Franklin Fire Department

Franklin Fire Department

The latest from the City of Franklin.

The accomplishments and promotions of Franklin Firefighters in 2012 and 2013 were recognized and the graduation of recent firefighter recruits was celebrated during the Franklin Fire Department’s Awards and Badge Pinning Ceremony on January 9, at Franklin Theatre.

Firefighter recruits from three local departments who completed the Franklin Fire Department’s 10-week regional recruit firefighting training program were officially sworn-in as members of their departments at the ceremony. The graduates included nine firefighters from Franklin Fire Department, three from Maury County Fire Department and two from Dickson Fire Department. Their loved ones pinned the new firefighters with their badges.

Another highlight was Firefighter Adam Vernon, who earned three Phoenix Awards for helping to resuscitate patients who were in cardiac arrest on three occasions, all of whom made a full recovery. The ceremony also included “Personnel of the Year” awards, and the recognition of those who had been recently promoted. Family members pinned the department’s newest officers and engineers with their badges.

More than 200 firefighters, their family members and friends attended the event. Fire Chief Rocky Garzarek served as Master of Ceremonies with remarks from Mayor Ken Moore, City Administrator Eric Stuckey, Awards Committee Chairperson Deputy Chief Mike Culberson, and Firefighter Recruit Class Spokesperson Rodney Prince. Lt. Ricky Cotton provided the invocation.

The ceremony will be aired on Franklin TV Channel 10 and the City’s YouTube Channel. Below is a complete list of award recipients and honorees:

Phoenix Awards –for saving the life of a patient in cardiac arrest

• August 22, 2012 – Captain Clay Mackey, Engineer Andrew Ivey, Firefighter-Paramedic Wes Bryant, Firefighter Josh Thomas and Firefighter Adam Vernon.
• October 30, 2012 – Captain Michael Pardue, Engineer Andrew Ivey, Firefighter-Paramedic Wes Bryant, Firefighter Josh Thomas and Firefighter Adam Vernon.
• January 25, 2013 – Firefighter-Paramedic JD Fotopoulos and Firefighter Adam Vernon.

Community Service Award – Captain Ben Marler

• Captain Marler was recognized for establishing the Franklin Fire Department’s Citizens’ Fire Academy and for the more than six years he dedicated to making the program a success.

Outside Agency Commendation – Lieutenant Sean Smith

• Lieutenant Smith was recognized for receiving the EMS Star of Life award, which is awarded to emergency responders statewide who have demonstrated exemplary life-saving care. Smith’s role in the life-saving incident started one year before it actually happened, when he taught CPR to Franklin’s Citizens’ Fire Academy participants in 2011. One of the students was Toby Cooper. A year later, Cooper was at work when a co-worker went into cardiac arrest. Remembering the skills he learned from Smith’s class, Cooper performed CPR with the help of a co-worker until emergency responders arrived. The patient made a full recovery, and everyone who played a part in saving his life received the award. As the CPR instructor, Smith was recognized as the first link in the “Chain of Survival.”

Personnel of the Year Awards

• Rookie of the Year – Firefighter Michael Henry
• Firefighter of the Year – Firefighter Rob Thomas
• Engineer of the Year – Engineer Mike Burns
• Fire Administration Support Employee of the Year – Fire and Life Safety Educator Jamie Melton

Promotions

• Captain Tyler Crews
• Captain Michael Pardue
• Lieutenant Matt Stout
• Engineer Kyle Bess
• Engineer Wylie Jones
• Engineer Dale Lott
• Engineer Eddie Proctor

Recruit Firefighter Graduates – Firefighter recruits from three local departments who completed the Franklin Fire Department’s 10-week recruit firefighting training program were officially sworn-in as members of their departments at the ceremony. The graduates included nine firefighters from Franklin Fire Department, three from Maury County Fire Department and two from Dickson Fire Department:

Franklin Fire Department

• Jason E. Bizwell
• Ryan Brinkman
• Joseph D. Burwell
• Kevin M. Hunt
• Quaid B. Ledingham
• Joshua C. Meeks
• Rodney L. Prince
• Michael R. Radom
• Vincent Vetitoe

Dickson Fire Department

• Gregory L. Mobley
• Ryan L. Roland

Maury County Fire Department

• Robert L. Pitts Jr.
• Michael J. Ridings
• Nicholas Riley