Area firefighters and those who support them were honored at the Farmville Fire Department’s annual banquet held at an appropriately named location, Firemen’s Sports Arena, Saturday.

The guest speaker of the event, Farmville Fire Department Chief Dean Farmer said, was Brook Pittinger, deputy director of the Virginia Department of Fire Programs.

Pittinger, Farmer said, spoke about the importance of preparedness in facing situations that could take place on the job.

“Brook provided a fantastic presentation on the need to train and prepare ourselves on a daily basis,” Farmer said. “In the Fire Service, we should begin each day in a state of readiness prepared to meet the challenges at a moments notice.”

Pittinger, according to Farmer, also spoke about the Miracle on the Hudson, an airplane accident that occurred in 2009 where all 155 people on the plane were rescued after the pilots directed the plane to land on the surface of the Hudson River.

Pittinger, according to Farmer spoke about Captain Chesley Sullenberger’s “state of readiness and confidence in performing the task at hand.”

Those who received awards Saturday included Matthew Fults for Most Dedicated Firefighter; William Robertson for Firefighter of the Year; Audrey Napier for 20 Years of Service to the department; Lowe’s of Farmville for outstanding support of the Farmville Fire Department and members of the Huddleston family who received a resolution honoring the life of former Farmville Fire Department Chief Lawrence Huddleston.