For the second straight year community heroes took center stage at the annual awards ceremony for the Columbia-Richland Fire Department.
This year’s event was held on Saturday March 1, 2025 at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds. Sworn firefighters with the department were recognized for their outstanding work over the course of the past year. This included several firefighters who exhibited incredible bravery in the line of their duty.
“What’s really great about this awards program is that it is driven by our members,” said Columbia-Richland Fire Chief Aubrey D. Jenkins, “The members of our department’s awards committee have done an excellent and thorough job putting this ceremony together. While only some of our members can be recognized at the event, what we see during it is just a small example of the overall incredible work that all of CRFD team does each and every day. That passion for serving our citizens is what makes me very proud to be their fire chief.”
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 2024 and ultimately selecting which members would receive awards.
Our department is honored to congratulate the following award winners:
Letter of Commendation
A letter of commendation is presented to recognize an individual who performs commendable duties to the Columbia-Richland Fire Department.
Volunteer Fire Capt. Eric Crane
Daniel Carrington Volunteer Award
This award is given annually to a CRFD volunteer firefighter who has shown superior motivation, participation and dedication to his/her community.
Firefighter Akil Finley Firefighter Nigel Graham
Firefighter Kourtney Menches
Ozakie Knotts Senior Firefighter Award
This award is given annually to a CRFD senior firefighter who has shown superior performance, companionship and motivation.
Senior Firefighter Andrew Morris
Timmy Young Engineer Award
This award is given annually to a CRFD engineer who has shown superior performance, guidance and motivation.
Engineer Devon Ash Engineer Ethan Blackmon
Willie Warren Outstanding Service to the Department Award
This award is given in recognition of an individual who puts forth the extra work day to day – perhaps outside of his or her specific job description – to enhance the quality of the service that the Columbia-Richland Fire Department provides to our community.
Engineer Bryce Machain Fire Capt. Bryan Spitzer
Battalion Chief Joe M. Kee Award
This award is given annually to an officer who has shown superior performance, leadership and motivation.
Fire Capt. Prentiss McLaurin Battalion Chief Sean Cason
Robert “Buzz” Busbee Meritorious Cross
This award is presented to a member who has performed an act of heroism to aid another while not on duty.
Training Officer Shaun Murphy
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.
Ms. Vi Hendley
(Vi Hendley (center) with Columbia City Manager Teresa Wilson & Fire Chief Aubrey D. Jenkins)
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.
Firefighter Clayton Alnor Firefighter Tanner Davis
Firefighter William Gambrell Firefighter Cameron Jones
Firefighter Gavin Plant S. Firefighter James Dunbar
S. Firefighter Christian Evans S. Firefighter Gary Gardner
S. Firefighter Dustin Parthemore S. Firefighter Braeden Slater
Firefighter Trever Sulser Jr. S. Firefighter Howard Washington
Engineer Bradley Brown Engineer Matthew Hook
Engineer Acie Kibler Engineer Josh Moskaitis
Engineer Anthony Rembisz Fire Capt. Chad Alexander
Fire Capt. Austin Graham Fire Capt. Blake Harlin
Fire Capt. Jerry Hornsby Fire Capt. Kenneth Warr
(Honored But Not Pictured: Firefighter Nicholas Carter, Firefighter Jordan Herbert, Firefighter Trevor Merck, S. Firefighter Trenton O’Rafferty, Engineer Jonathan Garcia, Engineer Bryan Richardson, Engineer Reinaldo Sabb, Fire Capt. Adam Lostetter)
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 Saturday August 17, 2024 during a structural collapse resulting in a firefighter mayday:
Rescue Co. 1 – 1st Shift
(Fire Capt. Christopher Byrd, Engineer Campbell Jacobs, S. Firefighter Ryan Espling & Firefighter Zachary Finch)
Ladder Co. 7 – 1st Shift
(Fire Capt. Blake Cartee, Fire Capt. Nicholas Branham, S. Firefighter Ryan Hall & S. Firefighter Franklyn Owen)
- For the events of Tuesday November 12, 2024 during a motor vehicle accident with entrapment:
Rescue Co. 4 – 1st Shift
(Fire Capt. Jerry Teal, Engineer Ethan Shephard (not pictured) & Firefighter John Christmus)
Ladder Co. 8 – 1st Shift
(Fire Capt. Elliot Konieczko (not pictured) Engineer Jason Chavis (not pictured) Firefighter Micaiah Humphries (not pictured) and Firefighter Cole Piepenburg)
Rescue Co. 1 – 1st Shift
(Fire Capt. Christopher Byrd, Engineer Campbell Jacobs, S. Firefighter Ryan Espling & Firefighter Cameron Jones)
(Battalion Chief Gregory Walker)
Rescue Co. 5 – 1st Shift (not pictured)
(Fire Capt. Jonathan Beresford, Engineer Blake Hott and Firefighter Casey Finch)
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.
Firefighter Ryan Boyle Firefighter Ryder Clemmo
Firefighter Jessie Hardin S. Firefighter Caleb Jacobs
S. Firefighter John Terry Engineer Cody Dominick
Engineer David Fender Engineer Garrit Van Amerongen
Engineer Brad Youngblood Fire Capt. Marcus Bostick
Fire Capt. Steven Buff Fire Capt. Robert Hare
Fire Capt. David Meier Fire Capt. Bobby Philips
(Honored But Not Pictured: S. Firefighter Travis Wiggins, Engineer Dustin Allen, Engineer Jacob Lutz)
Maltese Cross
This award is presented to a member who is severely injured in the line of duty in the service of life saving, fire suppression, technical rescue or hazardous material mitigation.
Firefighter Brice Minick Firefighter Mario Trejo
Medal of Bravery
This award is presented to a member who has exceeded normal job expectations in order to complete a mission against unconventional odds. To justify this decoration an exceptional performance of duty is required – clearly above what is normally expected – which has contributed materially to the success of a major incident or operation.
Firefighter Zachary Finch S. Firefighter Ryan Espling
Engineer Campbell Jacobs
Medal of Honor
This award is presented to a member who has acted under life-threatening conditions to courageously save or protect another. To receive the Medal of Honor, the firefighter must be a member of the department who, in the performance of duty while on a call, under extreme hazardous conditions in which the member is confronted with imminent personal risk and has full knowledge of that risk, performs an act of conspicuous heroism which furthers the highest traditions of the fire service.
Fire Capt. Paul Morris
