Firefighters serve a sacred duty to protect life and property in their communities, but they also must serve a higher duty to themselves and their families — to make sure that everyone goes home. It is in that spirit that Hale presented its first Safe Firefighter of the Year Award to Chief Joe Auffert of Howell County Rural Fire District #1, West Plains, Mo.

 

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be nominated by my peers and selected by Hale for this award,” said Chief Auffert, speaking at the award ceremony at FDIC 2011 in Indianapolis. “The most important part, of course, is that I’m able to help protect the community and make sure firefighters go home safely to their families at the end of the day.”

 
Hale selected Chief Auffert from the winners of its Safe Firefighter of the Month program, which launched in April 2010. The program recognizes firefighters who carry out the 16 Life Safety Initiatives outlined in the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s “Courage to Be Safe” campaign. For his commitment to the 16 Life Safety Initiatives and his long history of implementing safety initiatives in the department’s policies and procedures, Chief Auffert received a $5,000 award, a Hale HP75 portable pump and a VersaClimber cardiovascular exercise machine for his firehouse