DOVER AIR FORCE BASE — A young man, dressed in a heavy, fire-resistant jacket, sits tensed on a firetruck, poised for action.

As the vehicle approaches the scene, he takes in the view. Thick, gray smoke billows up from a small house, and bright-orange flames lick the roof.

His heart pounds, as adrenaline pumps through his body. His fingertips and toes jitter with anticipation. As the truck stops, he’s out the door and on his feet, ready to get the job done.

Airmen from the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department respond to scenes like this approximately 10 times a week. Twenty-five percent of the incidents it responds to are mutual-aid agreements with local agencies, including the Dover Fire Department.

But this partnership between the squadron and the Dover firefighters goes beyond simply responding to the same blazes: It’s a brotherhood.

“Once you’re a firefighter, you’re always a firefighter,” said David Carey, Dover’s fire chief. “We take care of each other. It doesn’t matter (what station) you’re from.”

The agencies often train together, completing classroom work and running response and lifesaving drills.

Chief Master Sgt. Andrew Kehl, the 436th’s fire chief, believes the training helps increase cohesiveness between the stations.

“Training with other agencies provides new skills and offers a chance for our team to teach and train volunteer departments,” said Chief Kehl. “Many friendships have come out of our training and real-world calls with our local partners.”

Chief Carey said his station trains with several in the area, but the majority of joint events are with Dover Air Force Base.

“The more you train together, the more you get to know each other. There becomes that relationship, where you know each other’s capabilities,” he said. “It makes (responding to) the incident flow smoother.”

In addition to training, many 436th firefighters volunteer at the Dover Fire Department. Chief Carey said volunteers are crucial to the manning of the fire company, as all civilian fire stations in Kent County are 100% volunteer.

“When we recruit a military member, (we know we’re) gaining someone that’s responsible. You get that reliability that’s instilled in them through the Air Force,” he said. “Training (airmen from the 436th) becomes easier because, instead of training them from the bottom up, we’re training them on (specific station operations).”

Airman 1st Class Timothy Marker, one of the squadron’s firemen, started volunteer firefighting when he was just 15 and spends 60 hours a week giving his time at the Dover Fire Department.

Airman Marker said that, through the time he has spent at both fire halls, he feels as though he is a part of a brotherhood.

“If you’re constantly training with the same guys, you start to get closer with them. When we go out to these dangerous calls, there’s a form of trust,” he said.

Tony Peterson, a 436th fire captain and another Dover Fire Department volunteer, said the bond between stations extends beyond just responding to calls; they can also rely on one another to drop whatever they are doing to help in their personal lives.

“(It’s about) trusting each other even when we’re off-duty,” said Capt. Peterson. “We learn a lot about each other, (which makes it easier) for us to tell if somebody’s off mood for the day. That’s the important part of the brotherhood: checking in on each other.”