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Former CFSI director Bill Webb to receive 2026 Mason Lankford Fire Service Leadership Award

Webb will be honored for three decades of advocacy that helped strengthen national firefighter support and secure programs like the Assistance to Firefighters Grant

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Executive Director Bill Webb.

Congressional Fire Services Institute/Facebook

WASHINGTON — Bill Webb, former executive director of the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI), has been named the recipient of the 2026 CFSI/Motorola Solutions Mason Lankford Fire Service Leadership Award.

The honor will be presented on March 19 during the 36th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services dinner.

Webb led CFSI for three decades, championing the fire service on Capitol Hill and helping secure key programs like the Assistance to Firefighters Grant and the U.S. Fire Administration. He is an honorary member of multiple volunteer fire organizations and serves on the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation board.

“Bill Webb’s over 30 years of leadership transformed how the fire service is represented and supported at the national level,” CFSI President Jim Estepp said. “The Mason Lankford Award is a fitting tribute to his unwavering advocacy, strategic vision, and lifelong commitment to advancing firefighter safety and strengthening communities, qualities that led my fellow board members and me to select him as the 2026 recipient.”

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Bill Carey is the associate editor for FireRescue1.com and EMS1.com. A former Maryland volunteer firefighter, sergeant, and lieutenant, Bill has written for several fire service publications and platforms. His work on firefighter behavioral health garnered a 2014 Neal Award nomination. His ongoing research and writings about line-of-duty death data is frequently cited in articles, presentations, and trainings. Have a news tip? He can be reached at news@lexipol.com.