New York Air Guard Fire Department Named Best For 2022

The Air National Guard Fire Chief's Association has announced that the Hancock Field Air National Guard Base Fire Department in Syracuse, New York has been chosen as the fire department of the year for 2022, known as the Chief Greg O. Winjum Fire Department of the Year Award.

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According to the New York National Guard website, the department is a mix of uniformed airmen from the 174th Attack Wing and civilian firefighters. Together, they have been recognized for outstanding performance, providing continuous fire protective services for not only the Hancock Field Air National Guard Base but also the Hancock International Airport in Syracuse.

We are extremely proud of our military and civilian firefighters for the incredible service they provide and the work they've done to be selected for this prestigious award. These professionals truly represent what the Air National Guard brings to our community. - Col. John O'Connor, 174th Attack Wing commander

Winners are selected by an impartial panel of base fire marshalls, basing their decisions on categories such as department management, operations, training, fire prevention, and community relations.

There are two separate leadership teams, one for the military firefighters and one for the full-time firefighters. But we work together as one department. We don't differentiate between how we train or how we work. Our operations have increased. When we were just on the base doing responses, we were lucky if we even did 100 calls a year when we were full-time. Now we're approaching over 400 calls between the base and the airport.  - Jeffrey Chrissley, Hancock Field Air National Guard Base Fire Department Chief. 

The Hancock Field Air National Guard Base Fire Department comprises 27 uniformed Air National Guard fire protection specialists and 22 full-time civilian firefighters.

The New York National Guard also notes that the fire department supervises numerous fire prevention programs by conducting building inspections, issuing welding permits for construction projects, and overseeing the airport's fuel storage program.