When Firefighter III and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Stanley S. Santos started out as a fire cadet 15 years ago, he didn’t think he would land one of the most important jobs in the Department of Public Safety’s Fire Division.
Second in command of the Logistic and Support Section, Santos is responsible for the operations and maintenance of the division’s equipment and vehicles.
Without the proper tools, firefighters and EMTs would not be able to perform their jobs on a timely basis—a scenario that is simply not allowed in the emergency care system.
“Logistics is the process of planning, implementing, adapting, and evaluating all logistical functions that support an operation or activity,” said Santos.
“During a response, the Logistics and Support Section is responsible for providing services and support to meet all the incident’s or event’s needs. It is important to remember that in spite of the fact that funding is a concern, logistics personnel strive to support the personnel and the operation,” he said.
Santos says he feels a sense of pride when he is able to assist in saving lives.
“I had a call once when a 15 year-old boy collapsed and was experiencing shallow breathing. I was first on the scene and I performed ‘rescue breathing,’ using a bag mask which delivers oxygen by manually squeezing the bag,” said Santos.
“After the boy had successfully recovered at the hospital, the doctor told me that if I hadn’t done what I did, the boy would not have survived. I felt good about doing the right thing,” he said.
Although the Fire Division manages to perform vital tasks with basic equipment available, Santos says the logistics unit is always looking for ways to update its equipment and fleet.
“Logistics also ensures that all functions are executed in a unified manner in order to reduce costs, ensure appropriate support actions, and decrease delivery time,” said Santos.
“We coordinate scheduling with shift supervisors, provide routine maintenance schedule information with engineers and operators, take calls with requests for repairs and prioritize them considering factors depending type of complaint, such as a fire engine breaking down,” he said.
Married to Zenaida with seven children, Santos understands that by contributing his expertise and knowledge to the unit, the Division as a whole functions properly, even with its limited resources.
“Having only the basic equipment available and the need to order off-island is a challenge and that’s why we plan ahead,” said Santos.
“We implement and maintain a preventive maintenance program for all fire apparatuses, ambulances, vehicles, equipment, and stations,” he said. “We also assure that work is performed in the best interest for the department and division. As we all know, here at EMS, every second counts, failure is not an option.”
Celebrate EMS Week:
May 18-24, 2008 and EMSC Day: May 21, 2008
The public is invited to the 2008 Fire House Open House on May 24, 2008 from 9am-2pm at the Koblerville Fire Station. Free food, fun, interactive displays and games for the whole family!
