The most recent recipient of Hale’s Safe Firefighter of the Month award is Lt. Jamey Parker of the Hiawatha Fire Department in Hiawatha, Iowa.
“Jamey is entering his 20th year of fire service, and he still has the same great passion and focus on safety he started with,” said Rob Archibald, the fellow firefighter who nominated Lt. Parker. “Jamey goes above and beyond the call of duty to make sure everyone is safe.”
In the last few years, Lt. Parker has become even more focused on health and wellness as a vital part of firefighter safety. He has served as a training instructor and deputy chief of safety, taking an active role in writing policies and procedures. He helped instate the department’s respiratory protection program, which includes fitness testing and training requirements for firefighters.
Lt. Parker is also charged with the health and safety of his duty crew, which consists of seven other firefighters. He encourages regular workouts at the station and, even when his crew is on call, they regularly spend that time working out at the gym together. Lt. Parker also sees that the Hiawatha Fire Department has an active fire protection group, which speaks at schools in the area and holds 911 simulations for local children.
When asked what he thinks the most important lesson is for firefighter safety, Lt. Parker said, “People are the most valuable asset. We must take care of our firefighters in order to take care of the community properly.”
To nominate someone for Hale’s Safe Firefighter of the Month Award, visit www.safe-firefighter.com. Each month, a top candidate will be chosen from the submissions made by firehouses across the United States, and the winners and nominees will have their photos and profiles displayed on the website.
Hale, based in Conshohocken, Pa., is a fire and rescue equipment company founded in 1914 by three Pennsylvania firefighters who believed they could build a better fire pump. Today, the company has grown through new product innovation and strategic acquisitions to supply pump modules, compressed air foam systems, electronic controls and valves. For more information, visit www.haleproducts.com.
