For the fourth year in a row, the Army Fire and Emergency Services awards are being bestowed to service members from Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services.
Three well-deserving members of the JBLM fire department were selected: Master Sgt. Jose Cardenas and Senior Airman Thomas Kaye, both members of the 627th Civil Engineer Squadron, and Christopher Barnard, a civilian firefighter.
Cardenas was named the fire officer of the year. Kaye was selected as firefighter of the year, and Barnard was chosen as the emergency medical services provider of the year.
“Finding out I was selected was a surreal experience,” Kaye said. “ It feels like just yesterday I entered the fire service and it feels great knowing all the hard work and dedication I’ve put into my job hasn’t gone unnoticed.
The three were selected for the annual Army Fire and Emergency Services award, an honor created to recognize the hard work and the dedication of firefighters connected to the Army. Although Cardenas and Kaye belong to the Air Force, they are eligible for recognition because the JBLM Fire and Emergency Services is a joint department under the Directorate of Emergency Services.