As a teenager, growing up in Marion, North Carolina, walking the halls of McDowell High School, a young 15-year-old Blaine Williams, became fascinated with his high school peers who would wear a unique uniform that he thought set them apart from the other students. Williams’ curiosity drove him to learn the significance of these uniforms and that they represented a high school program that educated and certified students on firefighting and as emergency medical technician (EMT), and he wanted one for himself.

“What initially got me into firefighting as a kid was seeing the uniforms the guys would wear at my high school,” said Williams.

A close friend of Williams noticed his interest for firefighting and helped open the doors to begin his firefighting journey.

“I was always intrigued by firefighting, but I didn’t know how to get started,” said Williams. “In high school, I got into the junior programs through my high school’s Career Technical Education (CTE) program that offered firefighting and EMT. At the same time, I received training and education with the fire department, and from that point forward, I just fell in love with firefighting and became fully certified before my 18th birthday.”

Williams continued his new passion for firefighting by volunteering at McDowell County Rescue Squad in Marion, North Carolina.

“I volunteer because it’s a great call to honor,” said Williams. “It’s something that everyday I’m learning something new. It’s something I feel I can give back to my community, and I learned it’s a great responsibility to uphold a title as a firefighter.”

Over the years, Williams volunteered at many fire stations and eventually he would obtain a full-time position as a firefighter engineer with Glenwood Volunteer Fire Department in Marion, North Carolina.

“As a firefighter engineer, I was responsible for doing all of the truck checks every morning, station duties, maintaining equipment and training,” said Williams. “But my main responsibility was to drive the fire truck to the call and from there, assess the call. I could do anything from operating the truck to being hands-on and actually fighting fires, and nine times out of 10, I was the first person on the scene.”

During the early hours of a late December morning in 2020, just before Christmas, Williams responded to a call that would forever remind him of the importance of being a firefighter.

“I received the initial call,” said Williams. “I drove the truck and I could see the plume of smoke while driving there and my initial thought was ‘wow, this is a legitimate fire.’ When I arrived on scene, there were two other fire trucks pulling up with me and there was a fire crew already going to work. I asked the chief on scene what he needed. He told me to go inside and assist his guys. I went back to the truck and established the gear and the equipment that I needed and I assisted in helping put out the initial fire and complete the overhaul.”

While the homeowners lost their home to the fire, Williams and the responding fire crews helped recover some of the Christmas presents.

“At the end of the day, their house might not have been saved,” said Williams. “But it’s very wholesome to know that we were able to save their Christmas packages – they still had something to look forward to.”

Williams, now an enlisted Sailor in the U.S. Navy as an Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Airman, assigned to the world’s largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) air department, hangar bay division (V-3), joined the crew January 2022, and quickly became certified in many in-rate firefighting qualifications, adopting new firefighting methods and leadership skills along the way.

“The main thing I am learning here on the ship is how to be a better leader and how to hold myself accountable for my actions,” said Williams. “When I was younger in the fire service, everything was learned quickly on the fly, but now, I can study and learn the things I should be practicing to keep myself safe. That’s something I’m going to try and instill and pass on to my Sailors as I train them.”

Firefighting is a continually evolving practice. New equipment and lessons learned bring quicker and safer approaches to best combat fires and save lives. While Williams is eager to learn all aspects of firefighting, he likes to focus his firefighting training on perfecting the basics.

“You have to learn how to crawl before you can walk,” said Williams. “So for me, the simple stuff is the most important stuff to teach. Everybody wants to learn the coolest and most difficult stuff first, but if you don’t understand the basics first, then how are you going to keep yourself safe?”

Some of the basic training points Williams emphasizes is the importance of understanding their personal protective equipment (PPE), what it is, why it’s there, and what the equipment can tolerate to best avoid preventable casualties.

“When an actual emergency happens, you don’t have time to sit and guess and question your abilities, it’s time to react,” said Williams. “Know your equipment because that could be the difference in saving your life and others.”

With William’s real-world experience fighting fires prior to the military and his continued dedication to learning all aspects of firefighting, his peers realize he has gained an abundance of firefighting knowledge and that he holds himself to a high standard, which has garnered Williams a respectable nickname among his peers.

“They call me ‘the fire marshal’ in V-3,” said Williams. “It’s not to poke fun at me, they know I’m very passionate when it comes to firefighting. They all know I get very aggravated if something is not correct because I know it is life-saving equipment.”

“The fire marshal aboard the ship has a great responsibility when it comes to damage control,” said Williams. “So they kind of honor me with that nickname because they know how passionate I am when it comes to firefighting.”

Williams is currently deployed with the Gerald R. Ford in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations. When he returns to his homeport, he plans on picking up where he left off, volunteering with the local fire station, Carrollton Volunteer Fire Department, in Carrollton, Virginia. Williams is recruiting and encouraging other Sailors to follow his footsteps and volunteer for their local community fire stations.

“Firefighting is something I don’t get bored with,” said Williams. “I learn something new every day, and even after 6 years, I still enjoy the challenges, and that’s what keeps me volunteering.”

Gerald R. Ford is the U.S. Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, representing a generational leap in the U.S. Navy’s capacity to project power on a global scale. The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.

For more information about the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), visit https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn78/ and follow along on Facebook: @USSGeraldRFord, Instagram: @cvn78_grford, Twitter: @Warship_78, DVIDS www.dvids.net/CVN78 and LinkedIn at USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).