PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - Firefighters at Picatinny Arsenal were surprised when, during a garrison town hall meeting, Lt. Col. Alexander Burgos, Picatinny Arsenal garrison commander, notified installation employees that the Picatinny Arsenal Fire Department (PAFD) was selected for Small Fire Department of the Year by Installation Management Command Directorate-Sustainment (ID-Sustainment).
“I’m going to announce something at the end of the town hall, that I don’t think even my deputy (John O’Brien) knows,” Burgos said at the start of the meeting. The commander had received the news just before the town hall began.
Along with the departmental award, Firefighter James Brees was selected as Civilian Firefighter of the Year, and Captain Nolan Rampulla was selected for Civilian Fire Officer of the Year within ID-Sustainment.
The three awards at the ID-Sustainment level will now advance for consideration at the Installation Management Command (IMCOM) level. All of the awards are part of the Department of Defense Fire and Emergency Services Awards for outstanding accomplishments of its fire departments, fire officers, and firefighters.
The PAFD is on duty 24-hours a day, performing hazardous duties to ensure the safety of military personnel, their families, and the public.
The department responded to 400 calls for service in calendar year 2022, 67 of which were fires either on or off the installation. Because of its unique hazardous materials response capabilities, the PAFD also provides mutual aid support to all of Morris County, New Jersey, when needed.
In 2022, 15 PAFD firefighters received Humanitarian Service Medals for heroic actions that saved the lives of 43 people in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. “They absolutely deserved to be recognized for their efforts and I am extremely proud of them,” Fortunato Rubio, director of operations, said of the firefighters who received medals.
Hurricane Ida, the second-deadliest storm to hit New Jersey, dumped approximately 6-10 inches of rain over a period of about 18 hours. Twenty-five lives were lost throughout the Garden State as a direct result of the hurricane, nearly a decade after 37 New Jersey residents were killed during 2012’s superstorm “Sandy.”
Firefighter Brees managed the inspection and maintenance of the department’s structural firefighting ensemble with a cost savings to the government of approximately $28,000 per quarter and $4,500 per gear set. A firefighter ensemble is a set of protective clothing and equipment that firefighters wear to protect themselves from fire, heat, smoke, and other hazards. Brees led the department into compliance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1500, representing an approximate value commitment of $355,000.
NFPA 1500 specifies the minimum requirements for an occupational safety and health program for fire departments or organizations that provide a variety of functions. They include rescue, fire suppression, emergency medical services, hazardous materials mitigation, special operations, and other emergency services.
Brees responded to 86 emergencies on and off the installation in 2022 as a firefighter or Acting Company Officer that included 12 fire incidents and 12 EMS incidents. He completed a total of 105 hours of firefighter proficiency training and 15.5 hours of training to fellow firefighters including driver training and boat operations. Brees also completed a bachelor's degree in Fire Administration.
Rampulla, serves the department as the Radio and Communications Officer. In 2022, he led the efforts to reprogram and established multi-band capable zones in radios, allowing interagency operability on emergency incidents, a significant action when responding to mutual aid requests.
Rampulla also responded to 105 emergencies as a Company Officer, including six working structure fires, three motor vehicle accidents, and five munitions/explosive operations. He also completed 199 hours of proficiency and certification-based training. He was lead instructor for more than 31 hours of proficiency training during 13 training classes for peers and subordinates.
Firefighters with the PAFD completed 5,075 training hours and 51 firefighter certifications in 2022.
The department also provides an active Fire Prevention Division that performs fire inspections and code enforcement, organizes public education events, performs fire investigations, and reviews plans for construction projects.
Its members provide CPR and first-aid training, fire extinguisher training, and fire warden training to educate the community and the workforce on how to work in a safe environment, and to provide critical lifesaving care if an employee has a life-threatening medical emergency.
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