Those firefighters finally received due praise for their work on the call during the 37th annual Fireman’s Banquet March 20.
Ricky Stuart, who was in charge of the call nearly 18 years ago, received the Medal of Bravery. The award is the second highest commendation given by the Fuquay-Varina Fire Dept. Scott Daniel, Andy Langdon, Milan Moore, Greg Newkirk, Ed Schmelzer and Buddy Walters all worked on the call and were recognized with Meritorious Service Awards.
Usually, the Fire Dept. doesn’t give awards for calls back that far. In fact, the department doesn’t keep call records for more than seven or eight years. When officials received a call from a retired FVFD member encouraging the department to recognize the firemen, they had to go digging for information. Luckily, Newkirk video tapped the call and was able to find out which firefighters were involved. Fireman of the Year Just two years after he became a volunteer fire fighter in March 2008, Michael Frickman was named the 2009 Fireman of the Year.
“I’m honored to have it because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Frickman said.
He doesn’t do the job for the recognition, but Frickman said it’s nice to be awarded for doing a good job. “It keeps you going,” he said.
Frickman works full time as a firefighter in Fayetteville, but lives in Fuquay and enjoys giving his time to his own community as well.
He completed nearly 700 calls during the year.
“Frickman has become our go-to person,” Assistant Fire Chief Jim Jones said.
Before becoming a firefighter, Frickman started in the Explorer program in 2007. He was still in high school at the time and utilized the program to gain several certifications for fire and rescue.
Originally, Frickman had plans to go into the military after graduating from high school. However, new dreams of fire fighting were on his mind after graduating from the Explorer program. He said the experience was a big help in preparing him for real-world experiences as a fireman. The last five recipients of the award choose the Fireman of the Year award. Jones said the award has created an exclusive society of Fire Dept. members. Employee of the Year
Career staff chose Capt. Dwayne Blalock as the Employee of the Year for 2009. The staff is split into three different shifts with 10 firemen on each shift. Jones said while it would be expected that there would be someone from each shift with an equal number of votes, Blalock received the majority.
It says a lot about how much Blalock does for the department and his fellow firemen. “He is very passionate about his career and the department,” Jones said. “The guys think a lot of him, even the ones not on his shift.” Recruit of the Year
The J W Mangum Recruit of the Year Award was given to Daniel Falcon.
Mangum is a former FVFD member who, since his retirement, has remained passionate about training. Falcon joined the department in October 2008 and instantly showed his dedication to training. In his first year with the department, Falcon completed EMT and Hazmat training as well as Wake County Rookie School.
“He’s gotten a lot of training,” Jones said. “He loves it.” Silent Servant
Marie Mauldin, Chief Anthony Mauldin’s mother, was a great example of a silent servant. She brought food and drinks to fire fighters on call and even babysat some firemen’s children so they could attend training.
She was just as much a member of the department as any of the firemen, Jones said. This year, the Marie Mauldin Silent Servant Award was given to Jonathan Holland, a local State Farm insurance agent, who has been eager to help the Fire Dept. with its Child Safety Seat Program. Jones said Holland is one of the biggest non-Fire Dept. advocates of child safety.
The program had been in place more than two years when Holland called and asked how he could help. He has donated money and helped the department get grant money for the self-sufficient program. “He’s been a great partner in this program,” Jones said. Explorers of the Year
Jacob Randall was voted the 2009 Explorer of the Year by his peers.
In an annual competition, Randall came in second of more than 100 in rapid dress. In just 28 seconds, Randall suited up in full fire fighter gear.
Above and beyond the competition, Randall has shown dedication to the department and has enrolled in EMT training.
The Explorer Program has rendered several staff and volunteer firemen for the FVFD. Five staff members and at least two volunteer fire fighters currently with the department came from the Explorer Program. The explorers also chose Michele Dupree and Tony Morrison as the 2009 Explorer Advisors of the Year. They have been instrumental in getting the explorers prepared for the national competition in Tennessee. Service to the Community
As a whole the Fire Dept. had a busy year with more than 3,000 calls between EMS and Fire. The rescue squads were able to save more than $107 million in property value during the calls. The Green Cross Award goes to firefighters who have been involved in extracting a person or persons from a mangled vehicle using the Jaws of Life.
The award is a sticker that firefighters place on the back of their helmets. Jones said it has become somewhat of a competition to collect the stickers among the firefighters. During the six calls involving extraction from a motor vehicle during 2009, 17 firefighters were involved in saving lives. They include Lee Baker, Dwayne Blalock, Keith Burakowski, Joe Carter, Scott Daniel, Michael Frickman, Justin Grimes, Brian Heath, Josh Herring, Don Johnson, Justin Riewestahl, Chris Smith, Dustin Stanley, Tyson Taylor, Woody Thornton, Shawn Tripp and Steven Weaver.
The department usually sees six to 10 green cross calls a year. While it may seem like a high number, Jones said the three fire stations service 60 square miles. That means a lot of road to cover and a lot of chances of drivers encountering dangerous collisions.
Frickman, who racked up three Green Cross awards during 2009, said it’s amazing to see people walk away from those situations.
The Life Saving Award recognizes firefighters who were able to get a heartbeat back after it had stopped. The 2009 winners were Jerry Crocker, Dustin Grimes and Benny Whitley. Other 2009 Meritorious Service Award winners were Lee Baker, Josh Herring, Gabriel Rhodes, Shawn Tripp and Jeff Williams. The awards are given because customers call to show appreciation for a job well done.
Unit Citation Awards were given to Sammy Brewer, Michael Frickman, Justin Grimes, Justin Riwestahl and Dustin Stanley.
The department also honored its longtime heroes. Buddy Walters received recognition for 25 years of service with the department. He currently works in Code Enforcement. In past years, the Fire Dept. has gotten away from recognizing members of the department who had given at least 10 years of service. This year, the fire fighters chose to bring the award back, giving out five awards.
The department recognized Wayne Sherrod for his 10 years with the FVFD. Devin Brown and Brett Senter were awarded for their 12 years of service. Terry Longmire had 13 years with the department and Benny Whitley had 15 years.
Post a Comment
