MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Fire has been destroying what man created since the beginning of recorded history.
For thousands of years fire has wreaked havoc on the cities of the world, but man has continuously fought back. Although the ability of firefighters has changed drastically since the famous fires of Rome, London and Chicago, one thing remains the same - the fire.
"Fire has been the enemy of mankind forever," said Devin Johnston-Lee, Iwakuni Fire Station fire chief. "And with all the technology we have, the smart bombs, landing on the moon and computers, the basic job of firefighting is still applying water to the fire."
Although firefighting may look as simple as dousing flames with a hose, what firefighters endure when they go into the inferno is only truly known to those who have crossed that threshold. It is a labor of caring, professionalism, pain and sacrifice.
"Every city has firemen and they are always those nameless faces that you wave at in the fire truck," Johnston-Lee said. "They are the ones who show up in the middle of the night no matter what, with the sole goal of protecting you and your family."
The station has its own group of 45 protectors who stand watch day and night. The Japanese Nationals who operate the station fire department maintain two fire engines, one reserve engine, one 110-foot ladder truck, and a command vehicle.
Whether station firefighters, or those who serve around the world, when firefighters arrive on the scene of a fire, each is assigned a specific job. This begins the process of firefighters focusing in on what they have to do, in a very short period.
"When we go into the fires we have a basic idea of what the fire is, and a basic knowledge of the building," Johnston-Lee said. "We actually feel our way in and crawl on the ground because the visibility is down to zero and the heat is above us. All this time, within your suit, the temperature is getting up around 200 degrees, and the big thing on the back of our minds is that our air bottles on our backs only allow us 30 minutes of breathing."
Once inside the building firefighters face far more hazards than just fire. They are also engaged in a race against time.
"Because of all the synthetics used in construction , and the laxing of some fire codes, structures are becoming cheaper without the concern of fire safety," Johnston-Lee pointed out. "Structures are falling in 30 minutes, and it takes us five minutes to get there."
Facing the heat of fire can be a daunting task, as temperatures can range from 400 to 1,600 degrees in a house fire, and as high as 2,000 in a fuel fire.
"I remember one time, the water on the floor was so hot, I had to stand on a couch to keep my feet from burning while spraying water at the fire," Johnston-Lee said. "Sometimes when you're crawling you can see the water boiling off the floor and it hurts your knees, and you can feel the intense heat coming down from above you."
Their protective suits allow firefighters to penetrate deep into an environment destructive to all life. Yet they push on without hesitation to the point of emerging with steam burns from their own sweat, Johnston-Lee noted.
"The shock and urgency of a mother screaming that her child is inside is enough to make firefighters throw caution into the wind, and risk everything to head into places where nobody should be," Johnston-Lee said. "They start searching around desperately, trying to bring that child back to her mother."
Johnston-Lee added that in his 25 years of being a firefighter, he has discovered that firemen are the same everywhere. They all have that sense of humor, dedication and willingness to go that extra mile to help. The station firefighters are no different.
"The department here has a lot of pride," he explained. "The Japanese understand the mission of the station, and they are proud to be firemen protecting that. It's a really great responsibility because of the mission of this base. If world events dictated, service members would have to deploy, and firefighters are tasked with the responsibility of protecting your most precious items - your family."
As it has been throughout history, firefighters may walk away having won the fight against fire, or having lost. Either way, one thing is for certain - firefighters are needed.
"I do not have customers," Johnston-Lee said emotionally. "Target and K-Mart have customers. When you call 911, they don't ask what fire department you want. What I have are investors. You invest in my men, my equipment, my training and me. The dividend you get is that no matter what it is, no matter what time it happens, we'll come."