U.S. Air Force TSgt Northrop makes his mark in Sumter community
The 2021 NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola campaign is more than just a military appreciation platform — it‘s a campaign that salutes heroes next door. Each week, NASCAR.com will highlight multiple individuals in the week‘s race markets who have made a difference with their service both in the military and to their communities.
In the latest profile of a next-door hero, NASCAR.com is highlighting U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant Camrin Northrop.
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TSgt Northrop is a Lieutenant Fire Officer with the Sumter County (S.C.) volunteer fire department. He has provided more than 450 hours of volunteer emergency response time. Northrop is considered a driving force in connecting South Carolina’s Shaw Air Force Base with Sumter County‘s emergency capabilities and making the two departments nearly operate as one. That includes ensuring the appropriate level of support to each department through 40 joint emergency responses.
In his role as a fire fighter in the Air Force, Northrop is currently working to increase the 911 capabilities of the base and to help build resiliency with the local community. He has worked to partner with the Sumter County 911 center to help develop common methods of managing initial emergency communications. He is a self-motivated person as evidenced by his successful completion of his Fire Inspector II and Fire Inspector III certifications. Those certifications allowed him to achieve his Chief Officer designation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence.
After the passing of his good friend, Sumter County Deputy Corporal Andrew Gillette, Northrop joined the board of Running for Heroes. The Running for Heroes organization honors fallen first responders with a memorial run and a donated flag presented to each fallen first responder‘s family. In addition, the organization provides grants to first responders who are injured in the line of duty, providing assistance that their department and insurance providers cannot. Northrop has brought vigor and new connections in his position as a board member to help grow the following and raise awareness to the difficult duties and risks in the lives of first responders.
Northrop also manages the safety program at Sumter Speedway, a dirt track in the community. He partnered with a fellow Air Force Civil Engineer to develop the Squadron‘s second haunted trail, raising $2,000 for their squadron‘s booster club funds. In his free time, Northrop volunteers as a mentor with the United Ways School Mentor Program.
