Located at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, tucked up next to the James River, the city of Newport News has a long relationship with the water. As one of the East Coast’s deepest and busiest freshwater ports, the region is home to a large shipyard, several military bases, and an extensive boating industry. This preponderance of boats and the numerous large and small bridges in the area led to the creation of the Marine Incident Response Team (MIRT).
Housed inside Firehouse 1 in downtown Newport News, the twenty-four firefighters of this unique team spend large portions of their time out on the water helping those in need. As part of a large and complex response system, they are often the first team on site when a call from dispatch comes in. Working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, police, fire department, and other entities, they head out at all times of day and in all sorts of weather. Their expertise is known in the region, and the Newport News MIRT is well respected.
Fire-fighter and MIRT rescue swimmer Christopher Rhodes jumps into the water during a training exercise on the James River, VA.
Since each team member is also a full-time firefighter, when they are not on the water, they are performing the regular duties all persons in their profession do daily. Working twenty-four-hour shifts, they often can go straight from the back of a fire truck to the deck of their two firefighting boats. “I grew up on the water, so when I joined the fire department and heard about the MIRT, I knew I had to try and join it,” says Christopher Rhodes, firefighter. “The training is damn hard on top of all of our other regular duties, but I wouldn’t trade this for anything.”
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"When you can help a person in need in the water, you know that you often have saved a life..."
Their calls fall under three primary areas. The first, and the most frequent, is boat operations. Covering everything from a dead motor to a sinking ship to a burning boat, they deal with a wide array of issues. They often pivot on the spot as conditions change on site. Unlike a regular fire call, when the team hits the water, they have first to figure out where the vessel in distress is located. There are no street signs floating on the water. Constant communication with all parties involved is crucial. Each rescue is a lesson in patience and perseverance. “When you can help a person in need in the water, you know that you often have saved a life,” says Jeremiah Johnson, master firefighter and a sixteen-year veteran of the team. “It is the single best part of my job.”
Team members from Newport News Fire Station #1.
The last facet of their duties, and often the hardest, is dive operations. As one of the few fire departments in the nation with their own dive team, they are often called upon to assist the local police departments in evidence recovery, sunken craft examinations, and, unfortunately, body recovery. Everybody is thoroughly trained and can execute any facet of these duties. When their boats head out, the team functions like the well-oiled machine they are. Each person knows their duty, and they execute them as needed. Sometimes, it can be a thankless job, one often completed under stressful circumstances, but not one member would have it any differently. In the end, back at the firehouse after another call, the members of MIRT easily slip back into their land-based duties. Each call they execute is just another part of the vital support network designed to keep folks safe and sound.
