Photo By Staff Sgt. Christopher Bruce | Oklahoma Army National Guard aviators supported local firefighters in Amber, Oklahoma,...... read more read more
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The National Guard is known for the term “Citizen-Soldier,” someone who works full-time in the civilian sector and part-time in their military position. One Oklahoma Guardsman found himself in a reversal of that role Wednesday.
Sgt. 1st Class Bill Nabors is the operations noncommissioned officer who works full-time in the State Army Aviation Office for the Oklahoma Army National Guard. He coordinates with crews of the Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters to ensure they are prepared to fly when called by the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management.
Nabors is also a volunteer firefighter and serves as a Captain for the Grady County Fire Department. His station is in Pocasset, Oklahoma, just a few miles West of Amber.
On Feb. 8, 2017, Nabors received a call not for aviation support, but from Grady County Fire Department for him to fight the fire one mile West of Amber, Oklahoma.
Later that day, the Joint Operations Center for the Oklahoma National Guard would also receive a request to provide Aviation support for the same fire Nabors was already fighting.
“It is really rewarding to go help someone on their worst day,” Nabors said. “Whether it’s a farmer’s field that is burning, which is how they make their money, or whether we are helping in the aftermath of a tornado, it’s just rewarding to help people when they are in need.”
Volunteers make up 75 to 80 percent of all firefighters. This means up to 25,000 firefighters, like Nabors, are likely working a full-time job when they are called to a fire, according to Buddy Myers, president of the Volunteer Fire Fighters Association of Oklahoma.
“Most Oklahoma companies are great about letting their employees go when needed,” Myers said. “But overall the volunteers that are stepping up have been on the decline in recent years.”
Myers also serves as the Grady County Fire Department District Chief 702 in charge of Nabors’ station.
“He is passionate,” Myers said. “He is willing to step up and do whatever needs to be done. He also works closely with our community events and always puts the community above himself.”
Nabors found himself in a unique position on the ground fighting the fire while his Oklahoma Army National Guard aviators were called to the air, dropping large buckets of water on the same fire.
“It makes me feel proud,” Nabors said. “That’s what the Guard is all about, supporting the people of Oklahoma. It makes me proud when I see them come in and help people.”
The Oklahoma Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter with four crew members on board dropped 15 buckets with approximately 9,300 pounds of water on the Amber fire. The flight crew flew just over two hours total on their fire mission.
| Date Taken: | 02.08.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 02.09.2017 17:45 |
| Story ID: | 223024 |
| Location: | NORMAN, OK, US |
| Web Views: | 80 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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