Just a building block Published March 6, 2013 By Senior Airman Jessica Haas Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- This team is quick to respond to intersection collisions. They proved this last year when three off-duty firefighters performed Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, provided traffic control and administered medical aid during one such accident. Their actions enabled the emergency room the ability to revive the injured. Not only are they fast to respond to accidents, but they also recognize the importance of working as a team. Team Minot's fire team responds with other local fire stations when fighting fires off base, as they demonstrated last year when 18 acres of grass caught fire. As a result of their efforts, local farms surrounding the fire were saved. Whether they're responding to a fire or other form of accident, these Airmen have what it takes to handle the situation, and they have the award to back it up. Team Minot's 5th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Emergency Services Flight was recently awarded the 2012 Air Force Global Strike Command Medium Fire Department of the Year. "We aren't stopping there," said Chief Master Sgt. James Hazelip, 5th CES fire chief. "This is just a building block. We have goals we've set and are meeting them." The fire department is responsible for response and prevention in the missile complex, on the flight line, in base housing and the weapons storage area. It doesn't stop there - they respond to situations in the local area as well. While they are responsible for a large amount of properties, they also deal with North Dakota's extreme weather conditions. "Given the complexity of responding to the missile field, the weapons storage area, flight line and dealing with the weather, there are always a lot of issues to deal with," said Tech. Sgt. Sherry Walkup, 5th CES fire inspector. "But we still comply with all our responding criteria. Overall, our unity and workmanship are great. We're like a family." With the shop made up of mostly young Airmen, the chief said the shop has limited experience, which is why the fire department is so focused on training. "Most of our shop is made up of Airmen straight from technical training school," continued the chief. "When you have a team with less experience, training is the key to succeeding." Just to provide a rough estimate of how much training has increased, the base fire department has logged more than 6,000 hours in 2012 alone. This is a dramatic increase compared to the year before when training hours totaled 3,300. "We do real world helicopter evacuations and extractions, as well as live aircraft burns at the training pit," said Tech. Sgt. Christopher Parker, 5th CES assistant chief of training. "We focus on training that simulates what our Airmen will be put up against." Training also includes vehicle extrication, where vehicles are cut up and the fire team has to rescue patients from the vehicles. While training ensures these firefighting Airmen are ready for anything, the shop doesn't stop there. "Our Airmen have completed a total of 65 credit hours this year and three CCAF degrees," said the fire chief. "Additionally, the team held their first Fire Muster in conjunction with the downtown fire department." Team Minot wishes the 5th CES Fire Emergency Services Flight the best of luck as they compete at the Air Force level.