FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- When faced with an emergency situation, knowing how to react appropriately and quickly is vital. When seconds count, individuals must be confident in their abilities -- something that requires training, practice and dedication to continued professional development.
Matthew D. Woodward, Fort Drum assistant fire chief of training, has made it his mission to provide realistic, rigorous training opportunities for each member of Fort Drum's Fire and Emergency Services team. For his role in mentoring and encouraging these firefighters to strive for excellence, Woodward was named 2016 Fort Drum Civilian of the Year during a ceremony Feb. 11 at the Commons.
An active-duty Soldier for more than eight years, he learned the importance of being prepared to respond to any situation without hesitation -- ensuring the safety of his battle buddies and the accomplishment of the mission.
"The military is what instilled in me that discipline and drive to be the best that I could, no matter what sacrifices needed to be made," he said.
For more than 21 years, Woodward also has sacrificed his off-duty time as a member of the Theresa Volunteer Fire Department.
"I grew up in this village," he said. "It raised me, and I feel responsibility to give back to this community."
When Woodward separated from the Army in 2000, he said that his patriotic spirit led him to pursue a career that would allow him to continue to serve Soldiers and Families. A short time later, he was hired as a firefighter for Fort Drum's Fire and Emergency Services division -- a means of accomplishing just that.
"I was a Soldier and always will be," he said. "I feel obligated to give back to those Soldiers and their Families who protect our nation and our freedom."
In 2006, Woodward's dedication to service led him to take on yet another important role. He became a certified New York state fire instructor.
Woodward and five fellow instructors teach courses in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties that count toward the 100 hours of professional development that students must complete to secure their New York State Firefighter I certification. While the courses are intense and challenging, Wood-
ward said teaching them is something he takes pride in.
"The most enjoyable part of being an instructor is knowing at the end of the class that what I have taught may save his (or her) life, or a (fellow) firefighter's life someday," he said.
In 2015, Woodward was promoted from a supervisory captain in charge of rescue operations for Fire Station 2 to his current position. Fort Drum Deputy Fire Chief Shannon Anderson said that Woodward's extensive knowledge, exceptional leadership skills and experience made him the perfect person for the job.
"His dedication to the advancement and professional development of firefighters within New York state, Jefferson County and Fort Drum made him the optimal candidate for his position as assistant fire chief of training," Anderson said.
Woodward said he believes in the importance of frequent, wide-ranging training opportunities. While the Department of Defense requires 120 hours of professional development for firefighter Level I and Level II, he said his staff members average 220 hours.
"Repetition builds muscle memory," he said. "The more frequently the task is performed or practiced, the more it becomes natural or second nature. In the profession we are in, there is not a lot of time to stop and think about what needs to be done. Seconds save lives."
Woodward stressed that while Fort Drum's Fire and Emergency Service members may be called firefighters, these individuals fulfill many different roles.
"Post 9/11, we have become an all-hazards response entity," he said. "(We focus on) all aspects of firefighting, emergency medical services, hazardous material response, technical rescue incidents, mass-casualty and active-shooter incidents. Although this is an enormous undertaking, all personnel have embraced this and moved forward."
Due to the wide scope of services that FES personnel provide, Woodward said that conducting a variety of training exercises is important. He said he regularly meets with operations chiefs and training captains to determine exercises that they believe may be beneficial to their staff.
"We try to throw different scenarios at the personnel to make them think on their feet and adjust accordingly," he said. "Some of the biggest (ones) this year were rope rescue, confined space response and vehicle / machinery extraction."
Fire and Emergency Services personnel also frequently train with other installation assets -- an important part of preparing for any situation that might involve a multifaceted response.
"We are constantly training with directorate and garrison assets for any emergency event that may require our response and assets," he said. "Most is driven by the Directorate of Plans, Mobilization, Training and Security Emergency manager, Terry Byard, and installation antiterrorism officer, John Simard."
While garrison-wide training is important, FES also relies greatly on a coordinated interdependent relationship with emergency response teams from within the local community.
"Off-post resources play a key role in our ability to respond in emergency situations," Woodward said. "We cannot wait until an event happens to validate our training and ability to mitigate accidents."
This past year, Woodward was assigned the role of incident commander for the post's annual mass casualty exercise, a full-scale training scenario that tests garrison and community safety personnel's ability to work together in a crisis.
This year's exercise involved a scenario in which a train had derailed, causing toxic chemicals to leak onto the ground. Wounded Soldiers lay on the tracks, and a plume of smoke rose into the air. While emergency service providers responded to the scene quickly, they approached the accident site with extreme caution.
Working with garrison assets, hazardous material responders from Watertown and other community emergency providers, Woodward and his team established a command post up-wind from the accident site. Garrison and community assets then worked together to assess and respond to the simulated incident. This ability -- to work collaboratively during an incident -- is something that Woodward said is necessary to ensure the safety of all of those living and working on post.
Anderson said that Woodward's ability to maintain positive command and control throughout the exercise resulted in a seamlessly mitigated response. He said that Woodward displays these qualities in every aspect of his role as assistant chief of training.
"The leadership and drive for excellence that he delivers within the Training Branch every day by providing the Fort Drum … firefighters the knowledge and skill set to effectively save countless lives, protect federal property and protect our environment is the ultimate benefit to us all," Anderson said.
Woodward was named Civilian of the Year for his work in developing "program initiatives that have prepared Fort Drum's Fire and Emergency Services team for the challenges and missions of tomorrow," according to his award citation. He was lauded for the part he played in helping Fort Drum to secure multiple awards over the past two years, including 2015 U.S. Army Medium Fire Department of the Year and 2015 Association of Public Safety Communications Officials Team of the Year Award.
Woodward said that his entire team deserved to be recognized for their exemplary performance and that he was proud to be a part of such a professional, driven team.
"The most fulfilling part of being a firefighter -- in my mind -- is the brotherhood and camaraderie," he said. "These guys are my second family and always will be. There are a lot of excellent current and future leaders within the Fire and Emergency Services team, and I am looking forward to serving with them in the future.
"I am proud to say that I work for this directorate, garrison and the 10th Mountain Division (LI)."
Social Sharing