Personnel from the Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola Fire Department were among those who responded to the Dec. 6 shooting that killed three and injured eight other persons, including military members and civilians.

“Our emergency response teams responded in a way that is a direct reflection of what we represent as a fire department,” said Fire Chief Daniel Chiappetta. “The efforts displayed were professional, and I couldn’t be prouder of our men and women for the effort they put forth.”

Medical personnel from the department focused on tending to the injured and prepared them for transport to local hospitals.

Being prepared to respond to an incident like this requires personnel to undergo hours of training and maintain meticulous attention to detail.

“We train continuously, and our goal is to make sure that our personnel are trained to the point that when something of this nature does happen—that it’s just a natural response and all part of the job,” Chiappetta said. “There are times where incidents are more chaotic than others, but our personnel performed superbly.”

Chiappetta emphasized the importance of the rock-solid relationship that the NAS Pensacola fire department has with Escambia and Santa Rosa County fire departments through their mutual-aid agreements.

“One of the key factors to our success as a cohesive unit is [our] excellent rapport with the fire departments in the local community,” Chiappetta said. “There is a mutual-aid agreement in place where the county calls us for support, as we do them in times of need.

“Several of our personnel volunteer in both Escambia and Santa Rosa County, and quite a few of our individuals are not only firefighters, but also fire chiefs, assistant chiefs and battalion chiefs for the counties," he said. "This relationship is one that helps both fire departments by giving and receiving mutual aid.”

The department also supports the local community and installation, including at this time of year transporting Santa Claus around the installation.

 “We try to continue to carry on the holidays and traditions the best we can by bringing cheer to everyone on the installation,” Chiappetta said.