Fire Department

The Cherry Point Fire & Emergency Services (CPF&ES) serves military personnel, their dependents and civilian employees living and working aboard MCAS Cherry Point and its auxiliary landing fields. As a fire department, we train and prepare for possible emergencies that may happen in our coverage areas. 

In March of 2013, MCAS Cherry Point Fire & Emergency Services became internationally accredited, commensurable with the requirements of the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. The purpose of the process was to assure the services provided achieve the highest level of customer satisfaction possible. Remaining accredited is an ongoing process to help ensure that our service areas receive the level of service expected and the department is efficiently managing its personnel, training, and assets to effectively respond to calls from our customers. The department did receive its 3^rd accreditation status in March of 2023. Personnel will continue the self-assessment process to ensure the best services possible are being delivered to the community.

CPF&ES responds to emergencies on the Air Station as well as the surrounding areas to help provide Emergency Medical Services, Fire Response, Technical Rescue and Hazardous Materials Response.

The services that we commonly provide are as follows:

• Structural Firefighting
• Emergency Medical Services
• Hazardous Materials Response
• Wildland Firefighting (limited)
• Technical Rescue (Structural Collapse/ Trench/High Angle/ Confined Space/ Vehicle and Machinery)
• Water Rescue
• Fire Prevention
• Aircraft Firefighting (Support)
• Weapons of Mass Destruction Response

Cherry Point Fire & Emergency Services is its own directorate. The Fire Chief or Director of CPF&ES reports directly to the Executive Officer of MCAS Cherry Point.

To provide the services listed above, the department is split into five divisions as follows:

Operations Division - The Operations division is led by two Assistant Chiefs and six Captains. This division consists of all personnel assigned to suppression and associated services. 39 operations personnel are assigned to 7 work groups working 48 hours on 72 hours off schedule. Each of the workgroups is assigned 6 to 7 personnel manning three fire stations. Minimally two 1250 GPM Pumpers and one 1750 GPM 75ft Quint are each staffed with four personnel daily.

Emergency Medical Services Division - The Emergency Medical Services division is led by an Assistant Chief, providing Advanced Life Support care with 9 Firefighter (Paramedics). Drivers for the Ambulances are supplied by the Operations division. Two dedicated Ambulances are staffed daily with 1 Paramedic and 1 Firefighter on each Ambulance. One additional reserve Ambulance is cross staffed by an Engine Company on an as needed basis.

Training Division - The Training Division consists of one Assistant Chief. The duties of this position are to administer the departments training program by completing and overseeing an annual training program. Regular drills are held to evaluate the effectiveness of the training program and to identify areas that need to be focused on. The Assistant Chief of Training also fills several other roles such as Safety Officer, Ergonomics Officer, Anti-Terrorism working group representative, and Respiratory Protection program manager.

Administration - The Administration Division consists of the Fire Chief. The Fire Chief is the executive manager of the department, advising the Commanding Officer on issues involving fire and emergency services, coordinating departmental support with all other directorate heads, and supervises all the Assistant Chiefs.

Prevention Division – The Prevention Division consists of one Assistant Chief and four fire inspectors. The prevention department is responsible for carrying out duties such as building inspections, issuing hot work permits, and public education. Prevention also works with other entities on the Air Station to ensure that all life safety issues, and potential fire hazards are addressed to be proactive in the reduction of emergencies.

What should I do in an emergency?

Dial 911

When you call 9-1-1, you should give all of the pertinent information and it needs to be clear. Try to stay calm.
State what kind of emergency it is: fire, car accident, heart attack, Haz-Mat, etc.
Where the incident is: A proper address and directions if in a large building.
Your Name and Call Back phone number: This information is necessary in case the dispatcher needs more information.
Stay on the phone: The dispatcher may ask more questions or want you to stay on the line. Emergency units already are being dispatched even while you are talking with the dispatcher.

NOTE: If you are reporting a house fire, do not call from that residence, go to a neighbor's house across the street and call 911. Children should be taught their home address and telephone number as soon as possible. In most cases, when you dial 9-1-1, the address and phone number of your location is displayed to the 9-1-1 dispatcher. However, this is not always the case because of information that may be called in from a government phone (i.e. 466, 464), cellular or mobile phones.

The dispatcher will begin to dispatch emergency units immediately. Military Police, Fire Engines, and Ambulances are dispatched according to the nature of the call. The closest unit will be sent to ensure that help arrives as soon as possible. It also means that more than one unit may be sent to the scene.

When the fire department responds to a given location, it may be delayed in arriving if the address is not clearly seen from the street. Although it's fairly easy to spot a column of smoke from a fire, it's difficult to see someone's heart attack from the street. This problem is compounded in large buildings like FRC-East. Arriving at a correct address, the engine company finds a huge facility with many buildings in the complex. In an emergency, firefighters may waste critical time having to locate the correct location. It is imperative that someone be standing near the front to direct the emergency units to the appropriate location.

When an emergency vehicle is heard and/or seen, drivers should carefully pull their vehicle to the right of the road and stop. If they are at an intersection, or stopped in traffic when they see lights or hear a siren, drivers should remain stopped and wait until the emergency vehicles have passed. Do not stop in the middle of an intersection or block a side street. Do not make quick or erratic maneuvers. Drivers also should stay 500 feet behind emergency vehicles.

A crash involving an emergency vehicle delays help to those who need it. Firefighters are careful to avoid vehicle collisions by driving slowly when traveling against traffic, or coming to a complete stop at intersections. The cooperation of all vehicles on the roadway is required. Be careful when driving by or around a motor vehicle accident or any situation where emergency vehicles are parked and the firefighters are working. Resist the impulse to "rubber-neck". This can cause additional collisions.

Even though fire apparatus are placed to protect firefighters, tragically, sometimes emergency crews have been hit and killed by passing vehicles.