By Cassie King
The Fishers Fire Department presented its annual awards ceremony Feb. 17 at Heartland Church in Fishers, where it honored first responders for bravery, dedication and service.
The event included awards for Fishers firefighters, paramedics, public safety educators and staff. Fishers’ public safety educator Ashley Heckley was the emcee and shared words of appreciation for the contributions of the FFD team in 2023.
“It is important to reflect on the hard work, dedication and passion that have brought us to this moment,” Heckley said.
Fishers City Council President Cecilia Coble administered the oath of office to recently promoted officers. She shared her experience from nine years ago, when she had an opportunity to be a firefighter for a day.
“I came away with a life-altering experience and a deep appreciation for everything that all our firefighters do,” Coble said. “We have the finest men and women serving in our Fishers Fire Department.”
The event featured awards presented in various categories, including Firefighter of the Year, Rookie of the Year, EMS Provider of the Year, and other community service accolades.
The following awards were presented:
- Chiefs Medal: Capt.Neil Sullivan and firefighter Ron Stolz
- Roy Holland Officer of the Year: Lt. Danny Ebbert
- Firefighter of the Year: Kevin Brolsma
- Rookie of the Year: firefighter Chris Jessee
- Jeannie Clark EMS Provider of the Year: firefighter/paramedic Joe Goad
- Recent Promotions and Badge Pinning: Battalion Chief Michael Zajdel, Battalion Chief Adam Lee, Battalion Chief Hugo Wans, Lt. Chad Mohr and Lt. John Hinton
- Retirees: FF Travis Sichting, EMS Division Chief Steve Davison, Lt. David Gillespie and firefighter William Crew
- 20 Year Service Award: Lt. Marty Devine, Lt. Leann Foster, firefighter Seth Johnson and Captain Todd Rielage
- Fishers Fire Foundation Scholarship Award: Annelise Hiner and McKinley Underhill
- Newly Certified Paramedics: Thomas Ford, Kurt Globerger, Andrew Thomas and Quinton Camp
- Civilian of the Year: James Knowles from the Fishers Department of Public Works
- Public Service Award: Lt. William Ortiz
- Safety and Training Award: firefighters Greg Morlen and Matt Rambo
- Peer Leadership Commendation: A Shift — Seth Johnson, B Shift — Matt Rambo, C Shift — Michael Schroll
A recording of the ceremony’s livestream can be viewed at heartlandchurch.com/live.
