Kirtland AFB Fire & Emergency Services

09/15/2026

🎄🚒 Christmas Came Early at Kirtland AFB Fire & Emergency Services! ✈️🔥

Kirtland AFB Fire & Emergency Services recently took delivery of a brand-new Oshkosh Striker 3000 Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) vehicle—a major investment in firefighter safety, emergency response capabilities, and continued support of Kirtland’s mission.

This week, our crews began familiarization and hands-on training with the new apparatus, learning its updated systems, capabilities, and operational features. The new Striker will replace one of our current ARFF vehicles that has faithfully served Kirtland for more than 15 plus years old.

Kirtland AFB Fire & Emergency Services has a unique responsibility. Our crews not only provide aircraft rescue and fire protection for military aviation operations, but also support fire protection and suppression for civilian aircraft operations while maintaining strong partnerships with Albuquerque Fire Rescue and Bernalillo County Fire Rescue.

Modern equipment, highly trained firefighters, and strong mutual-aid partnerships ensure our crews remain ready when called upon.

Supporting the mission. Protecting our community. Ready when it matters most.

Welcome to the fleet, Striker 3000! 🚒✈️🔥

09/11/2026

Today, Kirtland AFB Fire & Emergency Services was honored to support the 9/11 Memorial Ruck March, coming together with our Kirtland AFB community to remember the 2,977 lives lost on September 11, 2001, and to honor the courage and sacrifice of the first responders who ran toward danger while others were running away.

Twenty-five years later, we continue to Remember. Honor. Serve.

We carry their memory with us—not only today, but every day we put on the uniform and answer the call.

We will never forget. 🇺🇸🚒

09/11/2026

08/30/2026

🚒 Training Today. Ready for Tomorrow. ✈️🔥

Friday was another valuable day of hands-on training for our fire department crews, focused on strengthening operational readiness and preparing our firefighters for the unique emergencies we may encounter across the installation.

Crews began the day conducting aircraft familiarization training on the CV-22 Osprey and AC-130J Ghostrider. Training included aircraft-specific hazards, emergency procedures, emergency shutdown procedures, and other critical considerations firefighters must understand when responding to an aircraft emergency.

Later that afternoon, crews partnered with our Base Fire Alarm Technicians, Felipe and Bill, for hands-on training with fire alarm panels. This training provided firefighters with a better understanding of alarm systems, panel operations, and the information these systems can provide during an emergency response.

We would like to thank the 58th Special Operations Wing for its continued support and partnership, as well as Felipe and Bill for sharing their knowledge and providing valuable hands-on instruction.

Training like this is invaluable to our mission. Understanding the aircraft, systems, and hazards we may encounter helps ensure our crews are prepared to respond safely, efficiently, and effectively when every second counts.

Train hard. Stay prepared. Mission ready.

08/30/2026

Mr. Bohann had the honor of presenting Firefighter Soiland with his 10-Year DOD Service Award, recognizing a decade of commitment, professionalism, and service to our mission and community.

Please join us in congratulating Firefighter Soiland on this outstanding achievement and thanking him for 10 years of dedicated federal service!

08/05/2026

Honoring Years of Dedicated Federal Service

Kirtland Air Force Base Fire & EMS is proud to recognize three outstanding members of our department who were honored by the Base Civil Engineer for their years of faithful federal service to the Department of War/Department of Defense.

Please join us in congratulating:

* Jacob Archuleta – 10 Years of dedicated service
* Robert Lucero – 21 Years of dedicated service
* Darrell Fixler – 20 Years of dedicated service

These milestones represent decades of unwavering commitment, professionalism, and service to our nation, the Air Force, and the Kirtland community. We are grateful for your dedication, sacrifice, and continued excellence in protecting lives, property, and the mission.

Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition, and thank you for your faithful service! 🇺🇸🚒

07/11/2026

Many of us knew him as Johnny Gage from the iconic television series Emergency!, but to the EMS community, Randy Mantooth represented something much greater.

For countless EMTs, paramedics, and firefighters, Emergency! was more than just a television show—it was an inspiration. Many members of today’s EMS profession chose this career after watching Johnny Gage and Roy DeSoto demonstrate compassion, courage, and professionalism on screen.

In the early 1970s, modern emergency medical services were still in their infancy. Before organized EMS systems existed, many communities relied on funeral homes to transport critically ill and injured patients to hospitals with little or no medical care provided during transport.

As the need for prehospital emergency care became clear, groundbreaking research and the development of paramedic programs transformed emergency medicine. Emergency! helped introduce these lifesaving concepts to millions of viewers, educating the public while inspiring a generation of first responders.

That pioneering spirit continues today. EMS has evolved tremendously over the past five decades, and departments across the country now provide advanced medical care that was once only possible inside a hospital.

At Kirtland AFB Fire & Emergency Services, we are proud to continue that legacy by delivering some of the most progressive prehospital care in the Air Force. Our providers operate under advanced medical protocols that improve patient outcomes and bring critical care directly to those in need.

These capabilities reflect the remarkable evolution of EMS since Emergency! first introduced America to the paramedic profession.

Randy Mantooth, alongside his co-star Kevin Tighe, brought those pioneering paramedics to life and helped elevate the profession in the eyes of the public. His influence extended far beyond television.

Even in his later years, Randy remained a passionate advocate for EMS. Through the documentary Into the Unknown, he continued sharing the stories of paramedics and honoring the men and women who dedicate their lives to serving others. His lifelong commitment ensured that the history, sacrifices, and humanity of the EMS profession would never be forgotten.

Those who knew Randy remember his warm sense of humor, his gift for storytelling, and his love for bringing people together. Whether celebrating Fiesta at his Santa Barbara home or spending evenings around a backyard firepit with family and friends, he created lasting memories through laughter and conversation.

Randolph “Randy” Mantooth�September 19, 1945 – July 9, 2026

Randy’s legacy reaches far beyond the television screen. He inspired generations of EMS professionals and helped shape public appreciation for emergency medical services. His impact will continue to be felt every time an EMT, paramedic, firefighter, or dispatcher answers the call to help someone in need.

From all of us at Kirtland AFB Fire & Emergency Services, thank you, Randy, for inspiring generations to serve with courage, compassion, and professionalism.

Your legacy lives on in every life saved, every patient cared for, and every first responder who answers the call.

Rest easy, Randy. Thank you for inspiring a profession. You will never be forgotten.