Harbor Patrol Security Officer Tyree Jones is tasked with protecting the Port of Long Beach, which ranges from controlling traffic to jumping into unexpected situations. “I was driving on the I-710 North while on patrol and I saw a car on fire,” he recalled. “There was a guy inside and he was startled and just froze. . . . I physically had to pull him out.” Jones has worked at the port for 16 years. He is also a field training officer, which means he trains the new employees. According to Jones, a typical day involves “looking for things and people that don’t look normal.” He added, “Traffic accidents happen a lot with the big trucks. They carry a lot, and those containers are heavy. Sometimes they can’t stop in time or they drive too fast and hit a curb.” Jones said one of the more difficult aspects is responding to an accident and not being able to help the victim. For example, a few months ago, he saw someone who had gotten caught in a conveyor belt. “You see all kinds of things besides traffic control and moving commerce,” he said. “There’s life going on and accidents do happen.” Jones followed in the path of his father, who was a police officer and served in the military. His favorite part of working at the port is the camaraderie among the employees. “It’s very family-oriented here; we’re all like brothers and sisters,” he said. “It’s a fun atmosphere, but we do handle business when we need to.”