Heroes Shine at CRFD’s Annual Department Awards Ceremony

The Columbia-Richland Fire Department was proud to honor the exemplary work of our members at the department’s annual awards ceremony on February 20, 2026.

Thirty-eight awards were presented during the event at C.A. Johnson High School. A majority of honors went to firefighters who went above and beyond the call of duty to save civilian lives over the course of 2025.

“It is my great pleasure to preside over this ceremony each year,” said Columbia-Richland Fire Chief Aubrey D. Jenkins, “Our members truly put their passions and dedication into their work each day to make a difference for the citizens we protect. These awards are a simple way that we can say ‘thank you’ to them for their diligence, persistence and sacrifice.”

All award honorees for the ceremony were nominated by members of the Columbia-Richland Fire Department. The CRFD Awards Committee, which is made up of our personnel, carried out the task of reviewing nominations at the end of 2025 and ultimately selecting which members would receive awards.

Our department is honored to congratulate the following award winners:

Chief’s Cross

This award is reserved for the fire chief of the department to recognize a member or some citizen for some outstanding achievement – within or outside the fire department – that causes a positive or dramatic change in the Columbia-Richland Fire Department.

Senior Firefighter Andrew Morris

Green Cross

This award is given in recognition of a member who has made critical judgements and actions in performing life-preserving or life-resuscitative efforts for severely injured or ill patients.

Senior Firefighter Marcin Chrzanowski Senior Firefighter Omar Flores Gill

Senior Firefighter Caleb Jacobs Senior Firefighter Daniel Johnson

Senior Firefighter Andrew Morris Engineer Connor Brown

Engineer John Mabie Fire Captain Bobby Philips

Fire Captain Anthony Rembisz Fire Captain Chad Solomon

(not pictured: Firefighter Clayton Alnor, Firefighter Darrin Diaz, Firefighter Justin Farr, Firefighter Michael Louis, Senior Firefighter Fredrick Reyes, Senior Firefighter William Young, Engineer Justin Epps, Engineer Gustavo Gonzalez, Engineer Matthew Ives, Engineer Logan Taber, Fire Captain Charles Baxter, Fire Captain Weston Jumper, Fire Captain Thomas Nichols Fire Captain Kenneth Warr)

Formal Company/Division Citation

This award is presented to recognize a company or division that overcame adverse conditions as a team to uphold the Columbia-Richland Fire Department’s mission.

For the events of Wednesday March 12, 2025 during a motor vehicle accident with patient entrapment on I-126:

Rescue Co. 1

Fire Capt. Christopher Byrd

Engineer Campbell Jacobs

S. Firefighter Ryan Espling

S. Firefighter Zachary Finch

Ladder Co. 7

Fire Capt. Blake Cartee

Engineer Richard Shell

S. Firefighter Cameron Ingram

Firefighter Taylor Crews

Engine Co. 1

Fire Capt. Nicholas Branham

Engineer Nicholas Finley

S. Firefighter Desiree Colon

Firefighter Cameron Jones

Engine Co. 6

Fire Capt. Davis Taylor

Engineer Sean Stephens

S. Firefighter Alexander Papalazarou

Firefighter Jackson Rish (not pictured)

Phoenix Award

This award is given to recognize an employee’s efforts in saving or freeing endangered firefighters or victims during a fire, vehicle entrapment, technical rescue, hazardous material (HAZMAT) incident or any other rescue situation.