CAMP HUMPHREYS -- Another year has brought another round of recognition for U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys Fire and Emergency Services.
On the heels of winning several awards last year, including best Fire Department in the Department of Defense, the department was recently notified that it has won three awards at the Installation Management Command Pacific level.
The new awards went to: Assistant Chief Dathan Black for the Fire Service Instructor of the Year; Captain Choe, Song-ho for Fire Officer of the Year; and Dean Turner's team of fire inspectors for having the best fire prevention program.
Part of the reason for Choe's recognition came from his response to a 5-year-old girl having a seizure.
"When you're having a seizure, you can bite your tongue or it can restrict the airway," Choe said. "When we arrived, she was having very bad seizure activity and had bit her tongue. There was blood and the airway was blocked."
Choe responded quickly and calmly to get a supply of oxygen to the victim.
"We had to supply air to her, maintain her airway, force air through a mask, then transport her to the emergency room," Choe said. "The most important thing is the oxygen supply. If a person goes four minutes without oxygen, they will probably die or have permanent brain damage."
And even though the seizure lasted more than 30 minutes, Choe's actions eventually led to a full recovery.
"Two weeks later she came back to see me," Choe said. "I've been working this job for 17 years and that was the happiest moment for me."
Choe oversees more mundane tasks that were also integral to winning the award. For instance, he examines different buildings on post to determine the best way to battle a blaze if the building caught fire.
Choe said that type of planning helps him succeed. "The key thing is to always be prepared for work," he said. "I'm always planning my life, be it for this week, this month, or this year."
Despite his lifesaving act from last year, Choe said the most common misconception about firefighters is that they only battle blazes.
"When we respond to a medical emergency, the person will ask, 'Why are firefighters here? I'm sick, I need medical personnel, not you guys.' I'm EMT trained, but they're still wondering why we're here."
Despite that consternation, Choe still says offering assistance is a satisfying part of the
job. "What I like most is that we can help people. What an amazing job, to be able to help other people. That's why I love this work."
While the award has Choe's name on it, he said it is the result of many people's contributions.
"The reason for the award is my team," he said. "We've been working together for a long time. Everyone is a professional. We work very well as a team."
Black also made note of teamwork, beginning at the top.
"The key to any successful training program is the support you get, from the immediate chain of command and the command itself," he said. Black credits the command for helping the department secure funding for tools and resources that enable him to build a strong training program.
Black said there are various factors he has to consider when putting a training program together.
"The biggest thing is, how much can I produce with as little to the taxpayer, while still having as much benefit to public safety," he said.
It is not only Humphreys that has benefited. Black has offered his help to emergency services from other garrisons and they have accepted. "We've turned Humphreys into a regional training hub," he said.
Black likes working in Korea because the workers are without egos and willing to learn.
"They're like a sponge," he said. "It makes my job very nice. They're very teachable. The teamwork here is very good and we get along great."
Black said being recognized with awards is nice, but that it's not necessary for validation.
"I know how hard the guys work and the level of professionalism in the department," he said. "Even if we didn't have a piece of paper saying we're the best, I would know that in my heart. I sleep well at night knowing the service they provide."
Related Links:
United States Army Garrison Humphreys website
United States Army Garrison Humphreys on Facebook
United States Army Garrison Humphreys on Flickr
Morning Calm newspaper archive
@ROKEreport: Korea news summary
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