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Hurlburt firefighter named best in Air Force

A firefighter at Hurlburt Field, Fla., is in the running for the Defense Department’s Civilian Fire Officer of the Year after taking that top honor for the Air Force.

Mike Blakely, 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron’s deputy chief of Fire Emergency Services, works with local fire units to protect the base’s $6.1 billion in facilities and aircraft, Col. Mark Johnson, 1st Special Operation Mission Support Group commander, said in a statement.

“Chief Blakely has been instrumental in coordinating interagency emergency response training, and has written emergency mutual aid agreements,” Johnson said.

Blakely, named Air Force Civilian Fire Officer of the Year by the Defense Department, has worked at Hurlburt for five years. During the period, Blakely coordinated disaster response with more than six other local fire departments and Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

He also trained 50 local firefighters to respond to C-130 and CV-22 emergencies off base, according to the Air Force.

In 2008, Hurlburt firefighters responded to 873 emergencies ranging from vehicle accidents, hazardous material calls and aircraft emergencies.