Scuttlebutt 5/19

Firehouse Station Design Awards: Call for Entries

Firehouse is seeking entries for its sixth-annual Station Design Awards, which recognizes architects and fire departments for their achievements in fire station design and construction.

The goal of the Station Design Awards is to identify trends and educate Firehouse readers using examples of new public safety facilities designed and constructed to meet the needs and responsibilities of an agency, the safety of its personnel and the community that it serves.

The awards will recognize work in the following categories:

• Career Stations I—More than 15,000-sq.-ft. facilities staffing full-time fire and emergency personnel
• Career Stations II—Less than 15,000-sq. ft. facilities staffing full-time fire and emergency personnel
• Satellite Stations—Additional stations from headquarters or main offices
• Volunteer Stations—Facilities for strictly volunteer departments
• Shared Facilities—Fire and emergency response facilities combined with other agencies or organizations such as police, local government offices or library
• Station Renovation—Facilities that are redesigned, re-purposed or upgraded

Projects must have been completed by Jan. 1, 2015. Judges have requested only completed projects be submitted, as renderings are subject to change during approvals, budget adjustments and final construction.

The deadline for entries is July 26. Entries will appear in the November issue of Firehouse Magazine.

For more details and entry forms, visit Firehouse.com/2019sda.

NVFC Names 2019 Award Winners

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has announced the 2019 winners of its four national fire service awards. A special banquet to honor the recipients was held during the NVFC’s spring meeting on April 26 in Alexandria, VA.

“We had a remarkable pool of nominees who demonstrate the meaning of excellence in the fire service, and we thank them all for their service,” said NVFC Chair Kevin D. Quinn. “We commend all of our award winners for the remarkable impact they have made on their departments, community and the fire service. These recipients showcase outstanding commitment and service, and their inspirational work embodies the incredible spirit and contributions of the volunteer fire service.”

The recipients of the NVFC’s 2019 awards are as follows:

Wylie Donaldson Jr.

NVFC Lifetime Achievement Award

Award sponsored by Rosenbauer America

Donaldson joined the Odenton, MD, Volunteer Fire Company in 1952 at the age of 14, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who was a founding member. Throughout his 66 years of continuous service, Donaldson has held every administrative and operational position in the company, including president from 1968–1974 and chief from 1974–1989. Today, Donaldson remains an instrumental part of the company's success in his current role as vice president.

Brian McQueen

NVFC James P. Seavey Sr. Health and Wellness Leadership Award

Award co-sponsored by Ward Diesel and VFIS

McQueen was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma in 2013. It was soon determined that his cancer was due to his job as a volunteer firefighter. McQueen realized that cancer in the fire service was an epidemic and was spurred into action to help his fellow firefighters prevent occupational cancer as well as help those who receive a cancer diagnosis.

In 2014, McQueen created the Believe 271 Foundation Inc., a nonprofit foundation aimed at assisting volunteer firefighters and their families in the battle with cancer. To date they’ve assisted 63 firefighters. In addition, McQueen developed a two-hour Cancer in the Fire Service training and awareness program. He has educated over 6,270 firefighters and their families from across the country.

Robert Dowd

Junior Firefighter of the Year Award

Award Sponsored by California Casualty

Dowd grew up watching his father respond to calls as a member of the Syosset, NY, Fire Department, so it was not surprising when he joined the junior firefighter program and displayed a strong passion for the fire service. Soon thereafter, he stepped up to lead this group and make it a place where others wanted to spend their time. He rose quickly through the junior ranks: first as a secretary, then on to lieutenant, and then to captain, which is a position he holds today. His peers could see how excited he was to be a part of this program, and his leadership is considered to be the reason membership increased by 50 percent within his first year.

Westport Fire Department Explorer Post #774

Junior Firefighter Program of the Year Award

Established in 2016, Westport, MA, Fire Department’s Explorer Post #774 was developed virtually from scratch and on an all-volunteer basis. The program seeks to inspire its members and mentor them with the goal of creating future leaders in the fire service. The program has already grown to 16 active youth members and has a dedicated adult leadership staff with years of experience in the fire service to share. Youth members go through a comprehensive fire and EMS training curriculum. Once they become first responder certified they are eligible to join the department’s Emergency Management Agency (EMA), which allows them to operate with ancillary duties during fire incidents that keep them outside of the "hot zone.” EMA Explorers have provided more than 100 community service hours over the last 12 months to fire department incidents and trainings and have participated in various community events as volunteers for festivals, open house events and department functions, both in their own community and communities nearby.

Learn more about the winners at nvfc.org. 

Safety Stand Down Quiz and Sweepstakes Announced