For Marine Corps Installations Pacific, recently named the 2023 Defense Department fire prevention program of the year, the relationship between fire safety professionals and the communities they serve is foundational.

Ulysses Taormina, the regional fire chief of Marine Corps Installations Pacific Fire and Emergency Services, said giving families the tools and resources to prevent fires or respond if one occurs requires dedication by a large team of safety professionals long before the first sign of smoke appears.  

It starts, Taormina said, with the “unsung heroes” of the fire department: the fire inspectors.  

“They are the ones that do community outreach,” he said. “They are the ones that are going out and ensuring that buildings are built in compliance with the regulations … and they’re making sure that we’re preventing things from happening.” 

Headquartered in Okinawa, Japan, Marine Corps Installations Pacific F&ES provides fire suppression, emergency medical support and fire prevention services at installations throughout the region.

In addition to ensuring the safety of buildings and structures on installations, Taormina said the entire department works tirelessly to engage with base families and provide fire prevention and safety education as part of the first line of defense.

Many of those initiatives involve engaging with school-age children throughout the military community to teach them the basics of fire safety, starting with “stop, drop and roll.” 

“We have a really robust educational program where we go out to the schools,” he said, adding that their outreach includes programs for elementary through high school children. 

In addition to providing an important opportunity to teach about fire safety, he said the outreach program is also an important way fire service personnel stay connected with the community they serve.  

“It’s about community relations and building a community that has a mindset about fire safety,” Taormina said. 

Last year, the Marine Corps Installations Pacific’s fire prevention team conducted more than 1,238 fire inspections on 1,363 facilities, leading to an overall annual inspection completion rate of 93%. They also organized 155 public education events that reached more than 9,000 people and completed more than 560 fire evacuation drills with participation from more than 36,000 personnel.

Those achievements led the Okinawa-based fire prevention program to be recognized as part of the 2023 DOD Fire and Emergency Services Awards in May.  

Each year, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment recognizes three top-performing fire departments at installations around the globe for achieving excellence in mission support and fire protection management.  In addition, a military firefighter, civilian firefighter, military fire officer, civilian fire officer, and fire service instructor are recognized and awarded for their superior job performance, innovation, and outstanding contributions to a DOD F&ES organization. 

The ASD(EI&E) also recognizes DOD’s top fire prevention program based on its depth and breadth, effectiveness, educational value, and thoroughness in direct support of the organization’s mission and installation resilience. 

In addition to Marine Corps Installations Pacific F&ES, several other departments and individuals were recognized for their achievements in 2023 across several categories.  

They include: 

• Fire Department of the Year – Small Category: 90th Civil Engineer Squadron, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming; 
• Fire Department of the Year – Medium Category: Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan; 
• Fire Department of the Year – Large Category: 99th Civil Engineer Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; 
• Military Firefighter of the Year: Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Aircraft Handler First Class Petty Officer Anna Perez, Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy; 
• Civilian Firefighter of the Year: Jeffry Frawley, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas; 
• Military Fire Officer of the Year: Senior Master Sgt. Michael E. Nalley Jr., Joint Base San Antonio, Texas; 
• Civilian Fire Officer of the Year: Deputy Fire Chief Adam J. Montoya, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany; and 
• Fire Service Instructor of the Year: Interim Training Chief Tobias Lang, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. 

Taormina said the recognition is humbling and added that the award serves as a reflection of DOD’s commitment to safety at the highest levels of the department. 

“We don’t do it to get recognized, but we do it for the safety of the community,” he said.  

Everyone in the department — from the fire inspectors to the firefighters and their Japanese partners — strives every day to serve their community, Taormina said.

“What I see day in and day out is nothing but a family, for one, a group of professionals that absolutely loves what they’re doing,” he said.  

“They are in the job,” he said. “They’re not just on the job.”

This Defense news article "DOD's 2023 Fire Prevention Program of the Year Focuses on Building Community Relationship" was originally found on https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/