Lanier says farewell to NAS Jax after 35 years

"I'm definitely going to miss it, but I'm ready to go. When you think 35 years of being away from your family; it's like being in the military - you are never home when something happens because you are always on duty. And, when we have big events such as hurricanes, you always have to worry about your family because we have to be here. Now, I'll be home more for them," said Lanier.

Lanier joined the NAS Jax Fire Department when he was 21 after deciding his first career choice as an automobile mechanic didn't quite suit him. "My dad was a firefighter at the NS Green Cove Springs base until it closed. Then he transferred here. So, I decided to follow in his footsteps and joined the NAS Jax team. Back then it was on-the-job training. I had no knowledge of being a firefighter but learned quickly and got all my certifications done. I worked hard to come up through the ranks," said Lanier proudly. "I never worked with my dad because we were put on opposite shifts. About 10 years after I joined the department, my brother, David was also hired here as a firefighter and has worked his way up the chain. He's now at NS Mayport."

NAS Jax Assistant Fire Chief of Training Fred Lanier, who acted as incident commander for a weapons of mass destruction drill in March 2006, gathers information and coordinates his units to ensure proper procedures are being met. File photo

"The day I was hired there were 14 new firefighters. I'm the last one to retire. It's been a long time and I've seen a lot of changes here. I started in the main firehouse, went to crash

and rescue on the airfield, then to the Station 2 Firehouse near the Navy Exchange, which was demolished a couple years ago, and then back to the main firehouse," he continued.

As the assistant fire chief of operations and training, Lanier's job has been to run the shift and handle the daily operations of the department. As the training chief he also coordinated all the training for firefighters including the base disaster drills.

With 35 years under his belt, Lanier has seen many changes. "We've gone through a lot of stages here. First it was mostly firefighting, then we got into hazmat and weapons of mass destruction and now it's mostly medical calls. There is definitely a lot more paperwork now than there used to be, especially now that we are using computers. We are required to do a lot more reports than we did several years ago," he stated.

"But, this job is exciting and different every day. One good thing about working for the federal fire service is that we get to do it all, aircraft firefighting, hazmat, we are trained to do everything."

When asked what his most memorable experience is, Lanier happily replied, "When I was selected firefighter of the year in 1988 for the Navy and Marine Corps. I worked hard to accomplish this goal. I started the hazmat team here and got them trained and also volunteered in the community including teaching CPR to the staff at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine."

Chief Fred Lanier (second from left) inspects one of many roof ventilation drills executed by NAS Jax fire fighting teams during a 2008 exercise that took place in condemmed housing at Patriots Point. Photo by NAS Jax Fire Department

Lanier also spends his free time volunteering at St. Augustine High School helping the chorale director by building props for their performances and traveling with the band.

"My daughter, Rebecca has been involved in these groups so I wanted to help out," he said.

In the future, Lanier will continue volunteering and working part-time.

"I work part-time at Northrop Grumman on the crash crew and also teach firefighting at the First Coast Technical College. So I'll continue to stay busy. I'll just have more time to spend with my family and fishing in the new boat my wife, Linda, bought me as my retirement present. My family has endured a lot because I haven't been home that much, now I will be." said Lanier, enthusiastically.

He will also continue to stop by the base every so often to visit and check on a project that he hopes will help the base firefighters in the future.

"I started a project here to build a firefighting building out by the airfield that the Seabees are working on, so I want to see that finished. It will provide a place for our firefighters to train in a realistic setting," he said.

As for his advice for the junior firefighters here, Lanier simply looks back on his experiences of serving the past 35 years here.

"If you want to get promoted, get your certifications done and work hard because the technology nowadays is getting much more complicated. It takes a little more knowledge of how to operate things than it used to. As firefighters, we do it all - from cooking and cleaning to carpentry and electrical work," stated Lanier.

"And, remember it's all a team effort. You can't be self-centered in this job, everyone has to work together, if not, we couldn't get accomplished what we need to get accomplished."

Of course, Lanier would also like to thank those who have guided him through his illustrious career.

"I want to thank everyone. From the former admirals, commanding officers, executive officers, fire chiefs and all those people who brought me along to all my junior firefighters - thank you. I wouldn't be here today without you!" said Lanier.