Firefighters from Joint Base Lewis-McChord were the first emergency crews to respond to Monday’s deadly Amtrak crash, likely saving multiple lives as years of training kicked in.
Christopher Bernard, the assistant fire chief of operations for JBLM Fire and Emergency Services, was the lead commander for the firefighters at the scene.
He said eight units showed up quickly, and more were able to arrive than normal because it was a “shift day,” and two shifts overlapped.
“In this instance, the proximity of the crash allowed us to be first on scene,” Bernard said.
JBLM fire crews often respond to emergency calls off base, Bernard said, and have multiple automatic aid agreements with neighboring towns.