EVT of the Year David Rupert Honored at FDSOA Conference

Longtime Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Fire & Emergency Services (F&ES) Fire Apparatus Fleet Manager David Rupert was honored after being named the 2023 Emergency Vehicle Technician (EVT) of the Year. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the award designed to honor those who keep fire apparatus in service to protect their communities. 

Rupert, a U.S. Navy veteran, has worked for the Navy in his current capacity for 23 years. He is an advocate for firefighter safety, providing specifications and conducting final inspections on every piece of new fire apparatus in the Navy's vehicle fleet.

Among the letters nominating Rupert, Carl B. Glover, Jr., director, Navy Fire & Emergency Services, wrote, “David is a shining star to the Navy F&ES program and the entire EVT community. David is designated as the Navy–wide EVT manager where he assists with all Navy F&ES apparatus and emergency response units, worldwide.” Glover added, “He is our lead EVT to inspect the new pieces of apparatus at the vendor facility to ensure compliance with specifications before the trucks are delivered to various Navy installations worldwide. 

Rupert was honored by his peers, including Glover, at a local military installation earlier this month.

Yesterday, he was honored by Firehouse, FDSOA and Spartan Chassis at the Fire Department Safety Officers Association's Annual Fire Apparatus, Specification, Maintenance and Fleet Management Conference in Gilbert, AZ. 

"I would like to thank my wife, my big rock for supporting me through all the long hours and travel over the last 23 years," Rupert said. "I want to thank the Navy, CNIC, my chain of command, the manufactures, contractors, dealers, and the team out in the fleet for trusting me. It has always been a team effort and not just me to support the Navy fleet. This is how I got here. It was not a me thing alone, for this award to be recommended and received."

Four EVT of the Year runner-up winners include:

• First runner-up: John Murray, Fire Apparatus Tech II, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, West Palm Beach, FL
• Second runner-up: Wayne Mittelstadt, Lead Emergency Vehicle Technician, South Metro Fire Rescue, Parker, CO
• Third runner-up: Mark Retzlaff, Senior Mechanic, Green Bay, WI, Metro Fire Department
• Fourth runner-up, Angus Duff, Fleet Manager, Consolidated Fire District No. 2, Johnson County, KS

Spartan Fire Chassis is the sponsor of this prestigious award, which is co-presented by Firehouse and the FDSOA, recognizes EVTs dedicated to safety and efficiency in emergency apparatus.