For the third time in four years, the 377th Air Base Wing’s Fire Emergency Services Branch at Kirtland AFB has been selected as Air Force Global Strike Command’s Large Fire Department of the Year. The department will now compete against all other major command recipients in the large department category. If selected there, it will then compete at the Department of Defense level.
Kirtland AFB Installation Fire Chief Jaime Jimenez put the AFGSC award in perspective.
“I like to think we were selected because we have incredible firefighters who are dedicated to our unique mission. Being a retired chief master sergeant, and having worked in fire protection all over the world for the past 44 years, Kirtland Fire & Emergency Services is the best department I have ever been associated with. COVID-19 has been a tremendous challenge for us, as it has been for everyone, and the firefighters assigned here have made all the difference in the success of our mission.”