ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- Retired Lt. Col. Bill Carter's normal workday consists of enabling and resourcing medical training for our Nation's Army Reserve and National Guard formations mobilizing and training under First Army before deploying overseas.
However, once his First Army duty day ends Carter transforms from First Army trainer into a volunteer firefighter - on call to fight fires or rescue those in need from crashed cars or burning buildings.
Carter began firefighting about four years ago in Georgia while still serving on active duty. "I became a firefighter as a way to help my community, as well as doing something unique," Carter said.
Today, Carter serves as a nationally certified firefighter, who volunteers in honor of the 343 firemen and paramedics who lost their lives during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. "I'll never be a firefighter like those heroes, but I'll never forget what they did on that day," Carter added.
Carter retired from the Army after 26 years of service, and was hired as a First Army Department of the Army Civilian almost a year ago. Carter began looking for opportunities to volunteer as a firefighter once he and First Army transitioned to Rock Island Arsenal in the Quad Cities.
He soon found a home with the Bettendorf Fire Department, which is comprised of 26 "career" and 34 volunteer firefighters. "I've done some great scenario-based training with the Bettendorf Fire Department, such as vehicle extraction, venting a home, rescuing a downed firefighter and putting out a car fire," Carter said.
Carter is required to work one 12-hour shift once a month, as part of his volunteer fire fighting duties as well as participate in monthly fire fighting training requirements. Carter feels Soldiers and firefighters have a lot in common. "As a firefighter, we do a lot of hands-on training, especially on small team tactics and drills," Carter added. "We make sure our equipment is in good working order at all times, and like the Soldiers' Creed, firefighters work as a team, look out for one another and leave no one behind."
Fire fighting has some basic skills: prevention, self preservation, rescue, preservation of property, and fire control. Since firefighters from different agencies routinely provide mutual aid to each other, and routinely operate at incidents where other emergency services are present, it is essential to have structures in place to establish a unified chain of command, and share information between agencies, just like the military.
Carter hopes to continue helping his Bettendorf community with his fire fighting skills. "I'll keep volunteering until my health or knees give up on me... It's hard, physical work and the training can be tough." Carter continued, "They're a great bunch of people to be around and to work with… just like Soldiers. It's a unique culture and I consider myself lucky to be a part of it."
First Army is a multi-component command that serves as U.S. Forces Command's executing agent for providing training support to Reserve Component forces. The First Army mission is to mobilize, train, deploy and demobilize Reserve Component units at installations throughout the continental United States.
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