PHOTOS: Tyler firefighters honored during awards ceremony

Nayeli Carrillo
·3 min read

TYLER, Texas (KETK) – During the Tyler Fire Department’s annual awards ceremony on Saturday, the firefighter of the year was recognized and multiple people were honored.

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According to a release, the 2024 firefighter of the year award recipient was Thomas Gortmaker. Gortmaker is an engineer for Tyler fire as well as a leader and a mentor, the City of Tyler said.

Other awards given out included the Legends Award, Lifesaving Awards, Civillian Life-Saving Awards, Teamwork Awards, Distinguished Service Awards, Customer Service Award, Friend of the Department Awards and the Leadership Award.

  • Firefighter of the Year Thomas Gortmaker, courtesy of the City of Tyler.
    Firefighter of the Year Thomas Gortmaker, courtesy of the City of Tyler.
  • Legends Award to James Mullicane, courtesy of the City of Tyler
    Legends Award to James Mullicane, courtesy of the City of Tyler
  • Engineer Ben Missildine accepting a Lifesaving Award, courtesy of the City of Tyler
    Engineer Ben Missildine accepting a Lifesaving Award, courtesy of the City of Tyler
  • Lifesaving Award presented to the A-Shift North Battalion, courtesy of the City of Tyler.
    Lifesaving Award presented to the A-Shift North Battalion, courtesy of the City of Tyler.
  • Civilian Life-Saving Awards to dispatchers Hayley Hickey, Haley McIntosh, courtesy of the City of Tyler.
    Civilian Life-Saving Awards to dispatchers Hayley Hickey, Haley McIntosh, courtesy of the City of Tyler.
  • Teamwork Award presented to Fire Station 10, courtesy of the City of Tyler.
    Teamwork Award presented to Fire Station 10, courtesy of the City of Tyler.
  • Distinguished Service Awards to C-Shift Fire Station 10, courtesy of the City of Tyler.
    Distinguished Service Awards to C-Shift Fire Station 10, courtesy of the City of Tyler.
  • C-Shift North Battalion also received a Distinguished Service Award, courtesy of the City of Tyler.
    C-Shift North Battalion also received a Distinguished Service Award, courtesy of the City of Tyler.
  • Friend of the Department Award to Russell Kloosterman, courtesy of the City of Tyler.
    Friend of the Department Award to Russell Kloosterman, courtesy of the City of Tyler.

James Mullicane, who is now on a pension board, served for 32 years, and received the Legends Award on Saturday. In 1993, Mullicane rescued a girl from a structure fire and worked at the Emergency Operations Center during the pandemic, a release said.

The Lifesaving Award went to Training Engine 108 for their actions in saving an elderly woman from choking and the A-Shift North Battalion for saving a man trapped inside a structure fire.

The recipients of the Lifesaving Award are:

  • Senior Captain Daniel Bailey

  • Engineer Ben Missildine

  • Firefighter Jacob Carrol

  • Firefighter Tate Coomer

  • Firefighter Kaden West

  • Battalion Chief Shawn Wilson

  • Senior Captain Justin Dominy

  • Captain Reese Hunt

  • Captain Jason Stroud

  • Captain Devin Grider

  • Deputy Fire Marshal Randy Lee

  • Engineer Thomas Gortmaker

  • Engineer Terry Hawkins

  • Engineer Tate Lester

  • Engineer Brian McCawley

  • Firefighter Pete Buxkemper

  • Firefighter Ryan Biggers

  • Firefighter Noah Shipman

  • Firefighter Cole Castleberry

  • Firefighter Matthew Houk

Dispatchers were also honored and three received the Civilian Life-Saving Awards. Hayley Hickey, Haley McIntosh and Emilia Booker were honored “for their individual contributions to save the life of a disabled man trapped inside a structure fire by pinging his location, not only to the address but to the exact room he was in,” a release said.

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The Teamwork Award went to Fire Station 10, Captain Daniel Bailey and Captain Hal Walker.

C-Shift Fire Station 10 and C-Shift North Battalion received the Distinguished Service Awards for their fast response and coordinated efforts.

The recipients of the Distinguished Service Award are:

  • Battalion Chief David Hickey

  • Senior Captain Matthew Jenkins

  • Captain Steven Wieczor

  • Engineer Parker Stringer

  • Engineer Logan Luttrell

  • Firefighter Chris Hamman

  • Firefighter Joshua Chambless

  • Battalion Chief David Admire Jr.

  • Battalion Chief Cordell Parker

  • Senior Captain Andy King

  • Captain Will McElroy

  • Captain Steven Wieczor

  • Captain Brian Phillips

  • Captain Jeremy Driver

  • Deputy Fire Marshal Jay McClung

  • Deputy Fire Marshal Larry Crowson

  • Engineer Greg Allen

  • Engineer Cory Savallo

  • Engineer Mathew Ford

  • Engineer Clint Cover

  • Engineer Chris Potts

  • Engineer Parker Stringer

  • Firefighter Sam Schomp

  • Firefighter Joshua Johnston

  • Firefighter Nathan Adams

  • Firefighter Austin Davis

  • Firefighter Caleb Laskowski

  • Firefighter Jamie Smith

  • Firefighter Joshua Chambless

  • Firefighter Colton Allen

  • Firefighter Willum Lackey

Russell Kloosterman, with the University of Texas at Tyler, was presented with the Friend of the Department Award for creating training opportunities.

Also named at the ceremony was the Officer of the Year, which went to Captain Mark Barker.

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