Saturday, February 4, 2012
Fire Chief of the Year Awards
FIRE CHIEF magazine's annual "Fire Chief of the Year Awards" honor longtime dedication and leadership in the fire and emergency services. The awards are sponsored by Pierce Manufacturing and are presented at Fire-Rescue International.
2011 Career Chief Award Winner
Chief Debra Amesqua, Madison (Wis.) Fire Department A Lion in Chief's ClothingChief Debra Amesqua has a love of many things: her family, her fire department, her art and her need to stand up for what is right. In fact, for nearly three decades, Amesqua’s loves have helped her through tough times as the first female chief of the Madison (Wis.) Fire Department — where she fended off character attacks and internal sabotage while trying to lead the department into the 21st century. Amesqua was named Madison’s fire chief in January 1996, becoming one of only seven women to head a U.S. fire department. She also was the first Latina chief in the country. Amesqua began her fire-service career later in life. In fact, she was 33 years old with a 9-year-old daughter, building guitars and taking music classes at a local college when recruiters from the Tallahassee (Fla.) Fire Department came to speak to female students about firefighting. At the time, most women hired were placed in administrative positions. However, the TFD wanted field-ready firefighters and sought candidates. It was a tempting offer. Amesqua already had experience in male-dominated fields and was attracted to the stable employment and benefits that could support her daughter. She also liked to “dig in and get dirty,” so the opportunity seemed like a good fit. |
2011 Volunteer Chief Award Winner
Chief Robert Perry, Union Fire District in Peace Dale, R.I. The Man with the PlanChief Robert Perry, who has led the Union Fire District in Peace Dale, R.I., for the past seven years, and Gen. George Patton have a lot in common. Like Patton, Perry understands the importance of effective training, cares deeply for those in his command, can be a tough commander when the circumstances warrant, and knows the importance of leading from the front, rather than the rear. For all of these reasons, he is FIRE CHIEF’s 2011 Volunteer Chief of the Year. During World War II, Patton became commander of the U.S. Third Army, which played a key role in liberating France and gained fame for its part in relieving the 101st Airborne, which had a tenuous hold on the strategic town of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. But Patton had become a legend long before taking the reins of the Third Army, thanks to his success as a tank commander in North Africa. To prepare his troops for what they would encounter in the harsh, unforgiving environment in which they would do battle, Patton trained them for months in the blistering heat and desolation of California’s Imperial Valley, near Palm Springs. Prior to becoming chief, Perry was Union’s deputy chief in charge of training and development for 16 years. During this period, he had a vision not unlike Patton’s: a state-of-the art training facility for his volunteer department. “If you can’t tie a knot, you tie a lot,” Perry said. |
