At its October Awards and Honors Banquet, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) recognized Maryland State Fire Marshal William E. Barnard as SFPE Person of the Year.
The Person of the Year Award was created in 1973 to recognize significant achievement in fire protection. The award winner must come from beyond the membership of SFPE.
Barnard said his staff is responsible for his success.
"I'm very humbled by this," he said. "It's not something I set out to get; I'm just looking for results. It's really the people I work with that are as deserving as I am."
"With his previous service with the Prince George's County Fire Department and now as the Maryland State Fire Marshal, Barnard has had a distinguished fire service career," said SFPE Engineering Program Manager Chris Jelenewicz. "In both organizations Barnard innovatively used fire protection engineers to help build fire safe communities. As a result of his foresight, the Citizens of Maryland will be safer from fire."
Past SFPE Persons of the Year include: Movie & Television Star Dick Van Dyke, University of Maryland's Dr. John L. Bryan, Former FDNY Fire Chief Daniel A. Nigro and Director/Under Secretary for the Federal Emergency Management Agency R. David Paulison.
