Bob Eliason of the Bradford Township Volunteer Fire Department
was named the 2006 Firefighter of the Year at the 22nd annual
Bradford Rotary Club-sponsored dinner Saturday.
About 175 attended the event at the Grace Lutheran Church
Community Life Center.
Featured speaker was Sgt. Jamie Dana, Hazel Hurst native and
Iraq war veteran, who received the Rotary Club’s first
Meritorious-Service Above Self Award recognizing her military
service.
Dana, accompanied at the dinner by her bomb-sniffing K-9, Rex,
and family members, was seriously injured in an attack in Kirkuk,
Iraq, in June 2005, when an armored vehicle she and Rex were in
passed over a roadside bomb.
In her remarks, she described her Iraq ordeal, including her
fight to adopt Rex, which ended in an act of the U.S. Congress
allowing her to keep Rex.
Dana paid tribute to the volunteer firefighters, noting that
several of her family are volunteer firefighters and how she
appreciates the “efforts of so many men and women who the public
too often takes for granted, not realizing that every time the
alarm sounds it signals an emergency and also potential danger for
firefighters.”
Eliason has been an active member of the Bradford Township
department for seven years. He currently holds a line officer’s
position as captain and serves on the department’s board of
directors and new apparatus committee. He is certified as a Level I
firefighter, holds technician- level certification in vehicle
rescue and operations-level certifications in hazardous
materials.
His selection was announced by Dr. Hank Anna, district governor
of Rotary 7280, which represents 45 clubs, including Bradford.
In his remarks, Anna commended Eliason and all firefighters for
their “service above self” and the local Rotary for perpetuating
the annual recognition event that “distinguishes some of the very
good work that Rotarians do worldwide.”
Eliason’s selection was cited in proclamations from U.S. Sen.
Arlen Specter, R-Pa., Gov. Ed Rendell, state Sen. Joe Scarnati,
R-Brockway, and state Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint. McKean
County Commissioner Chairman Clifford Lane read the citation on
behalf of the county. Also in attendance was Commissioner John
Egbert.
Also receiving special recognition awards for their nominations
as Firefighters of the Year were John Terwilliger (Corydon Township
Volunteer Fire Department), Dennis Frank (Derrick City Volunteer
Fire Department), Donald Ishman (Hilltop Volunteer Fire
Department), Jerry Johnson Jr. (Lafayette Township Volunteer Fire
and Rescue Department), William A. Kerr (Lewis Run Volunteer Fire
Department) and Todd Burkhouse (Rew Volunteer Fire Department).
As with past award recipients, Eliason’s selection was
determined in closed balloting among all seven fire departments,
monitored by two Rotarians.
At the dinner, Rick Esch, club president, was master of
ceremonies. The invocation and benediction were delivered by the
Rev. Dr. David Stains of the Evans Memorial Church. Patriotic music
was sung by Francis Colella.
This year’s event was planned and coordinated by president-elect
Sam Deeter and past presidents Bill Chapman, Emmy Eddy, George
Evans and Dave Sheneman. Dave Farrell of the Bradford Township
department represented the firefighters.
