.
“Our personnel put out 100 percent in everything they do every day and there is
no doubt that they deserve this award.”
According to Wade, the department
mainly performs structural and aircraft firefighting. Additionally, they
perform hazardous materials and weapons of mass destruction response; confined
space and trench rescue; water rescue; open water spill response; high angle
rescue; vehicle extraction; disaster preparedness and risk assessment.
“Our team has responded to 1,953
calls and trained for a total of 13,527 hours during the 2013 year alone,” said
Wade. “We are certified safety seat installers and have maintained an above
average aggregate response time of 4 minutes, 14 seconds to all emergencies.”
The air station was judged on five
different categories. Each category, including customer service; department-level
awards, accreditation and certificates; innovativeness; quality of life
initiatives, and firefighter health and safety are all crucial to the continued
safety of the community.
“This award reflects the dedication
our fire department and emergency services provide to our Marines and our
Marine Corps community,” said Col. Chris Pappas III, commanding officer of the
air station. “The team of personnel here has earned this award for the work
they put in 24/7, 365-days a year implementing programs and procedures and
demonstrating professionalism.”
According to Pappas, Cherry Point’s
fire and emergency services department sets the standard of excellence for all
other installations through their accreditation and exceeding standards daily.
“The hard work that this team has done
and continue to do, has earned the trust of the community,” said Pappas,
speaking to the awardees. “Trust is intangible, but having trust enables us to
operate both more aggressively and rapidly than any of our adversaries. That
trust is built on having a safety net of folks like yourselves so the community
knows if they call, you will respond.”