When a bunch of guys get together, there are always a lot of laughs, but there were also some emotional times and a few tears when the Magee Volunteer Fire Department held their annual Fireman’s Appreciation Banquet last Thursday at Berry’s.
The evening started with a Firefighter’s Memorial in which the elements of the table symbolized firefighters who had lost their lives over the past year. Fireman David Craft moderated the ceremony.
Fire Chief Lane Steele acknowledged the groundwork laid by previous generations of firefighters of the Magee Fire Department. He also acknowledged the financial support of the city as well as the county.
Assistant Chief Chris Tuggle, the training officer for Magee, acknowledged the training time the department had spent over the past year. He said members had completed 826 hours of off-site training and 397 hours of on-site training for a total of 1,223 hours of training last year.
Some of the firefighters attaining notable training times were Dustin Grubbs, Michael Allan, Tom Horan, Phillip Allan, Braden Magee, Jason Clayburn, Shane Little, Anthony Fayard and Hayden Holbrook.
Officer Shane Steele reported a total of 174 calls made over the year, which represented 1,830 man hours. He added that this represents each fire fighter serving 50 hours of time over the course of the year.
Phillip Magee was recognized for highest participation at 82 percent of all calls, which was 143 of the 174 calls.
Shane Little was recognized for five years of service as a volunteer fireman. Chris Tuggle was recognized for 15 years of service.
The most coveted award, Firefighter of the Year, went to Michael Allan. This award is voted upon by fellow officers of the department. Last year’s recipient was Charlie Valadie, who was unable to attend this year’s banquet. Fire Chief Lane Steele made the presentation in Valadie’s absence.
