Spartan Emergency Response (“Spartan”), a business unit of Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAR), has awarded Jimmy Faulkner, Service Manager for Dallas (TX) Fire-Rescue, with its William F. Foster Outstanding Service Award. The award, presented at this year’s annual Fire Truck Training Conference, hosted Oct. 2-6, at the Lansing Convention Center in Lansing, Mich., recognizes individuals who have dedicated their lives to advancing the safety and maintenance of emergency response vehicles.
“Faulkner’s lifetime commitment to the fire rescue industry makes him an impeccable first recipient of the William F. Foster Outstanding Service Award, and his career sets the tone for future recipients,” said Mike Virnig, Director of Sales for Spartan Emergency Response. “He has served many roles from first responder to maintenance technician to educator. He’s made a dedicated effort to pass his skills on to the next great generation of fire technicians.”
Previous to leading fire apparatus maintenance efforts for Dallas Fire-Rescue, Faulkner led technician education curriculum for the California Fire Mechanics Academy, Spartan’s Fire Truck Training Conference, and Texas A&M University. Prior to that, he owned and operated his own fire apparatus maintenance company and worked for fire equipment manufacturers Crash Rescue Equipment Service, Inc., and American LaFrance. Faulkner began his career in fire rescue serving as a firefighter and paramedic.
In addition, William Foster, founder of Spartan Motors, has been recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s conference.
“While we honor Faulkner, we’re also celebrating the man who inspired the award,” said John Slawson, President of Spartan Emergency Response. “Everyone in our industry recognizes the incredible impact he’s had and the advancements that have come at his hands. To say his legacy is well-deserved is an understatement, if ever there was one.”
As a lifetime contributor and advocate in the industry, Foster recognized a need for technician training and so began the first Fire Truck Training Conference in 1994. Now in its 22nd year, the conference is regarded as the leading mechanical and maintenance training forum for fire vocational vehicles and their components. It includes educational sessions presented by industry experts, hands-on fire truck-specific diagnostics, service and maintenance training, and Emergency Vehicle Technician Certification opportunities. Since its inception, the conference has grown from four educational subjects to more than 35 different classes covering regulations, requirements, and industry trends.
