BRADENTON – Firefighters and staff with West Manatee Fire Rescue had a lot to celebrate Jan. 15 during the district’s annual awards ceremony held at the administration building.
Awards were given in recognition of meritorious service and years of service to the district, along with the Firefighter of the Year and Officer of the Year awards.
Honored for years of service were Firefighter Cameron Fraizer who’s been with WMFR for five years, Firefighter Jerrod Apple and Inspector Rodney Kwiatkowski for 10 years of service, Firefighters Brian Gaskill and William “Buddy” Bowen for 15 years and Firefighter Nathan Berbom for 20 years of service. Apple and Berbom were not present during the awards ceremony.
Captain-turned-Battalion Chief Ryan Moore’s family was on hand for his promotion. His wife and children came up to assist Moore in pinning on his new badge and celebrating his promotion.
Administrative Battalion Chief Ben Rigney, Battalion Chief Rich Losek and Firefighter Alex Flores were honored for their deployment to the Florida Panhandle with one of the district’s advanced life support fire engines as a part of a Hurricane Michael response team. The group was part of one of five strike teams from Manatee County and the only ALS engine in the group. Rigney served as leader of all five Manatee County teams during the more than one week of deployment. The strike teams were deployed to Port St. Joe and Marianna.
The next awards were the Firefighter of the Year and Officer of the Year awards chosen by a vote of the district’s firefighters. Chief Tom Sousa said this year was an anomaly being the first year that the district handed out two Firefighter of the Year awards, one to Firefighter/Paramedic Andrew Powers and another to Firefighter Josh Adkins. While he said it’s usually one firefighter who stands out among the rest over the course of the year, both Adkins and Powers received the same number of votes. Sousa said he “sees a bright future going forward” for both men.
The Officer of the Year award went to Battalion Chief Rich Losek for the second year in a row. Losek received a standing ovation from the attending firefighters for his work with the district. He is set to retire from the fire service in March.
Ending the evening’s festivities was the award of the gavel to 2018 board chairman Larry Jennis in honor of his first year as chair of the fire commission.
Officer of the Year, Battalion Chief Rich Losek, and Firefighter of the Year Josh Adkins strike a pose with Adkins’s wife. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Inspector Rodney Kwiatkowski accepts accolades from Chief Tom Sousa on his 10 years with the fire department. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Chief Tom Sousa congratulates Administrative Battalion Chief Ben Rigney for his leadership as the leader of five strike teams deployed from Manatee County to assist with Hurricane Michael cleanup in the Florida Panhandle. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Chief Tom Sousa honors Battalion Chief Rich Losek as Officer of the Year for the second year in a row. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Newly promoted Battalion Chief Ryan Moore takes a moment to celebrate with his family during the awards ceremony. - Kristin Swain | Sun
WMFR Commissioner Larry Jennis receives the gavel in honor of his service as the 2018 board chair. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Firefighter Cameron Fraizer accepts an award from Chief Tom Sousa for five years of service with the district. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Firefighter Brian Gaskill accepts an award honoring his 15 years with the district. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Chief Tom Sousa presents Firefighter/Paramedic Andrew Powers with the Firefighter of the Year award. This is the first year WMFR has awarded two firefighters with one of the district’s top honors. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Battalion Chief Rich Losek presents Firefighter Josh Adkins with the Firefighter of the Year award. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Firefighter William “Buddy” Bowen receives an award for 15 years of service with West Manatee Fire Rescue from Chief Tom Sousa. - Kristin Swain | Sun
