VFD names Firefighter of Year
The Albany Volunteer Fire Department honored member Joel Viertel with the 2018 Firefighter of the Year merit award at the annual Christmas party and meeting on Monday, Dec. 3.
According to chief Kyle Tischler, the members of the fire department nominate the individual for this award whom they believe has best met the five following qualifications:
The firefighter must not be on probation.
The firefighter must have shown to be highly active in the department through meetings and fire/emergency calls.
The firefighter must have shown dedication to his/her duty as an Albany firefighter, and demonstrated professionalism.
The firefighter must be knowledgeable in the fields of firefighting and safety.
The nominee should be known as one who “goes the extra mile,” and whom is considered dependable.
“Joel has only been with us for a year, but he has really started out right,” Tischler said. “He has obviously surpassed those qualifications! Joel is a real go-getter and he willingly goes the extra mile.”
Tishler added that Vier-tel is also a fast learner.
“He sees what needs to be done, and takes things upon himself without having to be told,” said the fire chief. “And he works well with others.”
In addition to the award ceremony, the annual Christmas party provides a chance for firefighters and their families to celebrate the holiday season together.
“We had a record number of firefighters’ family members in attendance, which is exactly what we want,” Tischler said. “We played Christmas party games and had a lot of fun. Our fire department is a family environment and we encourage our members to bring their families to the station at anytime and spend some quality time together at the fire station.”
Firefighter Training
Seven Albany firefighters will participate in the Mid West Texas District State Firemen’s and Fire Marshall’s Association Intro Academy starting in January.
“The Academy will include five full Saturdays of great training,” said Tischler. “Each Saturday’s class is held at a different fire station so they can take advantage of that fire department’s training facilities. We will be able to use a Texas A&M Forest Service Tuition Grant to pay for our firefighters attending this training academy.”
