CHERRY POINT
FIRE DEPARTMENT The Cherry Point Fire Department (CPFD)
serves a population of over 26,214 military personnel, their
dependants and civilian employees living and working in the 29,139
acres that make up MCAS Cherry Point and it's auxiliary landing
fields. Many of them will need our help at some time or another.
CPFD consist of 1 Fire Chief and 3 Fire Inspectors working Monday
through Friday and 2 Assistant Fire Chiefs and 37 Firefighters
working either 1 of 2 alternating 24 hour shifts. (Day on Day
off).
CPFD Firefighters receive fire, rescue and emergency
medical training and are certified as DOD Firefighters and North
Carolina and/or National Registry certified EMTs (Emergency
Medical Technicians).
CPFD currently has 3 Fire Stations. Our
equipment consists of 2-1000 gpm Pumpers, 1-1000 gpm Pumper with a
50 foot Telesqurt, 1 Heavy Rescue/Haz-Mat truck, 1 Light
Rescue/Brush truck and 5 Boats (2 for Water Rescue and/or 3 for
Open Water Spill-Response).
CPFD not only responds to structural fires, we also respond
to all aircraft emergencies, woods fires, hazardous materials
incidents, confined space/trench rescues, auto accidents, water
rescues, and medical emergencies. We due Standbys for confine
space and other hazardous operations. We also respond Mutual Aid
to many of the local Fire Departments in eastern N.C.
Common fire emergencies include structure fires, brush fires, Haz-Mat
emergencies, water rescue and car fires. Common medical
emergencies include chest pains, car accidents, respiratory
difficulty, seizures and ill persons.
MCAS Cherry Point is also a designated Emergency Landing Site for
NASA's Space Shuttle. We received initial training for Space
Shuttle Emergency Recovery and an additional 672 man-hours of
refresher training/scenarios drills each year.
CPFD MISSION: Provide Quality, Efficient and Effective Fire
Protection & Emergency Services To The Marine Corps Installations
and Surrounding Communities.
What Do
I Do in Case of an Emergency?
Dial 911
When you call 9-1-1, you should give all of the pertinent
information and it needs to be clear. Try
to stay calm.
State what kind of emergency it is: fire, car accident,
heart attack, Haz-Mat, etc. Where the incident is: A proper address and directions if
in a large building. Your Name and Call Back phone number: This information is
necessary in case the dispatcher needs more information. Stay on the phone: The dispatcher may ask more questions or
want you to stay on the line. Emergency units already are being
dispatched even while you are talking with the dispatcher. NOTE: If you are
reporting a house fire do not call from that residence, go to a
neighbor's house across the street and call 911
Children should be taught their home address and telephone number
as soon as possible. In most cases, when you dial 9-1-1, the
address and phone number of your location is displayed to the
9-1-1 dispatcher. However, this is not always the case because of
information that may be called in from a government phone (i.e.
466, 464), cellular or mobile phones.
The dispatcher will begin to dispatch emergency units immediately.
Military Police, Fire Engines, and Ambulances are dispatched
according to the nature of the call. The closest unit will be sent
to ensure that help arrives as soon as possible. It also means
that more than one unit may be sent to the scene.
When the fire department responds to a given location, it may be
delayed in arriving if the address is not clearly seen from the
street. Although it's fairly easy to spot a column of smoke from a
fire, it's difficult to see someone's heart attack from the
street. This problem is compounded in large buildings like NADEP.
Arriving at a correct address, the engine company finds a huge
facility with many buildings in the complex. In an emergency,
firefighters may waste critical time having to locate the correct
location. It is imperative that someone be standing near the front
to direct the emergency units to the appropriate location.
When an emergency vehicle is heard and/or seen, drivers should
carefully pull their vehicle to the right of the road and stop. If
they are at an intersection, or stopped in traffic when they see
lights or hear a siren, drivers should remain stopped and wait
until the emergency vehicles have passed. Do not stop in the
middle of an intersection or block a side street. Do not make
quick or erratic maneuvers. Drivers also should stay 500 feet
behind emergency vehicles.
A crash involving an emergency vehicle delays help to those who
need it. Firefighters are careful to avoid vehicle collisions by
driving slowly when traveling against traffic, or coming to a
complete stop at intersections. The cooperation of all vehicles on
the roadway is required. Be careful when driving by or around a
motor vehicle accident or any situation where emergency vehicles
are parked and the firefighters are working. Resist the impulse to
"rubber-neck". This can cause additional collisions.
Even though fire apparatus are placed to protect firefighters,
tragically, sometimes emergency crews have been hit and killed by
passing vehicles
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