FORT CAMPBELL, KY - April 9, 2009 -- For the first time, the Fort Campbell Fire Department can call itself the Southeast's finest. The fire department beat out 14 other installations in Installation Management Command-Southeast for "Large Fire Department of Year."
"This [competition] is like our Super Bowl or NCAA tournament, there is nothing else you can do," said Fire Chief Mike Boyd.
The annual IMCOM competition judges the full spectrum of services, everything from firefighting skills to prevention programs to management to training.
Winning the regional crown not only qualifies Fort Campbell for the Armywide competition but also testifies of the department's dramatic improvement during the past three years.
In 2005, the department scored an unimpressive 77 percent on their operational readiness inspection. The inspection score is one of the primary criteria used to determine IMCOM regional winners.
Just three years later, the Fort Campbell fire department achieved a score of 98 percent. That tied for the highest inspection rating among southeast installations.
Boyd said that the big gains were possible because of increased staffing in strategic areas. About 19 new positions have been added to the department since 2005, a 35 percent expansion. Many of the additional personnel were placed in fire prevention programs.
A comparison of inspection reports shows that Fort Campbell raised its fire prevention score from 35 percent to 91 percent.
Other major improvements are apparent in management and training scores, which made gains of 35 and 21 percentage points respectively.
Boyd said the department's submission to the panel of judges also highlighted community awareness efforts.
"Our fire prevention week events and 'Stop, Drop and Roll' campaigns are very good at Fort Campbell," Boyd said.
Protecting the installation has become increasingly complex. Not only does the department have to be ready for aircraft crash scenarios, but it also prepares for hazardous materials and weapons of mass destruction.
"When I joined the department in 1983, we didn't have HAZMAT and WMD responses," Boyd said.
The department has adapted well to new threats.
"I think this [award] speaks volumes that the Fort Campbell Fire Department has become a progressive department," Boyd said. "It has grown with the installation."
The department will collect its award this August as well as find out how it fared against other regional champs in the Armywide competition.
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