Potsdam Volunteer Fire Department Holds Their Annual Banquet |
By Fire Chief Danielle Rose | |
April 21, 2018 | |
Firefighters define courage. There are not many volunteer groups who are expected to be on call 24/7, leave their job at a moment’s notice, miss family dinners and rush to the scene of an emergency, placing themselves in harm's way for the sake of quite often, a complete stranger's life and property. I believe we all take for granted the time and effort that goes into the hundreds of hours of training that these men and women put forth, all the dinners they miss or the time away from their family because of their dedication to helping others. No doubt when tragedies happen, they take it personally, they replay those precious seconds over and over in their heads, wondering if there was anything else they could have done to change the outcome. There is not; you have given your all, and regardless of the outcome, I want you to know that we as a community are grateful. But it is not only the firefighters that make sacrifices while serving our community, but also the families that allow us to do this special voluntary work. I want to say THANK YOU to our families. Thank-you for allowing your lives and time with your brave loved one to be interrupted and endangered in a moment’s notice. Your support and sacrifice is priceless not only to your loved one but to all of us in the Potsdam and surrounding communities. With that being said, I would like express my sincere gratitude to each and every one of you of the Potsdam Volunteer Fire Department, men and women, for the record year of 596 calls of service that you bravely and professional answered last year alone!
Years of Service Awards Through out the year we have many neighboring departments, businesses, organizations, highway departments and our Villages and Towns to thank. Especially the Canton Fire Department who provided a stand-by crew so the Potsdam members could enjoy themselves. The Village of Potsdam has really stepped up this year and is helping provide us with overdue repairs to the firehouse, equipment upgrades, support with the cancer bill and much support with the everyday operations of running a firehouse. Lori Queor the Village of Potsdam Clerk/Treasurer was presented a plaque of appreciation for their continued support of the Potsdam Fire Department. We also presented a plaque of appreciation to a local business for their continuing of support to the Potsdam Fire Dept. This business has always helped us out in a pinch and normally last minute. They print our annual coin card flyers, the banquet programs and gifts, have helped with fundraising materials, and much more. Dave and Tracy from Commercial Press came forward and accepted their award.
Aggravator of the Year: The aggravator of the year award is presented to a member who knows how to push everyone’s buttons. This person is normally very sly about what he is doing but with good detective skills, all the evidence left behind always leads us back to him. This individual joined the Potsdam Fire Department on August 16, 1988, left for 5 years to run with the Norwood Fire Department and re-joined the Potsdam Fire Department on September 12, 2005 which gives him 25 years of aggravating experience. The 2017 Aggravator of the Year is awarded to Leland Cota. Spring Arm of the Year: The Spring Arm Award is presented to a member who always is the first to volunteer to drive a fire truck. This individual has many years of fire service within our county. We are lucky that he is a member of Potsdam Fire now as he brings much knowledge and experience with him. He is just coming up on his one year probation and has already trained on most of the trucks. If a truck has to be at a training class or a call, he’s the first to volunteer to take it! This year’s Spring Arm Award goes to Craig LaPlante.
Chiefs Award: The Chiefs award is awarded to an individual that has stood out to the chiefs throughout the year. This member joined on March 9, 2016 while attending Clarkson University as an incoming engineering student. This member is always willing lend a hand when needed, you will find him putting his all into any training's we have, taking any state classes that he can work around his college classes, and just hands down being a huge asset to the Potsdam community. While on breaks from college, you can find this member running calls with his hometown department in Vermont. This member has recently accepted an RA position at Clarkson University while also helping out with the Clarkson EMS program. The 2017 Chiefs Award recipient is Jacob Giles. Firefighter of the Year: The Firefighter of the Year award is presented to an individual who has gone above and beyond the call of duty throughout the year. This individual has served the Potsdam Fire Department since October 4, 2004. This member is a third generation firefighter with the Potsdam Fire Department. These last couple years, this member has really stepped up. He has been getting qualified on driving the trucks, has taken on a Wardens position within the department, is always willing to help out with training, has taken lead on some fundraising events, and has helped take new members under his wing to show them the ropes of the Department all while working a full-time and part-time job. He may think his efforts go unnoticed but believe me, THEY DON’T! The 2017 Firefighter of the Year is presented to Brendan J. Corbett. |
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Mutual Aid: | Canton Fire Department (Stand-by Crew) |