JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas – U.S. Army Installation Management Command has selected 12 recipients for the 2021 Department of Defense Fire and Emergency Services awards to proceed to the next level of competition.
Each fire department and individual nominated represents the best of the command’s 73 fire departments and more than 4,000 firefighters.
The winners at the IMCOM level are:
- Small Fire Department: Fort Gordon
- Medium Fire Department: USAG Daegu
- Large Fire Department: Fort Bragg
- Fire Prevention Program: Fort Benning
- Fire Service Instructor: Jeffrey Hambsch, Fort Drum
- Civilian Firefighter: Jeffery German, Fort Benning
- Civilian Fire Officer: Joshua Settles, USAG Okinawa
- Military Firefighter: Spc. Sebastien Harper, Fort Hood
- Emergency Medical Services Provider: Michael Allard, Fort Benning
- Fire Dispatcher: Tomoyori Hentona, USAG Okinawa
- Fire Inspector: Christopher Gray, Fort Benning
- Fire Chief: Michael Diehl, USAG Daegu
“It is an honor to submit these outstanding teams and individuals to represent IMCOM in the Department of the Army’s Annual F&ES Awards competition,” said Lt. Gen. Douglas Gabram, IMCOM commanding general. “Their extraordinarily selfless performance has protected our installations and kept our communities safe.”
“The entire IMCOM F&ES team are very fortunate to be able to read and hear about the life saving and professional response actions taken by our 4,000-plus firefighters,” added Chief Joseph Walsh, fire protection specialist at IMCOM Headquarters. “Being able to assist them by recognizing their individual and team accomplishments is a privilege we take very seriously.”
One such example of life saving and professional response comes from USAG Daegu Fire Department, who contained a fire before it reached an ordnance storage facility, ultimately saving lives and millions of dollars in military assets.
Another example comes from Allard, Fort Benning’s EMS provider of the year, who mitigated life threatening injuries during 71 calls and conducted EMS training to 115 providers, enhancing knowledge and professional development.
The winners’ efforts impact all facets of the installation, Walsh said. “In addition to protecting property and Soldiers, Families and Civilians, they are fire and life safety public educators, conductors of school-age fire safety programs, inspectors of facilities ensuring we safeguard our employees’ work environment, and managing programs that guarantee professional delivery of emergency services on and off the installation when our community partners need our assistance.”
The DOD F&ES award program is a competitive process that spans across Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Defense Logistics Agency fire departments, fire officers and firefighters. The IMCOM award recipients will go on to face their peers at Army Materiel Command and, if selected, proceed to DA and DOD levels to compete.
“We extend our thanks to the supervisors who took the time to recognize their firefighters and teams, the firefighters who make it happen 24/7, 365, every year,” Walsh said. “To all who were nominated, it was an honor to read of your hard work and dedication to putting others’ needs before your own. And to those selected to compete at the AMC level, best of luck – we are cheering you on!”
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