The Cole County Fire Protection District (CCFPD) held its 2019-2020 annual service awards banquet. The jointed two years awards banquet was due to COVID-19. The annual event shows appreciation to the firefighters for their years of service and dedication to the CCFPD.
There is another aspect that stands out with the 2019-2020 service awards. The District proudly recognized ten firefighters who have given 165 combined years of service at the end of 2019 and fifteen firefighters who gave 460 combined years of service at the end of 2020. The combined years of service of district personnel are over 1300 years. It shows the commitment to the District by its personnel and their dedication for training, call response, and the rewards of helping others in their time of need.
At the beginning of the awards banquet, we remembered those who passed since our last awards banquet. The District recognized Senior Assistant Chief Galen Hammann, Assistant Chief Robert “Robbie” Hammann, Pam Carsten, Captain Larry Rizner, and Janice Heimericks for their service. Accepting awards for Galen Hammann was his son Jason Hammann. Accepting the awards for Robbie Hammann was his son Chris Hammann.
The following firefighters were recognized for their years of service in 2019.
5 years: Jordy Doerhoff, Aaron Kempker, Mac Kennedy, Zach Rustemeyer
15 years: Blake Bopp, Jason Bittle
20 years: Jason Hammann
25 years: Scott Kempker
30 years: Rich Gordon
40 years: James Call
Fire Fighter of the Year: Dakota Roth
Officer of the Year: Justin Braun
Special Recognition Award: Julie Rademann
Outstanding Community Service Award: Tony Vanderpool
Deputy Chief’s “Dirty Dozen”:
These firefighters responded to the most calls: Justin Braun, Zack Rustemeyer, Mac Kennedy, Galen Hammann, Gary Berendzen, Tony Vanderpool, Jason Hammann, Mike Hart, Robbie Hammann, Dakota Roth, Adam Bashore, and Shawn York.
Perfect Attendance in Training Awards:
Gary Braun, Galen Hammann, Robbie Hammann, Jason Hammann, Zach Rustemeyer, Shawn York, Mike Hart, Gary Berendzen, Blake Bopp, Jenny Berendzen and Nathan Luebbering
The following firefighters were recognized for their years of service in 2020.
10 years: Justin Braun
20 years: Josh Luebbering, Nathan Luebbering, Shawn York
25 years: Dave Luebbering, Doug Luebbering, Myron Luebbering, Norman Otto
35 years: Gary Braun
40 years: Steve Barnes, Dave Berendzen, Mike Hart, Robert “Robbie” Hammann
45 years: Galen Hammann
50 years: Gary Smith
Fire Fighter of the Year: Jose Mejia
Officer of the Year: Dave Luebbering
Outstanding Community Service Award: Mel Callahan
The Cole County Fire Protection District is always looking for men and women to proudly serve our community. Firefighting is a rewarding experience helping those in need, whether it be educating children on fire safety, extricating people from vehicle accidents, or extinguishing fires. If you are interested please contact the District office at 573-634-9011.
FFAM
