FORT CARSON, Colo. -- When the Black Forest Fire hit, followed quickly by the South Fork Fire and the floods in Boulder, the Fort Carson Fire Department was critically short staffed. But that didn't stop Chief Jeffrey Craig from supporting the National Guard duties of one of his employees.
Joseph Holliway, a Fort Carson fire dispatcher, was activated for all three events with his unit, the 200th Engineer Company, 1157th Firefighters (Engineers), Colorado Army National Guard.
"I said, 'We will figure it out,'" said Craig, branch chief, emergency communications center. "And it wasn't just me accommodating. It was his entire team that helped me accommodate his commitment to the guard. They helped pick up the slack. Nobody complained. We all did what we had to do to get the mission here done so he could get the mission there done and not worry about his pay, his work, anything like that."
As a result of his support, Craig was awarded the Patriotic Employer award from the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Having a supportive employer helps Holliway, a former active-duty Fort Carson Soldier, fulfill his guard duties.
"It's a privilege," he said. "It's a stress-free work environment that way. I don't have to worry that I have to go to this fire, and my employer is going to hate me. I don't have to worry about that because he accommodates it and supports the mission."
Holliway has been a civilian employee for about 18 months and prior to that, he was an active-duty military firefighter.
"I saw his potential as an emergency dispatcher, even when he was on active duty … he grasped it quickly and got his certifications training," Craig said. "I took (him on as a civilian), knowing that he was still going to be part of the guard, and we can make that work."
Craig credits the entire team for the award.
"I present it more to them than just me receiving it," he said. "If it weren't for them picking up the slack, it would make my job a lot harder."
Both men hope that this summer is quieter.
"I'm hoping this is a calmer year … as far as our fire and flood season," Craig said. "But if it's (busy) again, we'll make do. We'll make it work."
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