Escambia County Fire Rescue Holds Awards Ceremony (With Gallery)

June 23, 2023

Escambia County Fire Rescue recently held an awards ceremony, presenting medals, citations and certificates to several firefighters.

Final Alarm medals were presented to the families of two late Century firefighters, civilians were honored for lifesaving efforts, retirees were honored and promotions were recognized.

For a photo gallery, click or tap here.

Career Fire Officer of the Year

  • Lt. Jim Allen

Volunteer Fire Officer of the Year

  • District Chief Brandon Stevens

Career Firefighter of the Year

  • FF David Carballosa

Volunteer Firefighter of the Year

  • FF Jay Ates

Lieutenant Terrell Jackson Award

  • FF Channin O’Connor

District Chief Dwain Bradshaw Award

  • FF Christianne Barry

Hurricane Ian Deployment Ribbon

  • Deputy Chief Paul Williams
  • Assistant District Chief Yoshimi Core
  • Lt. Nick Gradia
  • Lt. Keith Chapman
  • Lt. Jim Allen
  • FF Kenny Fehl
  • FF Chris Knezenski

Retiree Service Recognition Medal

  • Capt. Craig Ammons
  • Lt. John Van Matre
  • Lt. Steve Bode
  • Lt. Bill Halfacre

Final Alarm Medal

  • Retired District Chief Regi Burkett
  • FF J.B. Johnson

Civilian Lifesaving Award

  • John Haynes
  • Kristina Barth

Service Recognition Medal

  • Warehouse Supervisor John Elswick
  • Division Chief Greg Campanella
  • Battalion Chief Jon Hollingsworth
  • Division Chief Joe Quinn
  • Lt. Jeff Tavener
  • Lt. Tad Bush
  • FF Jason Rocco

Distinguished Service Medal (Structure Fire with Rescue of Trapped Victim on 8/27/2021)

  • Lt. Ronson Cloer
  • FF Robert Held

Company Citation (Structure Fire with Rescue of Trapped Victim on 8/27/2021)

  • Lt. Joey Jasionowski
  • FF Scott Walther
  • FF Robert Vardeman
  • FF Nick Segner

Medal of Courage (Motor Vehicle Crash with Extrication on 9/19/2021)

  • Lt. Daniel Mills
  • FF Kenny Fehl
  • FF Will Smith

Distinguished Service Medal (Saved a Choking Victim on 6/22/2021 and Saved a Cardiac Arrest Victim on 8/3/2021)

  • Division Chief Joe Quinn

Distinguished Service Medal (Saved a Firefighter in Cardiac Arrest)

  • Lt. Sean King
  • Lt. Nick Gradia
  • Lt. TJ Smith
  • Lt. Ian Sumner
  • FF Peter Welch
  • FF Robert Held
  • FF Brian Kraatz
  • FF Michael Iglesias
  • FF Baylen Payne

Company Citation with Ribbon (Saved a Firefighter in Cardiac Arrest)

  • Lt. Jeff Tavener
  • FF JP Norris
  • FF Ryan Callahan
  • FF Clint Miller

Medal of Courage (Mayday Incident at Jasmine Creek Apartments)

  • Lt. Jim Beagle

Company Citation (Mayday Incident at Jasmine Creek Apartments)

  • FF Jacob Hoskins
  • FF Brent Nesmith
  • FF Garett Chandler

Medal of Courage (Mayday Incident on Mathison Road)

  • FF Dale Dirks
  • FF Jacob Hoskins

Company Citation with Ribbon (Water Rescue Involving Multiple Victims on 1/4/2023)

  • Capt. Wesley Barnett
  • Lt. Josh Rowe
  • FF/Paramedic Guy Meredith
  • FF Rick Mauro
  • FF Robert Stivers
  • FF Mattox Chapman

Company Citation with Ribbon (Water Rescue Involving Multiple Victims on 3/16/2022)

  • Lt./Paramedic Jeff Tavener
  • FF JP Norris
  • FF Stephen Service
  • FF Matt Van Matre

Company Citation (Motor Vehicle Crash with Extrication 9/22/2022)

  • Lt. Dimitri Jansen
  • FF Donovan Murphy
  • FF Michael Maddrey
  • FF Logan McGuffey

Company Citation (Saved a Cardiac Arrest Patient on 1/4/2023)

  • Lt. Jim Allen
  • FF Tony Buscaino
  • FF Mathius Russ

Company Citation with Ribbon (Motor Vehicle Crash with Extrication)

  • Battalion Chief Jon Hollingsworth
  • District Chief Brandon Stevens
  • Assistant District Chief Yoshimi Core
  • Lt. Ian Sumner
  • Lt. Keith Chapman
  • FF Jacob Creighton
  • FF Anthony Rizzo
  • FF Nathan Montgomery
  • FF Chris French
  • FF Chris Knezenski
  • FF Zach McMillan
  • FF Jonathan Welsh

Company Citation with Ribbon (Electrocution at Pensacola Christian College)

  • Deputy Chief Paul Williams
  • Division Chief Norman Robinson
  • Battalion Chief Adam Bobe
  • Lt. Jake Anderson
  • Lt. Keith Chapman
  • Lt. Matt Scallan
  • FF Charles Bailey
  • FF Kyle Muldoon
  • FF Zach Aceto
  • FF Aubrey Ashcraft
  • FF Garrett Chandler
  • FF Brent Nesmith
  • FF Reiner Crabtree
  • FF Jeff Huber

Company Citation with Ribbon (Locating and Removing a Lost Person from Wildland Area on 11/3/2021)

  • Lt. Scott Hunsucker
  • Lt. Tad Bush
  • FF Jon Quina
  • FF Anthony Stafford
  • FF John Longsworth
  • FF Michael Maddrey
  • FF Jacob Hoskins
  • FF Ryan Callahan

Company Citation with Ribbon (Locating, Treating and Removing Patient from Wildland/Swamp Area on 1/4/2023)

  • Lt. Jeff Roher
  • Lt. Dan Kunz
  • Lt. Daniel Mills
  • FF Tim Nagim
  • FF Wesley Brandt
  • FF Jakub Fajardo
  • FF Charles Bailey
  • FF Ryan Callahan
  • FF Gordon Wilson
  • FF Sean Straut
  • FF Kyle Saxton
  • FF Geoff Carmichael

Company Citation (Peripheral Entrapment at the County Jail)

  • Battalion Chief Curt Isakson
  • Lt. Keith Chapman
  • Lt. Charles McGuffey
  • Lt. Jake Anderson
  • FF David Carballosa
  • FF Zack Aceto
  • FF Josh Reeves
  • FF Phillip Hoffman
  • FF Brandon Figueredo
  • FF Michael Iglesias
  • FF Kyle Muldoon

Company Citation with Ribbon (Motor Vehicle Crash with Extrication)

  • Lt. Dimitri Jansen
  • Lt. Lyndon Halteman
  • FF Michael Maddrey
  • FF Logan McGuffey
  • FF Donovan Murphy
  • FF Justin Marcum
  • FF Marcus Fairley
  • FF Jacob Stevenson

Promotions

The following individuals were promoted to the position of Lieutenant:

  • Lt. Justin Marcum
  • Lt. Kyle Saxton
  • Lt. Phillip Hoffman
  • Lt. John Longsworth
  • Lt. Jacob Creighton
  • Lt. JP Owens
  • Lt. Tom Schwarz

The following individuals were promoted to the position of Captain:

  • Capt. Scott Averill
  • Capt. Wesley Barnett
  • Capt. Dan Kunz

The following individuals transferred from company officer positions to training and safety lieutenants:

  • Lt. Jim Allen
  • Lt. Daniel Akerman
  • Lt. TJ Smith

Comments

6 Responses to “Escambia County Fire Rescue Holds Awards Ceremony (With Gallery)”

  1. Jimmy Brantley on June 26th, 2023 9:06 am

    Congratulations Jay. Proud of you!! Keep up the great work!

  2. Cook on June 25th, 2023 9:15 pm

    Escambia County is so fortunate to have the caliber of public servents both paid and volunteers. It does my heart good to see the recognition given, but ask these ladies and gentlemen and in their humble response will be that’s my job that’s what WE do ! Nothing but love for my brothers and sisters who have the watch. GodsSpeed !

  3. D. Flowers on June 23rd, 2023 5:51 pm

    Best of the best. Thank you for what you do.

  4. Chuck W. on June 23rd, 2023 3:57 pm

    God Bless all the men and women of ECFR.

  5. Unknown on June 23rd, 2023 9:56 am

    I know alot of these brave men and women. The sacrifices that they make to not only this county but our country, is something that withholds the unimaginable things we can not bear to see. But these men and women always wake up and say “let’s get to work” Many of them leave their homes to help a stranger in need, and alot tend to see what they do as just another job that needs to be done. Some, never make it back home and we could never repay them for what they did to protect us. God bless the ECFR and America

  6. Douglas on June 23rd, 2023 3:15 am

    I know that in the moment of these events that earned these folks awards was probably the scariest moments of their lives. They stayed true, never wavered, and saved lives. I wish everyone in the world were like them. I think we tend to forget just how precious life is and how quickly we can be gone forever, at least I do. It truly can’t be measured what they did for the people they saved, literally giving them new life. I love you guys, I have the deepest respect for all of you.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News