By Jamie Thompson
FireRescue1 Editor
DALLAS — The Fire Chief of the Year awards were announced at Fire-Rescue International on Thursday.
Now in its 14th year, the awards were presented during the opening ceremonies at the event in Dallas, with Chief Randy Bruegman, of the Fresno, Calif., Department, winning the career honor and Chief James Seavey, of the Cabin John Park, Md., Fire Department receiving the volunteer trophy.
“The top fire chiefs in the United States possess a vast array of experience and know-how as well as extraordinary dedication and we seek to honor that,” said Wilson Jones, president of Pierce, which sponsors the awards.
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“Chief Bruegman and Chief Seavey are two outstanding individuals that reflect these qualities and who have set a high standard for leadership in the fire and emergency services community.”
Chief Bruegman has been in the fire service for 30 years, serving as a chief in Illinois, Oregon and California since 1991. He has served as chair of the Commission of Fire Accreditation International and has led the effort in two of his departments to attain accreditation.
As Chief of the Fresno Fire Department, he led the formation of Fresno Fire Chief’s Foundation, a non-profit established to provide for enhanced life-safety education and community outreach and created the “4 Minutes to Excellence” theme to focus community and political efforts toward reducing response time.
Chief Seavey has held, by election, position as Chief of the Cabin John Park Fire Department since 1992 and is the longest serving chief in its history. Award organizers said Chief Seavey has “led his department heroically in times of crisis, including administering the department’s staff and operations while his apparatus responded to the Pentagon following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.”
He has also led efforts within his department to cultivate a relationship with the Halsenbek Volunteer Fire Department located outside Hamburg, Germany, creating an opportunity for cultural, technological and educational exchange between U.S. and German fire services.