Company/Association News

JAMES WILLIAMS, deputy chief with Loudon County (VA) Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management, received the 2016 Safety Officer of the Year award from the International Association of Fire Chief’s Safety Health & Survival Section and the Fire Department Safety Officers Association. The award is presented annually to a safety officer in a fire department (any size or composition) who has made a significant contribution to his organization and/or the fire service as a whole in the area of health and safety. Among several other achievements, Williams’s establishment of a Health, Safety and Wellness Committee led to the creation of several significant firefighter programs focusing on such issues as hearing conservation, cancer prevention, and behavioral health.

MARY CAMELI was named the new chief of the Mesa (AZ) Fire and Medical Department. Cameli, the department’s former assistant chief, was one of the first women to join the department in the 1980s and is the 19th chief in the department’s 118-year history-the first woman to ever hold the position. Cameli replaces Harry Beck, who recently retired. Beck served in the fire- and emergency-services field for more than 40 years.

SAMUEL PEÑA was named the new chief of the Houston (TX) Fire Department, replacing Interim Chief Rodney West. Peña is the former chief of the El Paso (TX) Fire Department, where he led the department for three years. Pena moved through the ranks quickly to become a leader of El Paso’s approximately 900-person department.

SAFETY COMPONENTS INTERNATIONAL’s 15th anniversary charity golf tournament, held November 5, 2016, raised in excess of $25,000 for the National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation (NFFF). Following the events of 9/11, the company set up the Safety Components First Responder 911 Foundation to raise funds to support the firefighter community and other first responders throughout the country. The Foundation sponsors two fund-raising events each year and has raised more than $800,000 over the past 15 years. These events include “Stop, Drop, Rock ‘n Roll,” held each year at FDIC International, and the annual charity golf event. www.safetycomponents.com.
GLOBE MANUFACTURING COMPANY received the 2016 International Achievement Awards’ Award of Excellence and Best in Category for Advanced Textiles at this year’s Industrial Fabrics Association International Expo. Globe received the Award for its new ATHLETIX™ turnout gear. Globe collaborated with three supplier partners on the development of the new materials for this all-new design: KOMBAT™ STRETCH PBI®/KEVLAR® fabric, manufactured by TenCate Protective Fabrics; NOMEX® NANO thermal barrier material, manufactured by DuPont Protection Solutions; and 3M™ SCOTCHLITE™ COMFORT TRIM reflective material, manufactured by 3M Company. www.globeturnoutgear.com.

company/association news