Oct. 18 -- NASHVILLE, TN -- Multiple awards, donations and a scholarship were presented during the Firehouse Expo 2018 opening ceremonies.
Valor & Community Service Awards
Firefighter Bryce Gutierrez of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) was honored with the 2017 Firehouse Michael O. McNamee Award of Valor for his actions rescuing multiple children from a structure fire in south-central Los Angeles on Jan. 16, 2017. Amidst the smoke and flames, Gutierrez searched for and found all four unconscious children. He quickly carried each child to a window, passing them to a waiting firefighter on the outside. All four children survived.
Chief Michael McNamee, after whom the award is named, presented Gutierrez a custom bronze trumpet provided by Liberty Art Works and a medal provided by Blackinton. Click here to learn more about the incident.
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) SOBER Unit was honored with Firehouse’s Thomas Carr Community Service Award. The LAFD SOBER Unit, under the direction of Dr. Mark Eckstein, LAFD’s EMS Commander, is recognized for its innovative approach to managing serial inebriates, who account for a disproportionately high use of emergency resources via the 9-1-1 system. With early intervention and alternative transport to a Sobering Center instead of an emergency department, these patients can get the help they need while increasing availability of LAFD emergency resources.
Anne Carr, the widow of Tom Carr, after whom the award is named, presented Dr. Eckstein with a bell provided by Liberty Artworks. Click here to learn more about this innovative new program.
Firehouse thanks the 2017 Valor Awards Program corporate sponsors: 5.11 Tactical, Alert-All, Blackinton, Columbia Southern University, eDispatches.com, Fire Station Outfitters, Fol-Da-Tank, First-In by Westnet, Liberty Art Works, Marion Body Works, the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs, Pierce Manufacturing, RollNRack, Waterous Company, Waterway Cooperative and W.S. Darley & Company. Their support and generosity help us honor America’s Bravest.
To learn more about the Valor Award honorees, click here.
Arthur J. Glatfelter Distinguished Service Award
Vina Drennan was honored with the Arthur J. Glatfelter Distinguished Service Award, which was created to recognize men and women who support Glatfelter’s legacy by providing exceptional service to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF). Drennan was presented with the award by Chief Dennis Compton, chair of the NFFF board of directors; Tony Campisi, president and CEO of the Glatfelter Insurance Group; and Troy Markel, president of VFIS, a division of Glatfelter Insurance Group.
Markel noted to the crowd that, “If Drennan’s a stranger to you, you haven’t been paying attention,” and then described her long and accomplished work with the NFFF. Markel explained that following the death of her husband, Captain John Drennan of the FDNY in 1994, Vina began tireless work to learn about the fire service, and she ultimately developed a passion for enhancing the safety of firefighters.
During her acceptance speech, Vina described reading a New York Times article that said firefighters in other countries weren’t dying at the same rates as here in the United States—and she wanted to know why.
“I asked the stupid questions to the most profound questions,” she said, adding that she learned everything she could about safety-related aspects of the fire service. She thanked the firefighters in attendance, crediting them for teaching her about the fire service so she could in turn work to prevent families from experiencing what she went through with the loss of her husband.
Vina concluded by sharing that it was her great gratitude to accept the award with her family in attendance, as it was a promise kept to her husband—that she would work to ensure that other fire service families could grow old together.
FAMA Scholarship
Nicholas Brondum was honored as the recipient of the FAMA 2018 Phillip L. Turner Fire Protection Scholarship, sponsored by Akron Brass. Stephen Toren, FAMA board president, and Kent Clasen of Akron Brass, presented the scholarship, each underscoring Brondum’s passion to improve the safety and efficiency of the fire service.
Brondum is studying fire protection and safety engineering technology at EKU Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology, and serves as the president of EKU's chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. He is also a member of the White Hall Volunteer Fire Department in Madison County, KY. Toren added that Brondum served as an intern with the UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute to further fire service research.
FAMA offers one $5,000 scholarship to a full-time sophomore, junior or senior student currently registered for the upcoming year of a four-year fire protection engineering program or a full-time master’s degree program in fire protection engineering or administration. This scholarship is only available to Fire Protection Engineering or Administration students enrolled in an accredited university or college located within the United States or Canada.
Donations
Firehouse also presented several donations during the opening ceremonies:
- Box 55 Association was presented $20,000 to support its work providing rehab services to first responders in Nashville.
- BLAZE Mentoring Program was presented $5,000 to support its work to increase positive outcomes for Nashville-area students while fostering healthy relationships with fire department personnel.
- IAFF Local 140 in Nashville was presented $5,000 for its support of the Nashville Fire Department.
