SINCE 1961
"EXCELLENCE THROUGH SERVICE"
Midway Fire Rescue Departmental AWARDS
OFFICER OF THE YEAR
1978 – Lynn Watkins 1979 – Victor Archambeau 1980 – John Stewart
1981 – Shorter Rybolt 1982 – Ed Mills 1983 – Ed Mills
1984 – John Stewart 1985 – Shorter Rybolt 1986 – Sam Rudolph
1987 – Sam Rudolph 1988 – Ed Mills 1989 – Sam Rudolph
1990 – Sam Rudolph 1991 – Ed Mills 1992 – Sam Rudolph
1993 – Sam Rudolph 1994 – Sam Hodge 1995 – Sam Hodge
1996 – Sam Hodge 1997 – Sam Rudolph 1998 – Mike Mock, John Stewart, Dan Wetsel, Sam Rudolph, Sam, Hodge, Doug Eggiman, Ed Mills 1999 – Dan Wetsel
2000 – Doug Eggiman 2001 – Rex Smith 2002 – Sam Rudolph
2003 – Heather Pritchard 2004 – Jeff Pifer 2005 – David Biggs
2006 – Carr Gilmore 2007 – Joe Ruffennach 2008 – Brent McClellan
2009 – Josh Carney 2010 – Brent McClellan 2011 – James Elliott
2012 – Pete Copeland 2013 – Jerry Liberatore 2014 – Jeff Pifer
2015 – Brent McClellan 2016 – Jesse Morgan
VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER OF THE YEAR
1977 – Paul Szarowicz 1978 – William Coachman 1979 – Jerome Maybank
1980 – John Cusick 1981 – Ennis Caldwell 1982 – Helen Casselman
1983 – Armand Berube 1984 – James Berends 1985 – Darryl Pyatt
1986 – Doug Eggiman 1987 – David Geney 1988 – David Geney
1989 – Doug Eggiman 1990 – Mitchell Fipps 1991 – Thomas Williams
1992 – David Geney 1993 – David Geney 1994 – Mike Benton
1995 – John Casselman 1996 – Beth Gilfilin 1997 – Eric Schwartzkopf
1998 – Mike Hines 1999 – Mike Hines 2000 – Mike Hines
2001 – Dennis Cangelosi 2002 – Mike Hines 2003 – Rick Myers
2004 – Rick Myers 2005 – Rick Myers 2006 – Rick Myers
2007 – Rick Myers 2008 – Will Tayloe 2009 – Rick Myers
2010 – Rick Myers 2011 – Rick Kefauver
CAREER FIREFIGHTER/EMT OF THE YEAR
1995 – Mike Benton 1996 – Mitchell Fipps 1997 – Tom Boyd
1998 – Brian Eason 1999 – Jeff Pifer 2000 – Mike Hessler
2001 – Tom Balcuinas 2002 – Eric Breznicky 2003 – Mark Mercer
2004 – Eric Breznicky 2005 – Pete Copeland 2006 – Mike Fox
2007 – Shane Kingsford 2008 – Justin Wackerly 2009 – Gary Cracknell
2010 – Jesse Morgan 2011 – Justin Wackerly 2012 – Joseph Palombi
2013 – Ryan Crowley 2014 – Justin Lenker 2015 – Luke Vogler
2016 – Ryan Matthews
TOM BOYD MEMORIAL CAREER FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC OF THE YEAR
2000 – Heather Pritchard 2001 – Lee Matlashewski 2002 – Mike Hessler
2003 – Matt Smittle 2004 – Shawnda Snyder 2005 – Brent McClellan
2006 – Mike Smith 2007 – Matt Smittle 2008 – Henry Hulit
2009 – Chris Runyon 2010 – James Elliott 2011 – Chris Stier
2012 – Joe Celletti 2013 – Joseph Anderson 2014 – Adam Maag
2015 – William Dougan 2016 – Daniel Weihert
SPECIAL SERVICES MEMBER OF THE YEAR
1993 – Jim Hopkins 1994 – Dick Cambrey 1995 – Dick Cambrey
1996 – Brad May 1997 – Brad May 1998 – Brad May
1999 – Brad May 2000 – Peggy Green 2001 – Pauline May
2002 – Jim Hopkins 2003 – Linda Mock 2004 – Kim Eason
2005 – Debbie Smittle 2006 – Gigi Hines 2007 – Carlethia Rudolph
2008 – Frank Seitz 2009 – Frank Seitz 2010 – Frank Seitz
2011 – Ed Mills 2012 – Ed Mills 2013 – Nancy Crawford
2014 – Steve Kelsey 2015 – Steve Kelsey, Gene Turner 2016 – Steve Kelsey
VOLUNTEER EMS MEMBER OF THE YEAR
2006 – Eve Eggiman 2007 – Don Ellis 2008 – Rick Myers
2009 – Joan Noble 2010 – Eve Eggiman 2011 – Rick Myers
2012 – Rick Myers 2015 – Jennifer Brown
EXCELLENCE IN TRAINING
2003 – Mark Mercer, David Biggs
2004 – Mark Mercer, Terry Skidmore
2005 – Mark Mercer, Todd Blomdahl
2006 – Bob Beebe, Mark Mercer, Heather Pritchard, Carr Gilmore, Tom Balcuinas
2007 – Mark Mercer, Pete, Copeland, Bob Beebe, Jerry Liberatore, Pete Copeland, Brent McClellan, Kyle Wilson, Billy Cook, Giovanni Cresta
2008 – Pete Copeland, Bob Beebe, Doug Eggiman
2009 – Bob Beebe, Pete Copeland, Will Tayloe, Jesse Morgan
2010 – Chris Runyon, Mark Mercer, Adam Knowles, Matt Smittle, Brian Michna, Jay Bombalicki, Bob Beebe, Niki Crippen
2011 – Mark Mercer, Will Tayloe, Adam Knowles, Niki Crippen, Bob Beebe, Michael Chapman
2012 – Bob Beebe, Todd Blomdahl, Joseph Palombi, Ryan Matthews
2013 – Mark Mercer
2014 – Mark Mercer, Jerry Liberatore
2015 – Justin Lenker, Ronald Montgomery, Caleb Duda
2016 – Justin Lenker, James Costanza
FIRE & LIFE SAFETY EDUCATOR AWARD
2012 – Michael Morris 2013 – Frank Seitz 2014 – Frank Seitz
2015 – Michael Morris 2016 – Michael Morris
SPECIAL PROJECTS AWARD
2002 – Mark Mercer, Mike Cardwell (Haz Mat training); Josh Carney, Tom Balcuinas (Vehicle Maintenance)
2003 – Josh Carney (Vehicle Maintenance)
2004 – Curt Baldwin (training tower)
2005 – Tony Bell (SCBAs)
2006 – Bob Beebe (summer camp)
2007 – A,B, and C Shifts (Career - move)
2008 – Michael Morris (open house)
2009 – Frank Seitz, Jeremy Tumblin (PDF preplans, hyperlink addresses)
2010 – Jesse Morgan, Joseph Williamson (training tower)
2011 – Brian Michna, Ed Mills, Joseph Williamson (station alerting)
2012 – Jesse Morgan (burn building)
2013 – Jesse Morgan (training props)
2014 – Will Tayloe (River 1)
2015 – Mike Hessler (flag pole 82)
2016 – Joseph Palombi (Prom MVA); Carr Gilmore, Josh Carney, Jerry Liberatore, Shane Kingsford, James Crawford (Apparatus Committee)
MOST IMPROVED FITNESS AWARD
2010 – Jeremy Tumblin 2013 – Ronald Montgomery 2014 – Howard Lutz
2015 – Joe Ruffennach 2016 – Matt Smittle
EXCELLENCE IN FITNESS AWARD
2010- Giorgio Amente 2011 – Vince Caporuscio 2012 – Ian Edmonds
2013 – Joseph Anderson 2014 – Joseph Anderson 2015 – Joseph Anderson
2016 – Joseph Anderson
COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
2003 – Jason Whaley (nation bik-a-thon) 2005 – Sam Hodge (mission trips) 2007 – Bob Beebe, Pete Copeland (prom MVA)
2008 – Ric Matyas (needy fundraising) 2009 – Bill Collins (pink tour) 2010 – Phil Newbauer (pink tour)
2011 – Michael Morris (overall customer and department service), Austin Meares (9/11 Memorial special award)
2013 – Niki Crippen (Breast Cancer and COTA t-shirts), Mark Mercer (Boy Scouts), Joseph Palombi & Brian Michna (Team Hunter)
2014 – Niki Crippen (Breast Cancer & Burn Camp) 2015 – Glenn Cox Pawleys Island Outdoors (Use of John Boats)
2016 – Niki Crippen (Breast Cancer, Burn Camp Counselor, United Way, MDA, Burn Fundraiser, Sorority Advisor)
MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD
2004 – David Geney 2006 – Sam Hodge 2008 – Joe Garrity
2009 – Rex Smith 2010 – Bob Beebe 2011 – Michael Chapman
2013 – James Elliott, Joseph Williamson, & Ian Edmonds 2014 – Ed Mills 2015 – Father Wil Keith
2016 – Michael Hessler
MERITORIOUS ACTION AWARD
2012 – B Shift Station 82 (Carr Gilmore, Jeremy Skinner, Adham Dumont, Kevin McLaughlin, Ian Edmonds) for Elliott GSW
2013 – Jeremy Skinner & Ryan Curtis (Creek Rescue)
2014 – Scott McGuire & Daniel Weihert (Creek Rescue) , Matt Smittle & Erik Noel (Firefighter Rescue)
2015 – Daniel Weihert, Adam Maag, Luke Vogler, & James Costanza (Swift Water Rescue)
2016 – Pete Copeland, Jesse Morgan, Adham Dumont, & Ryan Matthews (Wild Fire Near Miss)
MEDAL OF VALOR
2006 – Carr Gilmore (drowning rescue) 2009 – Jerry Liberatore, Adam Mexicott, Ryan Kelly (night water rescue)
2010 – Niki Crippen (unsecured off duty GSW) 2014 – Shane Kingsford (Off-duty Double Drowning Rescue)
2015 – Joe Ruffennach, Joseph Palombi, Luke Vogler (fire victim rescue)
CHIEF’S AWARD
2003 – Mike Mock, Dan Wetsel 2007 – Sam Rudolph
LIFE MEMBERS
2002 – Ed Mills, John Stewart 2003 – Mike Mock 2005 – Eve Eggiman
2009 – Sam Rudolph 2010 – Doug Eggiman 2015 – Carr Gilmore
AWARDS NO LONGER PRESENTED
TELECOMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR
1987 – Helena Tyler 1988 – Susie Tuck 1989 – Eve Eggiman
1990 – Lesley Hodge 1991 – Susie Tuck 1992 – Eve Eggiman
ENGINE COMPANY OF THE YEAR
1989 – Engine 7, Steve Cribb 1990 – Engine 6, Doug Eggiman 1991 – Engine 7, Doug Eggiman
OUTSTANDING CITIZEN OF THE YEAR
1993 – Geri Feris
YOUTH BRIGADE MEMBER OF THE YEAR
1981 – Eve Casselman 1982 – Darla Roberts 1983 – David Geney
1984 – Christy Geney 1985 – Melinda Casselman 1986 – Ben Marlow
1987 – Melinda Casselman 1988 – Melinda Casselman
PUBLIC EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR
2000 – Mike Robino, Barry Smith
Midway Fire Rescue is proud of the accomplishments that the department reaches each and every year. The department has recieved numerous recognitions every year.
Winner of the American Heart Association Fit-Friendly Company five years running. 2011-2015
2015 Winner of the Heart Safe Community Award
EMS Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs
The annual Heart Safe Communtiy Awards recogixe fire service-based EMS and other EMS systems with creative approaches to implement and maintain systems to prevent and treat cardiac-related diseases within their communities. This award examines communities holistically and how they have integrated their systems to work symbiotically. Agencies must demonstrate imprved quality of out-of-hospital resuscitation through bystander CPR, AED deployment (PAD programs), out-of-hospital 12-lead ECGs, 12-Lead ECG advanced notification to the recieving hospital, or other continuous quality resuscitation improvements. The award honors departments representing small communties with populations under 100,000 and large communties with populations over 100,000.
Winner - Small Community
Midway Fire Rescue (SC) - The midway Fire-Rescue Department has implemented a variety of programs to improve the emergency medical services provided to its diverse communtiy of tourists, year-around residents, and seasonal residents. Together , these programs have represented Midway's efforts to better educate the public and Midway Fire-Rescue personnel. Midway's public outreach efforts have allowed the agency to reach out to the nearly 5,000 individuals, or 25% of the population, as well as expand the emergency medical training offered to all Midway Fire_rescue personnel. Midway also completed an aggressive push to update their equipment, including the purchase of new LifePak monitors, to improve communications with the community's hospital and decrease "Door-To-Balloon" time for STEMI patients. Midway's efforts have succeeded in improving survivability rates patients throughout the community.
Award News Release
GEORGETOWN COUNTY — Midway Fire Rescue was announced on March 9 as a recipient of this year’s Heart Safe Community Award, presented by the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ EMS section. The award is presented to only two communities annually — one large and one small. Midway won the award for small communities (those with populations under 100,000).
The award recognizes fire-service-based EMS and other EMS systems that have used creative approaches to implement or maintain public access defibrillation programs within the communities they serve. From 2001-2005, the award considered the establishment of Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) programs by fire and EMS agencies in their communities. In 2005, the award criteria were expanded to reflect the 2005 American Heart Association Guidelines. Now, agencies applying for the award must show how they have also improved the quality of out-of-hospital resuscitation through bystander CPR, AED deployment, advanced notification to the receiving hospital, and other continuous quality resuscitation improvements.
Midway Fire Rescue has implemented a variety of programs to improve its emergency medical service. Midway provides service to a diverse community consisting of year-round and seasonal residents, as well as tourists. Public outreach efforts have allowed the agency to reach nearly 5,000 people, as well as expand the emergency medical training offered to all Midway Fire Rescue personnel.
Midway also completed an aggressive push to:
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Update its equipment, including the purchase of new LifePak monitors,
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Improve communications with the community’s hospital system; and
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Decrease “door-to-balloon time” — the interval between when a heart attack patient arrives at the hospital and the time he/she receives percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), such as angioplasty.
“This is an incredible honor,” said Midway Chief Doug Eggiman. “We’ve had state honors before and different things like that, but to actually win something on an international level like this, it’s kind of stunning.”
It also says a lot about the community as a whole, Eggiman said. “We’re really blessed in the sense that we have wonderful people here who are proactive and aggressive in doing things to make our community safer. We’re also very lucky to have a supportive administrator and County Council that allows us to get the equipment and policies we need to have in place to do what we do. They also helped earn this award, as did the community and the hospitals that receive our patients. We’re very much a team and every member of this team is key and played a part in our receiving this award.
Midway’s efforts have succeeded in improving survivability rates of patients throughout the community and the department should be lauded not just for this most recent recognition, but for their efforts every day to save lives and create a safer community for residents in Georgetown County.
Albuquerque Fire Department is this year’s other Heart Safe Community Award recipient.
“The Heart Safe Community awards recognize the Albuquerque Fire Department and the Midway Fire Rescue Department for their dedication and work to promote a better and safer community,” said David Becker, chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ EMS section. “They demonstrate and serve as role models for other communities to follow in protecting their citizens through their programs.”
