‘Excellence in emergency services’
Published 8:41 am Thursday, February 1, 2018
Prince Edward Area Firefighters Association President Ralph Crawley congratulated firefighters who had received certification for extensive training during the association’s inaugural award ceremony Sunday.
Division 3 Chief with the Virginia Department of Fire Programs Tom Berry addresses first responders before presenting awards.
Farmville Fire Department Chief Dean Farmer, left, smiles with Farmville Fire Department Chaplain Mark Mills following an awards ceremony by the Prince Edward Area Firefighters Association.
Frances Redford, left, and Kelly Redford participate in the inaugural awards ceremony for the Prince Edward Area Firefighters Association Sunday.
Pictured from left, Firefighters David Mansueti, Dillon Tennis, Jon Conner and Walter Whitt join in a reception.
Fire trucks parked along the entrances of Prince Edward County High School and Prince Edward County’s Career and Technical Center may have, at any other point in time, been cause for alarm.
For the representatives of Prince Edward County Area Firefighters Association, it was a display of pride for the seven fire departments that are represented in the association, and the nearly 30 first responders who were awarded Sunday for the training programs they had completed over the past year.
Association Training Officer James Redford said this is the inaugural award ceremony the association has hosted. The ceremony took place at the Prince Edward County High School Auditorium.
“We recognize those who have successfully completed a variety of training courses in the calendar year 2017, and are now certified in those areas of training,” Redford said.
The fire department chief represented in the association are Farmville Fire Department Chief Dean Farmer, Hampden-Sydney Volunteer Fire Department Chief L.W. Gilliam, Pamplin Volunteer Fire Department Chief Dalton Elder, Prospect Volunteer Fire Department Chief Al Mason, Meherrin Fire & Rescue Chief Trey Pyle, Darlington Heights Volunteer Fire Department Chief Dallas Tinsley, Rice Volunteer Fire Department Chief Wes Reames and Prince Edward Volunteer Rescue Squad Captain Jessica Cambridge.
Association President Ralph Crawley said the event honors firefighters who have gone above and beyond to protect their communities.
“We have all chosen to protect lives and property for the citizens of Prince Edward County to the best of our abilities,” Crawley said. “I wish to congratulate those individuals who will be recognized today for developing and advancing their skills as first responders.”
Tom Berry, division 3 chief with the Virginia Department of Fire Programs, said he remembers being in the places of the first responders awarded, and said he looks forward to seeing the first responders continue to learn and grow.
“You were trained by some of the same people that trained and mentored me,” Berry said, noting chiefs Bidwell and Tinsley.
He congratulated the first responders and encouraged them to continue serving their communities.
“I am sure that the citizens that you do serve will continue to recognize that they have some highly trained individuals that are there to provide services in their time of need,” Berry said.
Nearly 30 firefighters were recognized for completing five training programs associated with first response. The training programs included Firefighter I, Firefighter II, National Registered Emergency Medical Technician, Driver Aerial Operator and Hazardous Material Operations.
In the programs, according to Berry, firefighters were educated on recognizing and handling hazardous material, operating specialized machinery and firefighter gear and providing emergency services to individuals in crisis situations, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) training.
Many of the training programs required more than 100 hours of training, with practical and written exams.
Farmville Fire Department Chief Dean Farmer delivered the closing address, noting sacrifices first responders had made in completing the programs.
“We live in a society today that is about me,” Farmer said, “and the ones here today have shown it is about caring for their fellow man and providing excellence in emergency services. Not only have the individuals completed this training program, but still manage to respond to calls for service, work a full-time job, be a full time student and in most cases, be the providers for their family. They did this free of charge because they care for their community.”
Participants enjoyed cookies and other snacks at a reception following the ceremony at the school cafeteria.
