Mission Monday: Fire & Emergency Services

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  • AFIMSC Public Affairs

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – It’s Mission Monday. Meet Brian Thompson, a Fire and Emergency Services Program manager with the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Readiness Directorate here.

Thompson and the F&ES team play a vital role in making sure Department of the Air Force first responders have the necessary tools to carry out their mission. 

“We manage the vehicle procurement program, aircraft fire trained modernization and personal protective equipment standardization along with executing the F&ES delivery of emergency medical service to the installation,” he said. 

They also process more than 40,000 International Fire Service Accreditation Congress and professional board certifications annually and provide fire prevention National Fire Protection Association code interpretation ensuring enterprise-wide installation facilities are safe.

We asked Thompson to tell us more about himself and the work he does in support of the DAF.

What do you love about your job?
The opportunity to help and serve others and the satisfaction of making a difference in supporting our Airmen and Guardians across the enterprise.

When it comes to your job, what keeps you motivated?
The positive impact that we have across the enterprise … knowing that the work we put in helps protect Air Force and Space Force personnel, facilities and resources is incredibly satisfying and motivating to me.

Why are you and your team important to the DAF enterprise and your customers?
For several reasons. First, we play a critical role in ensuring the safety and security of Air Force and Space Force personnel, facilities and resources. Emergency responders must be prepared to respond quickly and effectively to a wide range of emergency situations, including structural and aircraft fires, and natural disasters. We provide the tools to make that happen. Second, the DAF is subject to various federal, state and local regulations related to F&ES. We sit on numerous NFPA committees and work on contracts to help the DAF comply with these regulations, which help avoid costly fines and penalties.  Finally, F&ES helps the DAF remain ready and prepared to respond to emergencies at any time.  First responders must train regularly, maintain their equipment and stay up to date on the latest emergency response techniques. We’re able to process training certifications, develop new tactics, techniques and procedures, and provide new equipment that help minimize the impact of emergencies and saves lives.

Describe a project or event you and your team worked on recently that gave you a great sense of accomplishment:
In 2016, F&ES started the process of updating our outdated Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus. Working with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, we were finally able to award a long-awaited Next Gen SCBA contract in March. The contract will replace the entire inventory of DAF SCBAs including masks, bottles and accessories for firefighter, explosive ordnance disposal, emergency manager, bioenvironmental and aircraft maintenance communities. The contract ensures our frontline professionals will have the most current and capable gear to conduct their mission operations.

How does what you do support AFIMSC’s strategic priorities?
By overseeing the Health and Safety Program, I’m able to ensure that DAF firefighting personnel are healthy and fit to carry out their missions. I provide guidance on maintaining physical and mental well-being, preventing occupational illnesses and injuries, and promoting a safe work environment. This directly supports AFIMSC’s strategic priority of ensuring mission readiness by having a fit and healthy workforce.

Is there anything else you’d like to add which might help people understand the importance of what you do for the Department of the Air Force?
Our office is responsible for transitioning from Aqueous Film Forming Foam to Florine Free Foam or a per- and polyfluorinated substances free foam across the DAF. We’ll oversee the swap out of this new foam in over 1,000 DAF firefighting vehicles as well as develop new TTPs for DAF fire and emergency services personnel to train with a different agent to ensure effective fire suppression while minimizing risks to human health and the environment.