FIRE CHIEF is pleased to announce the five finalists for the 2012 EVT of the Year Award, sponsored by C.E. Niehoff & Co. The award will be presented at the Fire Department Safety Officers Association's 25^th annual Apparatus Specification and Vehicle Maintenance Symposium, Jan. 20-23, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

The finalists for the 2012 EVT of the Year Award are:

Travis Lee, Lafayette, Ind. Lee has played a major role on the Lafayette Fire Department apparatus replacement committee, helping to write specifications for new fire trucks. He also is a volunteer EVT for the Indiana District 4 task force, which is comprised of Lafayette and the nine counties surrounding it and which includes hundreds of pieces of emergency equipment that could be deployed anywhere in Indiana — such as the tornado-ravaged southern part of the state earlier this year — or possibly the U.S. in a large-scale disaster. “With Travis working on our equipment, I never have a concern in mind whether an apparatus or piece of equipment will function properly when we need it most," his nomination letter read. "Their work shirts say it all: ‘Without us they walk.'”

Grady Jones, Texas Association of Emergency Technicians. Jones is a certified Master Technician who serves on EVT Certification Commission's validation committee. He also teaches advanced electrical and Management 1 and 2 classes for the Southwest Emergency Vehicle Technician Conference. "Grady is a visionary leader, whose accomplishments this year include the publication of TAEVT’s first newsletter," his nomination letter read. "As a student of Grady’s, I know that he is safety conscious and always teaches safety as a part of his curriculum.” 

Mitch Perry, Clay County (Fla.) Fire Rescue. Perry is responsible for the service and repair of more than 86 vehicles and 50 small engines and "performs any task assigned happily and without complaint," according to his nomination letter. He researched a brake failure issue on fire engines and, after having fleet maintenance look at the issue without resolve, suggested having the transmission programming changed to improve the stopping capability of the truck by downshifting more during braking. Each of the front line engines and tenders had the transmission programming changed. This suggestion resulted in savings for brake repairs and improved stopping capability.

Perry also have converted two Oshkosh R-11 military fuel tankers from the Federal Excess Property Program into water tenders. This conversion saved the department more than $200,000 in capital improvement project funds and allowed it to replace aging 1980 tenders.  

Mike Adler, Colerain Township (Ohio) Fire Department. Adler currently handles approximately 30 vehicles ranging from staff cars and EMS transports to engines, ladders and heavy rescues. As chief mechanic, much of his time is spent determining which repairs and maintenance can be accomplished in-house and which need to go out to area vendors. "Adler has been a wealth of information for trouble shooting Wyoming’s fire and EMS apparatus and a tremendous help for our EVT Bob Seifert," his nomination letter said. "His knowledge, experience and willingness to help exemplify the spirit of cooperation among Fire and EMS Departments and the Emergency Vehicle Technician community. …  Mike has the knowledge, experience, trust and willingness to assist local departments in the difficult decisions associated with complicated apparatus repairs." 

Shaun Sigrest, Springfield, Mo. Sigrest oversees the safe operation of 20 front line apparatus and three reserve companies as the only employee in a three-bay fire shop. He is certified and trained at an ASE Master Truck and Master EVT level. He also is a member of the IAFC's Emergency Vehicle Management Section and Heartland Emergency Apparatus Technicians Association. Sigrest "continues to seek ways to build on his 20 years of experience and to improve his knowledge, skills and abilities by attending training annually to support his EVT and ASE certifications to ensure that he operates within the scope of his training and within the safety guidelines and best practices for his profession," according to his nomination letter.