DFD 2023 Awards Nominations Voting

*All nominations have been submitted by your peers in the field.

Question Title

* 1. Firefighter of the Year

Ray Harder - Ray has been a Fire Fighter with the DFD for 20 years. You would not know that by
the way he treats people. He does not walk around throwing his number out or how
many years of service he has. He shows up to work, usually at 7 am just in case
someone needs to leave early or can grab a late call for the off going crew. I have
never heard him complain about being assigned to the medic or having to rove due
to someone being at his station doing medic or EMT shifts.

Ray took it upon himself to get almost all of Rookie Trey Carr's red book completed while his Captain was off
for a month. No one asked him to do it, or told him to do it, he just made sure it got
done and made sure Carr knew how to do everything in it. Ray never complains
about cleaning the bathrooms or pulls a seniority card with any work around the
station. He cooks most of the meals for his crew. Ray is an excellent medic with
phenomenal people skills. Ray was a member of the Clowns on Fire for 15 years
and still assists them with writing scripts for each show. He will always make the
decision to do what is best for his pt, regardless of the circumstance or time of day.

You do not have to ask ray to get any of his online training done, it is usually
completed the first day it is put out. He will be the first to volunteer to try something
in training, even if he is not comfortable with doing whatever the task is, just to get
the ball rolling. He is the first to pull a new guy to the side and help with something
they might be struggling with. There is no doubt in my mind that Ray Harder is
deserving of and should be the DFD FireFighter of The Year for 2023.

Roger Duckworth - I wanted to nominate Roger Duckworth for Firefighter of the year. He is a hard
charger who is dedicated to training and readiness, whether it be Live fire
instructing, In-doc, company training, or the swat program. He is the one you want
on your crew when things go south. He is professional, confident, quick to learn and
shares wisdom without need of reward. When he is working, no matter which
position, under high stress scenes, he makes great decisions and is crucial to our
success.

Chris Hammond - I am nominating this FF because he consistently makes significant contributions to
the Denton Fire Department, the City of Denton, and to the forward progress of our
Profession. He maintains a superior and high level of professional knowledge, skill,
and abilities in both the Fire, EMS, and Rescue disciplines and is involved in
numerous special duties within the department.

As a Firefighter assigned to Fire Station 1, he regularly teaches these skills to his shift members and during Rescue
Week. He is a member of Texas Task Force, a Burn Instructor, an FTO mentoring
new Medics, and works directly with the EMS division and our Medical Director for
Protocol updates/improvements to ensure our medics and citizens provide and
receive the best possible care. Most recently he led the roll-out of a new video to
showcase the use of patient lifting straps with the intent to minimize Firefighter onthe-
job injuries while reducing potential injuries to patients. He worked with the
Rookie Indoctrination Academy, is coordinating the stand up of the department Bike
Program, provided competent experience-based knowledge for the upcoming
department Drone Program, and collectively led the Small Tools Program
maintaining a twenty-five thousand dollar ready-now inventory with a fifteenthousand-
dollar operating budget. Additionally, he volunteered to head the Station 1
condiment fund and quickly went to work with ADMIN to eliminate the shift funded
Wi-Fi subscription while simultaneously leading an effort to reduce if not erase our
TV dues. His oversight eliminated a potential annual budget increase for station
one members by more than $1,560.

He worked more than 250 overtime hours, responded to 25 Structure Fires, 363 EMS calls, with a total of more than 580
emergency responses and was a key responder for a critically ill female citizen who
was found bedridden for more than three weeks and demonstrating signs and
symptoms of Sepsis. This call alone was listed by more than eleven Department
members as the worst EMS case in the history of their careers. His efforts
contributed to her continuum of care and facilitated a surprisingly strong prognosis
as shared by our Medical Director. Furthermore, he led the charge to show the
brotherly support a department member with a newborn baby by raising support
funds and cooking him and his wife meals as they transitioned to the new role as
parents. Finally, he is known as a department member with a very unique (and
sometimes annoying) sense of humor that radiates and instills a strong bond of
brotherhood among shift members. These numerous impacts provide a solid
framework for why this Firefighter is a strong well-rounded member that is
deserving to represent our department and citizens as the DFD 2023 Firefighter of
the Year

Casey Futch - I enthusiastically nominate Firefighter/Paramedic Casey Futch for Firefighter of the
year. In his time with the DFD, Casey has solidified a reputation as a solid, squared
away firefighter. Although Casey can be quit at times, he embodies the phrase
"actions speak louder than words." His personal characteristics of humility, hard
work and enthusiasm have been felt in the department and has been an
encouragement to its members.

Casey served as an FTO and is currently active as a SWAT Medic, eagerly seeking out training, and has been instrumental in that program's success. I have personally seen his patience and thoroughness working
with new members to train and help them transition into the fire service. He is
constantly looking for feedback and has a sincere desire to better himself and those
he works with. Casey holds himself to a high standard and expects that same
standard from others. Casey is an asset to his crew, a competent and hardworking
firefighter and contributing member of the Denton Fire Department. For those
reasons, and many more, Firefighter Futch is well deserving of the award
"Firefighter of the Year."

Bryce Skinner - Skinner has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication, and leadership
throughout the past year, making a significant impact on our department.
One of his standout qualities is his dedication to our FTO program. He has dealt
with numerous challenging incidents, displaying calmness under pressure and
making difficult decisions that undoubtedly saved lives and property. his knowledge
and work ethic serves as an inspiration to his fellow members and sets a standard
for excellence within our department.

Skinner, is known for his exceptional leadership skills and ability to work as a team.
Whether coordinating a training scenario or mentoring newer team members, he
consistently demonstrates a strong sense of responsibility and a commitment to
fostering a positive and cohesive team environment.
Skinner also takes time from his personal schedule to teach Fire classes at TEEX
Making an impact on even the newest members of the fire service.

Question Title

* 2. Driver/Engineer of the Year

Brandon Hillis -
Nomination 1: Driver Hillis always shows up to work with a positive attitude. If you ask anyone who
has worked with him, they will tell you he is never in a bad mood. He is very
professional and competent on calls and is always willing to give a helping hand
wherever it's needed. Driver Hillis is always looking for opportunities to advance his
knowledge to better the department. He is an active role model for many new
members joining the department and always goes above and beyond to share his
experience and advice in a very helpful way. He is a pleasure to be around both on
calls and around the station and for all these reasons I nominate Driver Hillis for
Driver Engineer of the Year.

Nomination 2: Driver hillis takes pride in his position. Comes into work with a consistent hard
working mentality. Anytime information is needed, everyone knows to ask hillis.

Nomination 3: Brandon is easily one of the nicest members of the department and is always
willing to do whatever is asked to help his fellow firefighter, he is a model employee
and a friend to everyone.

Brandon was tasked with making sure the bariatric ambulance was ready for
service as well as taking over par level responsibilities. Brandon has also been
given the task of maintaining station supplies as well as being a member of the
uniform committee. Not once has he complained, and each task is approached with
a smile and dedication to detail.

Brandon demonstrates professionalism in that every citizen he encounters is
greeted with a smile and treated with the utmost respect no matter the location or
time of day.

The times Brandon has stepped up have been seamless, with clear and concise
leadership and communication.

Nomination 4: Driver/operator Brandon Hillis comes in every shift and quietly goes above and
beyond the job description he carries. He always brings in a positive attitude and
deploys a knowledge base well above his time. He knows when to put his head
down and work and when to lead. He represents the absolute best that DFD has to
offer.

Matthew Hull - I wanted to nominate Matt Hull for Driver of the year. If you have ever worked a shift
with him, you know he takes pride in his apparatus, the station, and seeking ways
to be more prepared and efficient in all aspects of the job. He goes above and
beyond in all areas and self motivates, to stay busy, and does it not to be noticed,
but to get the job done. He looks ahead and prepares for pub-eds on his own, and
takes pride to make citizens and children feel welcome and valued. He is an asset
to our crew and is fun to be around and work with.

Jonathan Piatt - respectfully submit Driver/Engineer Piatt for the award "Driver/Engineer of the
Year." Jon has been an indispensable member of our fire department for. His role
as a Driver/Engineer extends far beyond the title; it embodies leadership,
dependability, and a passion for service. Jon's commitment to ongoing training and
professional development is truly commendable. He actively seeks out
opportunities to expand his knowledge and has been an active cadre member for
the Rookie Indoc program as well as regular instructor with the Training Division.
His dedication to continuous improvement sets a remarkable example for his peers
and young firefighters. His willingness to share knowledge, support colleagues, and
lead by example significantly contributes to the cohesion and effectiveness of our
crew and the department. His contributions have not only elevated our department
but also positively impacted the community we serve. For those reasons, and many
more, I wholeheartedly endorse Jon Piatt for "Driver/Engineer of the Year."