2ND LT. RICK BURKS and 2ND LT. JOHN WILSON

By SYLVIA HEWETT
Daily Press Staff Writer

Men and women who pursue careers as firefighter/emergency medical technicians possess a dedication and determination for which their families and communities are grateful.

The Artesia Fire Department is a grand example of those types of people, doing a job they love, working as teams, reveling in work described as "rewarding, but thankless."

In the team spirit, it seems fitting to get acquainted with two of those team members; Second Lieutenants Rick Burks and Johnny Wilson.

Wilson is "a home-town boy," having graduated from Artesia High School and going on to oilfield training school before finding a spot at AFD.

"My dad was a volunteer firefighter with the Atoka Fire Department and Artesia Fire Department," Wilson recalls, but does not necessarily attribute his early exposure to firefighting as a predominant factor in his career choice.

Wilson explains that he had applied for and been hired as a nighttime dispatcher initially and received EMT Basic training.

"There was going to be an opening in the department," Wilson remembers, "I applied and I passed all the interviews and testing."

Subsequently, Wilson received his New Mexico EMT license. He’s been with AFD for about 17 years all told now.

"I like helping people," states Wilson, matter-of-factly. "You have to like what you’re doing ... you’ll never get rich as a firefighter."

Burks is a transplanted Texan, graduating from high school in Kennard, Texas and attending Tyler Junior College, Texas A & M and North Harris County College.

He recently received his associate’s degree in Fire Science from New Mexico Junior College.

From 1972 to 1979, Burks was a draftsman before moving on to the auto parts business.

"I worked for NAPA in Sulphur Spring, in the Dallas/Arlington area ... where I met Captain (Kent) Bratcher," Burks said

Burks was also serving as a volunteer with the fire department in Sulphur Springs, Texas.

"In 1992, the Captain called and asked if I was interested in becoming a full-time firefighter," adds Burks.

As the successful candidate for the position, Burks moved to Artesia to take the job and has continued with AFD as a firefighter/EMT for the past nine years.

"He’s good to work with," Wilson said about Burks. "He’s very competent."

Wilson and Burks both work as firefighters and are certified as intermediate EMTs. Both serve in code enforcement and arson/fire investigation. Burks is also a member of the AFD Honor Guard and serves with the Haz-Mat team.

In addition to routine training and having access to the exercise facilities at AFD and the FLETC, Wilson is an avid golfer and Burks admits to "trying to learn to play golf."

Wilson jokes, "But I don’t play baseball — it messes up my golf swing!"

Well-known for his sense of humor, Wilson is always ready with twinkling blue eyes and amusing anecdotes, frequently about golf.

The brotherhood of AFD is divided into three shifts, each shift working 24 hours on with 48 hours off, giving many firefighters the option to moonlight on second jobs or run businesses.

Burks dabbles in yard maintenance in off-duty hours while Wilson sees the action on the other side of the Artesia General Hospital Emergency Room doors.

"When I retire (from AFD), I’ll probably get my nursing license," quips Wilson.

Firefighters often become closer than family, relying on one another for moral and actual support in tense situations.

While police officers depend on one another to "watch their backs" when things get hot, they patrol independently most of the time.

A firefighter, however, never works alone, adhering strictly to a "buddy system" and feels responsible for his buddy, counting on that buddy to feel the same responsibility for him.

Entering a fire, according to Wilson and Burks, infuses the body with adrenaline and the mind races 100 miles per hour, not always knowing what one will encounter.

Aside from the heat and smoke, which take a physical toll in a fire setting, there’s always the mental roller-coaster of trying to glean as much information about any emergency and the situation while dealing with numerous unknown factors ... what caused this blaze, what might exacerbate the situation and who needs help here.

"You meet people at their worst, in their most embarrassing moments," comments Burks.

"That’s where professionalism comes in," Wilson continues. "We see people in ways no one else does — they expect confidentiality and that’s what they get."

The stress level in this job is phenomenal. Statistics reveal that stress-related conditions, such as heart disease, run high in this profession. It takes a person with a lot of drive, but also one with a lot of compassion.

Captain Kent Bratcher explains, "I’ve known Rick about 18 years and I’ve known John since he was a kid. They both have a good temperament in handling the day-to-day stresses. The way they handle emergencies and patients is consistent and professional.

"Both of these men take doing a good job to heart. They’re both very good guys ... good quality people."

As part of training the public, these "good guys" and other firefighters visit the elementary schools, giving kids an up-close and personal introduction to firefighters, allowing them to see firefighters in full bunker gear in a safe and controlled environment.

Looking like something in a science fiction movie, an outfitted firefighter can sometimes be scarier than a fire to little kids, but the training is designed to teach them not to fear the firefighters, not to hide in a fire situation as well as the standard "stop, drop and roll" technique.

"We let them have some fun with the fire safety presentation ... we teach kids to crawl under the smoke, to check door panels and door knobs for heat," explain Burks and Wilson.

"If a child is in a fire, we hope he or she will remember what they’ve seen at school and will remember having seen us so they won’t be afraid to let us help them."

Firefighters are literally ready, at any given moment, to enter dangerous situations under extreme conditions for the sole purpose of saving lives and salvaging property.

But danger is just a part of the job and the number one reason that the unit performs as a team. "I’d go into a fire or on an EMS call with him anytime," says Burks about Wilson. "He’s a good guy."

AFD requires firefighters to have emergency medical technician training, thus allowing crews to serve competently in several aspects of rescue service.

Continuing fire training is accomplished on a regular basis during the shift as well as periodic attendance of remote fire training.

Wilson adds, "There’s a fire school in Socorro each year ... we also train with Navajo Refining, for example, we’ll be going with them to industrial fire training in Beaumont next week."

AFD serves as backup to the volunteer fire department at Navajo Refining.

In order to maintain EMT certification, firefighters complete 30 continuing education units every two years at the intermediate level and 24 CEUs at the basic level.

They must also recertify through the state every other year.

AFD encourages individuals who are interested in serving as volunteers to pick up an application at the Fire Department or contact Gayle Brigance during office hours.