The City of Henderson’s fire department took some time recently to gather for dinner and fellowship as they reflected on events of the past year, honored current firefighters and remembered the late fire chief Steve Cordell.
Chief Tim Twisdale, a guest on Wednesday’s TownTalk, said the Feb. 22 event was special in many ways, not the least of which was beginning the evening with a moment of silence to remember Cordell, who died in January 2023.
Oftentimes, the public sees firefighters in bulky turnout gear in the line of duty or in more casual clothing around the fire house making sure all the vehicles are in tip-top shape. But Twisdale said this occasion was reason to pull out the Class A uniforms and really show off – on this evening, firefighters learned who was named 2023 Firefighter of the Year and who would be the recipient of the Chief’s Award.
“This is the 47th year that our department has been having a gathering to honor our members and the accomplishments they’ve had throughout the year,” Twisdale noted.
Jeffrey Payne Watson was named Firefighter of the Year and Devin Hall received the Chief’s Award. Twisdale said both men are real assets to the department.
Watson came on board in 2021 – in fact, Twisdale was on the interview board when he was hired and then worked with him on the same shift. He saw Watson every day there in the beginning, and Twisdale said he quickly saw Watson as a natural leader. “He’s one of those go-to persons,” Twisdale said, someone who makes sure that everyone comes out of a situation with a better grasp and understanding than they’d had before.
Deputy State Fire Marshal Tony Bailey was the guest speaker for the event, and Twisdale said he appreciated Bailey’s continuing support over the years as the fire department has been able to attain – and maintain – a coveted ISO rating of 2.
Chief’s Award recipient Hall commutes three days a week to his job at the Henderson Fire Department from his home in South Hill, VA.
When considering nominees for the Chief’s Award, Twisdale said he’s looking “for someone who really comes into the doors every day as a positive example” for others, making contributions not only to the community but to the brotherhood of firefighters.
“He is a constant source of information,” Twisdale said of Hall. “He shares his knowledge an skills.”
Twisdale noted several recent promotions within the department, including Capt. Capt. Justin Crowder and Capt. Justin Simmons, who is in charge of Engine 1. Simmons’s primary duties are looking after a three-member crew of that truck, the chief said.
As new battalion chiefs, Rick Puryear and Kyle Holtzman supervise the shifts of firefighters who protect the city 24 hours a day.
Hall and fellow firefighter Chase Carter have risen to the rank of engineer. Both men are a big part of the department’s ladder company, Twisdale said. The fire department is looking at ways to replace the aging truck, which came into service in 2005. Back then, it cost $800,000.
Like everything else, he said, inflation has driven up prices on fire trucks, too.
“If we sign a contract today, it’d be $2.1 million,” he said.
Check out the year-in-review video that Engineer Carter created for the awards banquet. You can find it on the fire department’s Facebook page. Chief Cordell figures prominently in the video, and his memory will live on, Twisdale said.
“We try to honor his memory by trying to move forward each day,” he said.
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