Dundee’s Hill earns Firefighter of the Year

YATES COUNTY—Yates County honored their emergency service members and first responders at an awards banquet Friday, April 5 at the Benton Fire Department, naming Dundee’s Steve Hill the Fireman of the Year 2012. President Tracey Miller of the Yates County Fire Chief’s Association said Hill has been in the department since 1968 and is dedicated to fire service.
Miller was given the Roger Ribble Sr. award for his dedication to fire service, passing on fire department traditions and sharing his knowledge with other firefighters. Jeff Housel presented Miller with the award saying he is always willing to give help to other departments and is a big help explaining the operation of trucks and pumps while training new members.
Dundee’s Ray Miller was honored with the H. Robert Hathaway Officer of the Year Award during the banquet. Miller had received his award in person during a separate ceremony Saturday, March 30 and was unable to attend the banquet due to vacation.
Nancy Oppel was presented with the Gary Garverick Leadership Award. The distinction is given to those who exemplify compassion in their line of work, passion for serving the community and dedication to emergency services.
Awards for the most training hours were presented to Lynnette Christiansen of the Himrod Fire Department, John Hanson of PYAVAC and Eric Williams of the Middlesex Fire Department and Ambulance. Christiansen received the Fire Training Award with 197 hours, Hanson received the EMS Training Award with 624 hours and Williams received the Combined Fire and EMS Training Award with 252 hours.
All fire departments in the county were honored for their continued service and hard work. Yates County Fire Coordinator Brian Winslow said each department is the front line of defense to every community and it is important to remind everybody they are out there at all hours of the night to help people. He said it is important to recognize the sacrifices made by first responders, emphasizing the importance of training and working together as a means to make the job safer for those involved.