Finished fighting fires

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MINOT AIR FORCE BASE Jim Clifford vividly remembers the first fire he ever went to as a Minot Air Force Base firefighter.

"I was the first one in and the first one back out," Clifford said.

The fire was in the base housing area. But Clifford's airpack wasn't working and he couldn't breathe so he had to get out of the house. He said he felt bad that he was having problems with the airpack because he really wanted to help with the fire.

Clifford has been to many other fires and incidents requiring firefighters since that time in 1972, including helping with the anhydrous ammonia spill in the city of Minot in 2002 and the grass fires near the city earlier this year.

He's a familiar face at Minot Air Force Base. He's been with the base fire station for a total of about 32 years, including as the base fire chief for the past seven years. On Oct. 31, Clifford retires from his civilian job with the base fire department.

A retirement ceremony will be held Oct. 31 at 10 a.m. at the base fire station. Those who do not have base access but wish to attend the ceremony should call the fire station at 723-2461 prior to the date.

A roast to honor Clifford, sponsored by the base fire station, will be held Nov. 1 in Room 301 of the Minot Municipal Auditorium, with a social beginning at 6 p.m. followed by a dinner at 7 p.m. For more information call the fire station.

Chief Master Sgt. Robert Ward is the new fire chief.

Besides his position as fire chief for the base, for the past three years Clifford and Pat Travnicek, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, have also been the main organizers for the base's Northern Neighbors Day, an air show and open house.

The base now is going to a biennial air show and open house and the event was not held this year. The next one is being planned for July 18, 2009. Clifford plans to keep on working with the air show.

Clifford went up through the ranks with the base fire department, officially the Fire and Emergency Services Flight. But he said he never had his mind set on the job as fire chief.

In an interview with The Minot Daily News in late 2007, Clifford reflected on the two fire chiefs before him.

"Larry Adams was my chief for 20 years. Larry was a good mentor, and probably my biggest mentor," Clifford said.

Don Skeldum was fire chief after Adams.

"I followed Don all the way through the ranks I drove the rescue truck for Don, I was his fire inspector when he was the assistant chief for fire prevention he was the chief and I was his assistant chief," Clifford said.

Clifford is well known for his community work, which he said has tied in with his job as fire chief. He said having good sources in the community is vital.

"I think being a volunteer really makes for a better life. You're doing something for the community," Clifford said.

Clifford is a volunteer in many areas on base and in the Minot community American Legion and other veterans organizations, Shriners, and others. He often lines up the programs for Veterans Day and Memorial Day observances in Minot, and participated in the programs for many years.

Originally from Welcome, Minn., a town of about 700 people near Fairmont in southwestern Minnesota, he first arrived in Minot with the Air Force in 1972.

When he got to Minot, he said he "fell in love with it." And he got involved with the community.

The late Kenneth Gillespie was the civilian fire chief when Clifford arrived at the base. Later, the new fire station was named in honor of Gillespie.

Now, under Clifford's time as fire chief, a structural fire trainer is being completed at the base.

Clifford left Minot two or three brief times, one of them on an overseas assignment with the military, but always returned. When he returned in 1982, he went back to work on Aug. 30, 1982, his birthday, at the base fire station and stayed on until now.

Clifford and his wife, Janet, reside in Minot. They have two sons.

Clifford has some new jobs now. As of Saturday, he was elected the new North Dakota State Fair Parade chairman.

He also now is a bus driver for Northland Bus. He figures he will be seeing many familiar faces when he's driving bus during the Norsk Hstfest in Minot, which starts next week.

As for his work with the base fire department and the past several years as fire chief, "I'll miss the people out there. That's the big thing," he said, adding, "It's probably time for someone else to do the job."