Central York Fire Services has given one of its top awards to the creator of a new aerial operation program.
Firefighter Marty Maurice won the Jim Allen Award at the local fire department’s annual recognition ceremony Nov. 14. The annual award recognizes a local firefighter who has gone above and beyond, chosen by fire service staff and leadership.
Maurice earned the award by developing a new hands-on tactical aerial operation program, securing an actual building in the community to use for training. Maurice said there is no greater honour than to be chosen by his peers for this recognition.
“Training plays a vital role in the health and safety of our members and that is my ultimate goal — keeping Central York current with our abilities to serve the residents,” Maurice said in a news release. “To me, there is no better job than to be of service to the community. I am very humbled by the recognition. It will continue with me for the rest of my career.”
The award is named after retired Captain Jim Allen, for tremendous contributions to fire service locally and provincially over a 37-year career. Each year, anonymous nominations are reviewed with recipients selected by a committee.
Maurice is now the youngest firefighter ever to receive the award. He said he could recall meeting Allen when he joined the firefighting force in 2016.
“When I first started at CYFS, Jim Allen was one of the very first people I met and immediately you could tell that this individual had it figured out,” March said. “The secret is he was passionate about helping others. My advice is to spend each day of your career as an opportunity to better yourself as a firefighter and let that passion turn into helping the people that surround you.”
Fire chief Rocco Volpe said Maurice embodies the fire service commitment to develop specialized skills.
“He led the development and delivery of a comprehensive training program for all suppression personnel, conducted at a structure within the community to ensure realistic practice. Firefighter Maurices’s initiative has greatly enhanced our operational capabilities, making him a valuable asset to CYFS and the communities we serve,” Volpe said.
“To me, there is no better job than to be of service to the community,” Maurice said. “I am very humbled by the recognition. It will continue with me for the rest of my career.”
Several other firefighters also received recognition during the event, including long-service medals. Capt. Christopher Airey also received a St. John's Ambulance Life-Saving Award.
