JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — We're proud to share the stories of the brave men and women who serve our country in the military and keep us safe. But there are many people who protect the people who protect us.
In this week's Stories of Service we focus on the fire station at Naval Station Mayport.
"This is one of our pumpers, this is one of the first vehicles that arrives on scene," says Jose Cardenas, assistant chief of training at the Mayport Fire Station.
They are the people who are charged with protecting those who defend America. 46 civilian fire fighters are assigned to Mayport in case of emergencies.
"Each individual firefighter has a rack where they put their equipment," says Cardenas as he gives First Coast News a tour of the station. He also says that being a fire department on a Navy base poses a distinct challenge.
"From structures, to ships, to aircrafts it makes us one of the unique bases," said Cardenas, which makes it all the more impressive that the Mayport fire station won 6 awards among regional Navy bases for exemplary work in elements like training, EMS and fighting fires.
"We take an honor of protecting the personnel on the base, from military to civilians," said Cardenas, "it's an honor to serve, provide the best possible service to the base and local community."
After almost sweeping all of the fire fighting awards among Navy bases in the southeast region the Mayport fire department will next compete against other winners across the nation. All with the purpose of recognizing the people who protect those who defend us.
If you have a story of service that you would like us to share, email us at storiesofservice@firstcoastnews.com.