At the Washington Fire Department annual awards banquet on January 28, Lieutenant Scott Wehlage was named the department’s Firefighter of the Year. Lt. Wehlage joined the department in January 2010, and became Lieutenant in July 2018. When not volunteering his time for fire service, Wehlage is a pilot for American Airlines.
Lt. Wehlage is an active member of the department. In addition to his fire duties, he has gone the extra mile and has taken part in the memorial services in Kingdom City, Missouri, and Emmitsburg, Maryland, fire service Day at the Capitol event in Jefferson City, as well as completing several 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb events.
His pilot experience has benefited the department’s ability to deploy drones for use on a variety of calls, from surveying brush fires to searching for missing persons. In April of 2022, Wehlage’s skills were instrumental in locating an elderly man that had left his home in the middle of a cold night.
Shortly after deploying the drone and using infrared technology, he was able to spot the man in a wooded ravine. His location was provided to rescuers who were searching the area by foot, and a successful outcome was achieved.
The Washington Volunteer Fire Company is proud to have members that bring a wide variety of life skills and experiences with them into the fire service. Thank you, Lt. Wehlage, for your consistent dedication, whether it be flying the drone on a moment’s notice, showing up for a public relations event, or getting an engine to a scene in the middle of the night. That’s what volunteer fire service is all about.
FFAM
