Kellen Tarkington began his career in the fire service more than 20 years ago, working as a student firefighter for the NMSU Fire Department. In the years since, Tarkington has moved up the ranks, working as a lieutenant, district chief and captain for various agencies. In 2013, he rejoined the NMSU Fire Department to serve as a captain, a position he currently holds.
Tarkington’s day begins each day meeting with the department’s second captain, John Guerin, and its administration team. He then oversees an equipment check on the department’s service apparatus to ensure its stocked, cleaned and ready for calls.
“I will also work on other duties assigned, such as working with vendors to obtain quotes for replacement or repair of equipment, attending various meetings or events on campus, and completing building inspections,” he said.
Tarkington also works with the department’s student firefighters, who begin their shift at 5 p.m. each day. At that time, Tarkington will brief the students on their training and assignments for the evening. The students train until 11 p.m. each night, covering a range of topics from basic firefighter to driver operator and emergency medical care to rescue.
“All of this takes place between responding to medical calls,” he said. “After dinner, the crew is allowed to go to their dorm room to sleep and study until the next dispatch for an incident. At 6 a.m., we wake up and will spend about an hour conducting physical fitness training. At 8 a.m., the new shift will be briefed, and we are all dismissed until the next scheduled shift.”
Tarkington described working in the fire service as a rewarding experience, albeit one that’s also physically and mentally demanding. He said he also enjoys working for a department that allows him to teach future firefighters.
“I am privileged to work with young adults who are interested in the service and are hungry to gain knowledge and experience. It is a joy training with the firefighters in the evening to develop them into a firefighter while we all develop together as a crew,” he said. “Responding to an incident with the crew and working with them to mitigate incidents and observe them putting the skills and knowledge together is always exciting to see. Leaders in the fire service are always mentors. With the uniqueness of our program at NMSU, I have the opportunity to mentor numerous young men and women as they start their venture into both the fire service and their college career.”
To learn more about the NMSU Fire Department, visit https://fire.nmsu.edu.