Offutt selects best firefighter, fire officer of 2009

  • Published
  • By Debbie Aragon
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  Col. John Rauch, 55th Wing vice commander, presented Offutt's Fire Officer and Firefighter of the Year awards during a small ceremony at the base fire station here Oct. 9. 

Each year, as part of National Fire Prevention Week, base officials honor the 55th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department's best. 

This year's winners, Fire Officer Jason Bloom and Firefighter Lucas Lechtenberg, were each presented with a statue of a firefighter holding a small child to recognize their selection as the best in the Offutt Fire Department. 

"The department had an exceptional year, from community involvement to actual lives saved. It was a rather daunting task to pick two individuals from a cast of such outstanding players," Offutt Fire Chief Dave Eblin said. "I am proud of both award winners and the entire team for such an exceptional year." 

Together with other members of the Offutt Fire Department, Mr. Bloom and Mr. Lechtenberg responded to more than 900 events during fiscal 2009 including structural fires, aircraft and medical emergencies, hazardous material spills, rescue calls, mutual aid requests and vehicle accidents. 

"Being nominated was quite an honor because there are lots of guys here that work hard and do a lot of good things ... then to win, it feels great," Mr. Bloom said. 

Although fire officer of the year is an individual honor, Mr. Bloom was quick to point out that very little in the department is accomplished as an individual. Rather, most things rely on having a team respond. 

"Every one of the guys here deserves one of those statues because every call that we go on is as a team, it's never one person," he said. "You share the glory in everything that you do so by no means am I the only individual that's done anything exceptional." 

He did however recall an important emergency situation that his team responded to. 

"The trench rescue was a pretty big deal," he said. When a trench set up by contractors collapsed , Mr. Bloom's team dealt with the mass casualty rescue that followed involving five people. "We had a patient with a broken neck, people with punctured lungs and we had to have the (medical evacuation helicopter) come in and fly them out (for advanced emergency care)," he explained. 

In addition to responding to numerous events throughout the year, Mr. Bloom devoted more than 130 hours teaching an emergency medical technician class to emergency medical service personnel deployed to Offutt, and organized and implemented an emergency EMS training program for a local Army Reserve platoon. He was also a member of the first Offutt Fire Department Ceremonial Guard. 

Following his firefighter of the year award presentation, Mr. Lechtenberg seconded the comments by Mr. Bloom. 

Mr. Lechtenberg, who has only been with the Offutt Fire Department for a year, said he believes his work in the local community set him apart from his fellow fire fighters. 

His accomplishments for fiscal 2009 include being an active volunteer firefighter with the Glenwood, Iowa, volunteer fire department and organizing firefighters to assist with the cleanup of the Boy Scouts of America Little Sioux Scout Ranch after it was destroyed by a tornado in 2008. 

"Everyone in the department did a lot and worked very hard over the last year," he said. "I couldn't have won this award without my supervisor and my shift ... although it's good to be recognized, a lot of what we do is as a team. 

"This is a real positive department and a good place to work," Mr. Lechtenberg added. 

"I wouldn't want to work anywhere else," Mr. Bloom said. "We've got great management and every one of the guys here are top notch; the best trained and best all-around fire fighters in the world."