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Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department recognized dozens of employees and partner-agency personnel in April and May 2025 for lifesaving emergency responses, major rescues, career milestones and promotions.
The honors covered incidents ranging from cardiac arrests and fires to stranded kayakers, a trapped patient and a large-scale water rescue.
April promotions and awards
Nine department members advanced to technician: Darryl Black, Calvin Branch, Quincy Branch, Matthew Bui, Frank Foreman, Harold Parra Romero, Kristian Samaniego, Matthew Smalley and Lauren Wood.
Amadea Handoko was promoted to data analyst II, while Jack Kellum advanced to code specialist II.
George Pancione Jr. was recognized for 35 years of service.
A team performance award honored Captain Amy Brantley, Lieutenant Ashlyn Cornett, HR Generalist I Kirstie McMahon, Master Technician Gary Defriest, Master Technician Luis Mata, EMS Technician William Allen and Administrative Assistant III Annie Dawkins for their work on the 2024 Recruitment Pilot Program.
April unit citations
Lieutenants Michael Kovach and Michael Pickering and Technician Andrew Reed of Rescue 439 and Swift Water 439 received recognition for rescuing stranded kayakers in October 2024.
Personnel cited for their response to a cardiac-arrest call included Captain Seven Hudson as EMS 401; Captains Oscar Luna Tovar and Tricia Nelsen, HazMat Technician Ahmed Harris and Technician Walter Hanson of Engine 444; Captain Jon Stern, EMS Technician Thomas McVey, Technician Robyn Wilkins and Firefighter Isaac Spar of Engine 413; Lieutenant Paul Kaulfers and HazMat Technician Kyung Ha of Medic 429; and firefighters Angelo Gannon and Aidan Ozbay of Ambulance 444.
Another citation recognized responders to a November 2024 vehicle crash involving a patient in cardiac arrest. The honorees were Battalion Chief Randall Bittinger as BC 403; Captain Adam Lieb as EMS 403; Lieutenant Jacob Maund and firefighters Michael Brown, Matthew Clark and Michael Loblanco of Engine 438; Lieutenant Tyler Weaver, Master Technician Jason Menifee, EMS Technician Trevor Billingsley and Firefighter Joseph Leis of Tower Ladder 438; Master Technician Jeffrey Kutner and Firefighter Marshall Neel of Medic 415; and firefighters Zachary Moyes and Patrick O’Connor of Ambulance 438.
A multiagency team was honored for rescuing a trapped patient in December 2024. Those recognized were Battalion Chief Randal Bittinger as BC 403; Captain Kevin Roose as EMS 404; Captain Jonathan Schmeltz, Lieutenant Daniel Fitzhenry, Firefighter Medic Shawn Betts and Firefighter Imani Gillen of Engine 401; Lieutenant Mark Guck and HazMat technicians Ahmed Harris, Brittany Pressey and Samonne Smith of Rescue 444; Technician Matthew Ifert and Firefighter Angelo Gannon of Ambulance 444; Volunteer EMT Marc Buursink and Volunteer ALS Elizabeth Kilcommons of Medic 401; and Dr. Dan Avstreih of the Office of the Medical Director.
Arlington County Fire Department personnel Captain Anne Slabinkski, Technician Daniel Oliver and firefighters Juan Fortiz and Everette Thomas were also recognized for that rescue.
The April ceremony’s largest citation honored personnel involved in a January 2025 water rescue. Fairfax County honorees included Deputy Chief Reginald Wadley of Division 1; Battalion Chief Randal Bittinger as BC 403; Battalion Chief Rodney Vaughan of the Technical Rescue Operations Team; Captain Peter Besong as Safety 401; Captain Seven Hudson as EMS 401; Captain Christopher Seaman as ALS 402; Lieutenant Paul Serzan as ALS 403; and Captain Jordon Yost of Division 1.
The citation also included Deputy Chief Scott Schermerhorn, Captains Brenden Petersburg and Matthew Guillaume, Lieutenants Nathan Larkin and Joshua Morrison, Master Technician Stefan Dedes, EMS Technician Bernard Cory and Firefighter Todd Neach from the Urban Search and Rescue Team and Engine 436 assignments.
Additional recipients were Captain David Hessler and HazMat technicians Jorge Arce Cuzzi, Alessandra Hurtado and Christopher Welch of HazMat 440; Captain Alexander Obery, Lieutenant Felix Clement, Master TROT Technician Isagani Matias and Firefighter Darryl Black of Engine 421; Captain William Vance, EMS Technician James Welling and firefighters Caroline McBee and Marshall Neel of Engine 415; and Lieutenant Brian Vender, Technician Raymond Sanez and firefighters Lucas Gray and Jonathan Matrone of Tower Ladder 436.
Rescue and swift-water personnel honored were Lieutenant Matthew Black and TROT technicians Jacob Hartka, Benjamin Jacobeen and Mark Velasco of Rescue 421 and Swift Water 421, along with Lieutenant Michael Pickering, TROT technicians Ariel Banagan and Ian Richards, and Technician Jason Walter of Rescue 439 and Swift Water 439.
The citation further recognized EMS Technician Ian Maund and Technician Corey Graham of Ambulance 436; EMS Technician Susan Tomczak and Technician George Carpenter of Medic 415; and Dr. Scott Weir of the Office of the Medical Director.
Partner-agency recipients included City of Fairfax Fire Department Captain Kurt Craven, Master Technician Keith Virts, Master Fire Medic Brandon Robertson and Fire Medic Ben Casey, as well as MWAA Firefighter Medic Kendra Howey and Firefighter Timothy Tedesco.
May unit citations
Captain Mark Fernandez, EMS Technician Timothy Sweeney, HazMat Technician Gregory Leake and Technician Ryan Chinn of Rescue 411 were honored for their response to a working house fire in January 2024.
A May 2024 call involving an unconscious patient led to citations for Lieutenant Ruth Ballard, Master Technician Michael Zdunski, HazMat Technician Katie Buist and Firefighter Benjamin Higginbothan of Engine 440; Lieutenant Adam Hall, Technician Jason Young and firefighters Arthur Claiborne Jr. and Stephen Painter of Tower Ladder 440; and EMS Technician Richard DiRusso and Firefighter Ryan Newton of Medic 415.
Responders recognized for treating a cardiac-arrest patient in June 2024 were Captain Kevin Edwards as EMS 403; Lieutenant Benjamin Sisson, Master Technician Reid Lottchea, EMS Technician Trevor Billingsley and Firefighter Kevin Teel Jr. of Tower Ladder 438; and Volunteer ALS John Gutsmiedl and Volunteer EMT Dominic Panciocco of Medic 417E.
A July 2024 rescue involving a patient with a head injury brought citations for Captain Miranda Pelham as EMS 406; Captain John Macinyak, EMS Technician Nicholas Barry, Technician Marcus McPherson and Firefighter Michael Kloosterboer of Engine 411; Captain Andrew Snell, Master Technician Andrew Dubinsky and firefighters Ian Dingman and James Gupton Jr. of Engine 409; Lieutenant Mark Killion, EMS Technician Hakim Newsome, HazMat Technician Chrisopher Sherdel and Technician Won Lee of Rescue 411; Lieutenant John Winstead, technicians Ryan Dussia and Justin Richardson, and Firefighter Darrell Hayes of Tower 411; firefighters Trent Barlow and Jeffrey Early of Ambulance 411; and firefighters Ryan Castillo and Shannon Lesefka of Medic 411.
Personnel cited for their response to a December 2024 house fire were Captain Karl Roche, Technician Paul Stella and firefighters Matthew Clark and Michael Loblanco of Engine 438; Lieutenant Tyler Weaver, Master Technician Jason Menifee, EMS Technician Trevor Billingsley and Firefighter Michael Brown of Tower Ladder 438; and firefighters Jospeh Leis and Zachary Moyes of Ambulance 438.
A separate December 2024 citation recognized Lieutenant Jacob Maund, Technician George Carpenter Jr. and firefighters Jayquan Anderson and Caroline McBee of Engine 415, along with EMS Technician Susan Tomczak and Firefighter Marshall Neel of Medic 415, for their actions during an attempted-suicide call.
Responders to a garden-style apartment fire in December 2024 also received unit citations. The honorees were Captain Jason Abitz, Master Technicians Brian McNew and Nicholas Barry, and Firefighter William Allen of Engine 424; Captain John Macinyak, EMS Technician Daniel Duarte, Technician Marcus McPherson and Firefighter Darrell Hayes of Engine 411; and Captain Miranda Pelham as EMS 406.
Others recognized for the apartment fire were Captain Andrew Snell, Master Technician Andrew Dubinsky, EMS Technician Carloalexie Solomon and Firefighter Zachary Walton of Engine 409; Lieutenant Daniel Barker, technicians Edwin Flores and Jill Sears, and Firefighter Sergio Quinn of Tower Ladder 424; Lieutenant Shawn Rappach, HazMat technicians Dillian Jacobs and Christopher Sherdel, and Technician Won Lee of Rescue 411; and Captain Raymond Foster, EMS Technician Victor Popovich, Technician Spencer Bryant and Firefighter Joshua Shepherd of Engine 437.
The apartment-fire citation also included EMS Technician Dreanna Salang and Firefighter Alex Padilla Aguilar of Medic 424; firefighters Trent Barlow and Troy Wittman of Ambulance 411; firefighters Ian Dingman and Demetrius Simms of Ambulance 409; and Lieutenants Jospeh Gallo and John Winstead, Technician Justin Richardson and Firefighter Harold Parra Romero of Tower 411.
Finally, responders were honored for a January 2025 vehicle incident in which a pedestrian was struck. Those cited were Captain Andrew Snell, Master Technician Andrew Dubinsky, EMS Technician Carloalexie Solomon and Firefighter Zachary Walton of Engine 409; Captain Miranda Pelham as EMS 406; Lieutenant Jospeh Gallo, EMS Technician Nicholas Barry, Technician Edwin Flores and Firefighter William Allen of Tower Ladder 424; EMS Technician Melissa Cary and Firefighter Dominque Wallace of Medic 409; Lieutenant Shawn Rappach, HazMat technicians Dillan Jacobs and Christopher Sherdel, and Technician Won Lee of Rescue 411; and firefighters Troy Wittman and Armin Vafaei Saadi of Ambulance 437.