September is recognized as National Preparedness Month, and when it comes to being prepared to handle emergencies or disasters, first responders are indispensable.

For Navy ships and installations, emergencies could mean degradation in the Navy's ability to fight and defend. When a platform's safety is compromised by something like a fire, the base or the ship can't fight. Firefighting and first responders help get them back in the fight.

First responders accept a dangerous job and depend on one another with their lives. The bonds they build over time are ironclad, and these bonds transcend nationality. First responders in Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia (EURAFSWA) are from the world over and nationality matters little when responding to emergencies.

"When the bell sounds I trust the people next to me with my life, and they count on me," said Samuel Feltner, battalion chief for Navy Region EURAFSWA. "We all know that failure could mean the ultimate sacrifice, so we don't fail. We work hard and train hard to ensure that we are always ready. Our family depends on our success, both at home and at the fire department."

Spreading across three continents, Navy Region EURAFSWA's installations are located in various countries. Regional Deputy Fire Chief of EURAFSWA, Dean Riewald says more than 400 first responders span over eight installations and include U.S. civilians, local nationals, and Sailors. He adds in each of these nations, installation first responders rely on and work with their host counterparts.

"Traditionally, firefighters have a community bond as a whole, and so it's easy to develop those relationships with our out-the-gate counterparts as well as with the nationals on our staff," said Riewald. "Our ability to work with our counterparts, [to] train and develop plans and programs is a big part of anything we do."

When personnel work within Region EURAFSWA, they typically lack some important cultural tools, like the native language. To assist in communication, EURAFSWA's first responders rely heavily on their local nationals within the department to connect with their off-base counterparts.

"It's an important bridge between us, and it's a big help for us operationally on a day-to-day basis, but also in terms of our ability to train and react to real-world emergencies," said Riewald.

Based on the mutual aid agreements between the installations and the host nations, training includes exercises on the installations with the on-base first responders working side-by-side with their off-base counterparts.

"I just came back from visiting Deveselu (Romania)," said Riewald. "On that trip we had four firefighters from Poland who are going to be covering the fire response for the stand-up at Redzikowo."

Naval Support Facility (NSF) Deveselu is the Region's newest installation with the sole purpose of executing the installation's lines of operations -- safety; security; housing; Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR); Fleet and Fleet and Family services; and the core -- to support its only tenant, Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System (AAMDS) Romania. NSF Redzikowo, Poland, is scheduled to be established this year and will be the second facility in Europe to host a AAMDS.

"Part of their training was to come down and see the operation at Deveselu, and get familiar with the type of facilities that are going to be built in Poland," added Reiwald, "It's a big partnership effort there."

A central part of EURAFSWA's mission as the Navy's persistent presence in the region is to build relationships with allied and partner nations that host them. According to Feltner, the trust and integration of U.S. and international first responders is a great example of the strength between Navy Region EURAFSWA and host nations.

"Throughout my career I've trained and worked with over 5,000 firefighters, U.S. and local national; they are all family," said Feltner. "Traveling overseas and working with firefighters of other nationalities over the last 20 years has convinced me that our fire department values are universal. We may speak different languages and eat different foods, and maybe even disagree on the tactics we use on the fire scene, but when the bell rings we have each other's back."

The inherent capability of the shore enterprise at Navy installations allows U.S. and allied forces in the region to maintain the right presence where they are needed, and when they are needed. The work of first responders is a key line of operation of a Navy base -- safety.

Installations use eight lines of operation to stay in the fight -- air operations, port operations, safety, security, housing, MWR, Fleet and Fleet and Family services, and the core being fuels, water, and power that keep the base running. Those lines of operation turn combat power into combat capability.

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For more news from Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia, visit http://www.navy.mil/.