At the 17th Training Wing “One Community Approach” is more than just a slogan, it’s a mantra and a way of life.
Firefighters from Goodfellow Fire & Emergency Services put this priority into practice by responding to four consecutive emergency mutual aid calls from the Wall Volunteer Fire Department to combat wildland fires along Susan Peak Road in Tom Green County between September 10 and 15, 2026.
According to Wall VFD, the fire started Thursday, September 10, by a lightning strike and developed into a working grass fire.
Responders from Goodfellow Air Force Base’s fire department encountered rangeland conditions with no accessible municipal water infrastructure. The crew deployed “Goodfellow Tender-6” across 13 hours and 54 minutes of tactical operations. They delivered essential water supply to sustain frontline apparatuses while actively conducting wildland suppression tactics.
The crew from Goodfellow operated under Wall VFD Incident Command. Through their efforts, all three incidents were brought to a safe and complete resolution with zero injuries, apparatus damage, or equipment loss.
Goodfellow Fire & Emergency Services received an external mutual aid request, which originates from a neighboring civilian jurisdiction such as Wall VFD or East Concho Volunteer Fire Department. A request of this type is initially routed through San Angelo Fire Dispatch, dispatch then contacts the Goodfellow Emergency Communications Center requesting specific support, such as “Goodfellow Tender-6”, along with the location of the requested support. Once received, the Goodfellow ECC relays the request to Emergency Services.
Requests like the ones made over the last week are beyond the standard 5-mile automatic aid perimeter with the City of San Angelo. The mutual aid deployment requires formal authorization from the base Fire Marshal or a higher authority. Once the authorization is received, the ECC can deploy the requested crew and dispatch the apparatus to assist the on-scene incident commander.
The team that responded from Goodfellow were able to put their joint training exercises into action.
“We conduct joint training exercises throughout the year with the Wall VFD and the City of San Angelo Fire Department,” said Kevin Cotton, Goodfellow AFB Fire Chief. “Our crews are familiar with each other’s personnel, equipment and tactical capabilities.”
Cotton describes that the joint training ensures that different agencies can communicate directly on the fireground without technical barriers. “We operate strictly under the National Incident Management System framework, because every responding department is required to use this same standard; it means that our command structures and incident management flows together seamlessly regardless of the incident.”
Cotton also emphasized how much giving back to their community means to Goodfellow’s personnel. “Emergencies do not recognize property lines or military fence lines. For the civilian firefighters of the 17th Civil Engineering Squadron at Goodfellow AFB, the mission to protect and serve is a commitment that extends beyond the installation’s perimeter, ” Chief Cotton said. “Because we live, volunteer, and raise families in San Angelo, Wall, Grape Creek, and the surrounding areas, our firefighters view every mutual aid dispatch not merely as a tasking, but as a personal obligation to their neighbors.”
The 17th Training Wing’s “One Community Approach” builds on the notion that the base and the local community succeed together. Examples like this highlight the mutual support aspect of that effort, emphasizing the exemplary reciprocal community support infrastructure that exists at Goodfellow AFB.