Lexington firefighters make transition from armed service to fire service

The Lexington Fire Department has more than 100 veterans and active duty members on its staff

LEXINGTON, Ky (WTVQ)- It’s Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor those who currently serve or have served our country. The Lexington Fire Department is one of many departments across the country who have both current active duty members and retired veterans on its’ staff.

For firefighter Douglas Winkler, getting thanked for his service is difficult to describe.

“People like to thank you for your service, and I know it sounds cliche but it’s just the job. I don’t think I’ve done anything extraordinary in my time in the service to warrant any extra thanks. I’ve really just kind of shown up and done my job every day,” Winkler said to ABC 36.

Winkler served in the United States Navy for 9 years. He’s also serving in the Air Force for about six years, all while working as a fire fighter.

“I did one deployment on the U.S.S Enterprise, and that’s what kind of led me to my introduction to firefighting. Everybody in the navy is trained to fire fight because a fire on the ship is the number one hazard for everybody,” said Winkler.

He’s worked in Lexington for a couple of years.

According to the Lexington Fire Department, Winkler is one of more than 100 veterans and active duty military members on its staff. Some are currently deployed.
Winkler says he just returned from the Middle East three months ago. He uses the same skills as a firefighter that he uses on deployments.

“Being able to communicate what you need, where you need it, and how you need it. And the same thing for the fire service, you gotta be able to tell people where you need water, how much water you need, what you’re seeing. All of these things are keys to accomplishing the goal at the end of the day,” said Winkler.

The International Association of Fire Fighters says more than 20% of all firefighters and paramedics are military veterans. That’s because firefighters are used to similar training and structure.
For Winkler, his transition was a smooth one.

“It was kind of the mindset that I was dong the right thing. I was going to support my country and all that type of stuff. And the same thing with the fire service. You’re really out there protecting your community, just playing a role in every day life,” said Winkler.