St. Tammany Fire District 1 Chief Larry Hess announced his department’s top service awards for 2008 on Dec. 17.

Firefighter of the Year was awarded to Capt. Tyrone Collins, a 14-year veteran of the department. In a prepared statement, Hess described Collins as a “gift” to the department, as well as the entire community, and said he was selected based on his exemplary leadership and character. He went on to say Collins is “the epitome of the noble and caring nature” of the firefighting profession.

“When a little kid says he or she wants to grow up to be a firefighter, it’s Tyrone Collins they should emulate,” said Hess. Hess also noted that many members of his department are fairly young, and that the future of the unit would remain secure as long as they had role models like Collins.

Recognized as Medic of the Year was Firefighter/ NREMT-P Pat Boullion, who has been with the department for 15 months. Since joining the department, Boullion has been directly responsible for saving the lives of two area residents, once on Feb. 27 and again on July 2. On both occasions, Boullion utilized extensive training and advanced emergency medical protocols permitted by FD1 Paramedics.

In addition, Boullion was the initiator of the Vials of Life program, a community outreach effort that distributed over 1,000 vials to hold medical histories, living wills and other important emergency medical information.

When emergency responders see the decal posted on the vial, they know to retrieve the information so that safe and effective emergency medical services are rendered.

The program was put to the test just two weeks after implementation, and saved the life of a patient.

“His effort to make this public safety program a reality was the turning point in recognizing Boullion for this award,” said Hess. “It also demonstrates how new members of the department are finding ways to contribute to the community.”

The title of Communications Officer of the Year went to Rachel Aucoin.

She received the award as a result of her contributions to the department’s annual Pam Nash Safe Kids Day, and has been a member of the team for two and a half years.

In 2008, Aucoin partnered with Alton Elementary School to design and implement a program to enhance a public safety campaign focused on childhood safety.

The program included a poster and essay contest for the students, and engaged the faculty as well.

Over 100 students participated in the program, making it an outstanding success in its first year, Hess said. The chief also pointed out in his statement that while these three individuals were recognized for their commitment to the department, all members of FD1 make similar important contributions on a daily basis.

“They save lives, place themselves in harm’s way, and make community contributions on a daily basis,” he said.