Fire and Emergency Services
The NAS Kingsville Fire and Emergency Services Department is the recipient of the Navy's Fire Department of the Year award for 2009 for medium-size commands, and Fire Chief Ruben Perez was named Navywide Fire Chief of the Year. This recognition highlights the efforts of the NAS Kingsville team, which provides emergency fire, crash and rescue, and emergency medical response for the Air Station and NALF Orange Grove.
The Department also assists the local community with fire and emergency medical support through a mutual operations agreement (MOA) with Kleberg County and the City of Kingsville. The NAS Kingsville Fire Department responded to 792 incidents in FY-09, including 142 structural emergencies.
Operations. The NAS Kingsville Fire and Emergency Department participated in numerous “practical drills” for Fire Suppression, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Hazardous Materials, Confined Space, Aircraft Fire Rescue, Medical Emergencies, Specialized Rescue, and Hazardous Materials Decontamination. Additional operations included participation and certification of personnel in annual ARFF training evolutions using Mobile Aircraft Firefighter Training Device (MAFTD). The Department also provided wild land stand-by for the control burning of hundreds of acres aboard NAS Kingsville and Orange Grove Auxiliary Landing Field.
Fire Prevention. The NAS Kingsville Fire & Emergency Services Department provided Fire safety Training to more than 2,000 during the past year. In addition, NASK assisted Kleberg County Rural Fire Department and Alice Fire Department with Fire Safety Training to the Public. The NASK staff delivered fire safety training to area schools in Ricardo, Bishop, and Kingsville, as well as a number of local churches. More than 1,700 facility and fire extinguisher inspections were conducted. The F&ES staff conducted 35 Facility Fire Drills, 4 MWR Child Development Center home inspections, and trained seven new CBQ personnel for the Fire Wardens Program.
Community Relations. The NAS Kingsville Fire and Emergency Services Department plays a key role in the base Community Outreach Program. During the past year, more than 40 schools, civic groups, and community organizations visited the Fire Station as part of the base Tours & Visits Program.