Certificate of Recognition

James Godosky is thanked by 72nd Air Base Wing and Tinker Installation Commander, Col. Mark Correll, for extinguishing a fire outside Bldg. 460 recently. Mr. Godosky, a Dale Rogers employee who maintains the building, grabbed a fire extinguisher and put out the growing fire when he saw it in the mulch near the headquarters building. The commander presented him with a Wingman coin and appreciation certificate before a wing staff meeting May 7. (Air Force photo by Margo Wright)

Tinker contractor extinguishes outside fire

Published May 9, 2008
By Brandice J. Armstrong
Tinker Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- A cigarette butt tossed somewhere other than a trash receptacle combined with Oklahoma's ferocious winds can lead to fiery results. Just ask James Godosky.
   On April 30, a cigarette butt tossed into wood chips along the southwest walkway of Bldg. 460 ignited mulch. Flames rose about 1 to 2 feet high, and were only 3 feet from the building. The smell of smoke seeped into the first floor of the building. Mr. Godosky, a contracted maintenance employee for the building, who happened to walk by, jumped into action. Within minutes he put the fire out.
   "I just did what anyone else would have done," Mr. Godosky said. "I thought it was a threat, it shouldn't be there and that I should take it out."
   Mr. Godosky said when heard there was a fire, he went to see it and on instinct grabbed the fire extinguisher in the hallway.
   After spraying the fire extinguisher contents on the fire, he said he stamped it out and watched to see if it would reignite. When it did, Mr. Godosky said he extinguished the fire again.
   "While we knew James was a great employee, he exceeded our expectations with his quick thinking and Tinker's easily accessible equipment to put out the grass fire," said Carolyn Thompson, project manager for custodial operations at Tinker.
   The Tinker Fire Department had been called and before they could arrive, Mr. Godosky had extinguished the fire. When officials came to inspect the scene, Earnest Baxter, Tinker Fire inspector, said in addition to the fire at Bldg. 460, moments earlier he had also responded to a similar situation across base.
   "(The) fires were caused by careless smokers who failed to extinguish their smoking materials in the proper place or container," Mr. Baxter said. "Both (fire-extinguishing) incidents were a direct reflection of outstanding employees going above and beyond."
   Since the incident, Mr. Godosky was recognized for his actions by Col. Mark Correll, 72nd Air Base Wing and installation commander.