[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 202 (Wednesday, December 3, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING FLORIDA'S 16TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT FIRE AND RESCUE EMS
AWARDS RECIPIENTS
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HON. VERN BUCHANAN
of florida
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize fire, rescue and
EMS personnel who have provided distinguished service to the people of
Florida's 16th Congressional District.
First responders, fire departments and emergency medical service
teams are summoned on short notice to serve their respective
communities. Often, they arrive at scenes of great adversity and
trauma, to which they reliably bring strength and composure. These
brave men and women spend hundreds of hours in training so that they
are prepared when they get ``the call.''
Thirteen years ago, I established the 16th District Congressional
Fire and Rescue and EMS Awards to honor officers, departments, and
units for outstanding achievement.
On behalf of the people of Florida's 16th District, it is my
privilege to congratulate and include in the Record the following
honorees, who were selected this year by an independent committee
comprised of a cross section of current and retired fire and rescue
personnel living in the district:
Associate Service Award: Adam Nover of Manatee County
Department of Public Safety.
Dedication and Professionalism Award: Firefighter Rob Day
of East Manatee Fire Rescue, Firefighter/Paramedic--Company
Fire Captain Ralph Mascaro of Hillsborough County Fire
Rescue, and the Sun City Center Emergency Squad.
Preservation of Life Award: Firefighter/Paramedic Jacob
Campbell, Fire Captain Clifford Davis, Firefighter/Paramedic
Anna Inman, and Firefighter Maurice Swan of Hillsborough
County Fire Rescue, Charge Paramedic Peterson Gustave,
District Chief William Thayer, and District Chief Beth
Tucciarone of Manatee County EMS.
Unit Citation Award: Engineer Joshua Eriksen, Engineer
Zachary Gilbert, Firefighter Bo Gurskis, Lieutenant Jared
Manning, Engineer Louis Chiocchio, Firefighter George Norris,
Captain Jonathan Turpin, Battalion Chief Barry Cornelison,
Lieutenant Matthew McCabe, Engineer Brandon Beals,
Firefighter Ricardo Rivera, Firefighter Luke Marvin,
Lieutenant Scott Viehman, Lieutenant Thomas Ferrett,
Lieutenant Robert Hinton, Firefighter Shawn Heinlein,
Engineer Michael King, Firefighter Christopher Mundell,
Firefighter Isaiah Cress, Lieutenant Lionel Harrison,
Firefighter Jordan DeSear, Firefighter Brendan Lewellen, and
Firefighter Aaron Wright of the Bradenton Fire Department,
Firefighter Jacob Dillard (2), Lieutenant Daniel Dunkum (2),
Battalion Chief Craig Madsen, Captain Steven Baker, Engineer
Ben Stasurak, Engineer Bret Kanapaux, Firefighter Chad
Strauser (2), Firefighter Maciej Borawski, Deputy Chief Paul
Wren, Battalion Chief Casey Lambert, Lieutenant Mike
Hamilton, Engineer Derek Parker, Firefighter Jared
Hoopingarner, Lieutenant Timothy Bedell, Firefighter Tony
Mroz, Firefighter Nicholas Miller, Lieutenant Steve Ryckman,
Firefighter Kyle Lamson (2), Firefighter Jason Burnside, and
Engineer Jesse Reasoner of East Manatee Fire Rescue, District
Chief Beth Tucciarone, Paramedic James Bryant, EMT Rachel
Swim (2), Charge Paramedic Michael Gorman, EMT Zachary Tocco,
District Chief William Thayer, Specialty Charge Paramedic
Sasha DeAngelis, Charge Paramedic Caitlyn Roskovich, EMT
Simon Klimov, Specialty Charge Paramedic Kevin Guido, Charge
Paramedic Anthony Tino, EMT Germaine Bolanos, EMT Robert
Anderson, District Chief Troy Dufrane, and District Chief
Keith Lock of Manatee County EMS, Lieutenant Casey Schue,
Engineer Wade Hoopingarner, Engineer Joe Jago, and
Firefighter Anzzonni Hause of Parrish Fire Rescue, Captain
Andrew Clark, Firefighter Charlie Childress, and Engineer
Justin White of North River Fire District, Telecommunicator
Derek Turner, Telecommunicator Adam Bruner, ECC Supervisor
Tracey Haas, and Telecommunicator Brady Trott of Manatee
County Emergency Communication Center, Pilot Stu O'Shannon,
Flight Nurse Alisha Burnett, Flight Paramedic Chuck Nelson,
Flight Paramedic Orientee Luis Vazquez, Pilot Mark Boudreau,
Flight Nurse Rob Freas and Flight Paramedic Kelly Curren of
Tampa General Hospital Aeromed, Firefighter Jerrod Apple,
Firefighter Tyler Snyder, Captain James Leigh, Firefighter
Dane Miller, Firefighter Christopher O'Kelly, Fire Marshall
Rodney Kwiatkowski, Training Chief Mark Tuttle, Battalion
Chief Ryan Moore, Battalion Chief Derek Bill, Captain Tyler
MacDonald, Firefighter William Bowen, Firefighter Clayton
Lease, Firefighter David Miller, Firefighter Zack Misiura,
Firefighter Aaron Reese, Lieutenant Inspector Keith Miller,
Inspector Josh Adkins, Inspector Lisa Brooks, and Inspector
Nicholas Riffe of West Manatee Fire Rescue District, Captain
Marshall Greene, Lieutenant David Snyder, Lieutenant Luke
Hitchins, Lieutenant JC Rapier, Lieutenant Jose Garcia
Santos, Lieutenant Michael Patterson, Lifeguard Jack
Bratcher, Lifeguard Josh McCarthy, Lifeguard Nate Hilbrands,
Lifeguard Shannon Cielinski, Lifeguard Marek Drastich,
Lifeguard Mark Mol, Lifeguard Patrick Curran, Lifeguard
Kaylin Weiskopf, Lifeguard Allie Updike, Lifeguard Owen
Munday, Lifeguard AJ Nelson, and Lifeguard Isabelle Pellegrin
of Manatee County Beach Patrol.
Career Service Award: Battalion Chief Jeff Martin of
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.
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