names in news
DANIEL ISENHOUR (pictured with Fire Engineering Executive Editor Diane Rothschild) was named the FDIC Volunteer of the Year at FDIC International 2018 in Indianapolis. Isenhour is a firefighter III with the Albemarle (NC) Fire Department. According to his chief, Shawn Oke, “It is very fitting that Daniel is going to be recognized at the ‘Big Show’ of training when Daniel is so committed to training. If there is one thing that sticks out about Daniel, it is his drive to train.” Isenhour is one of more than 150 volunteers who help facilitate the education at FDIC.
WILLIE G. OWENS was named the new chief of the Jackson (MS) Fire Department (JFD). Owens, a 32-year member of the JFD, is responsible for bringing several important new ideas to the JFD such as petitioning the civil service to change the promotional list from one year to two years (enabling more candidates to promote from the list); establishing a better relationship with the State Fire Academy; reaching out to HUD for a Community Development Block Grant, which led to the purchase of a 100-foot aerial ladder truck; and lowering the age limit for entering the department from 21 to 18 years of age.
BILL SIMCOX was appointed as the new chief of the Struthers (OH) Fire Department (SFD). He was sworn in 54 years to the day that his father joined the Springfield (OH) Fire Department. Simcox is a 28-year member of the SFD who described his number-one mission as making the city of Struthers a safer place to live, work, and visit. The Simcox family has been in Struthers since 1891.
TOM GWYER was announced as the new chief of the Myrtle Beach (SC) Fire Department (MBFD). Gwyer takes over the position from former Chief Alvin Payne, who will retire in July. Gwyer, a 25-year veteran of the MBFD, began his career as a volunteer firefighter at 16 years old. He graduated from the department’s recruit school ranked number one in his class and started as a firefighter and paramedic, eventually moving up through the ranks to become deputy chief in April 2016. Gwyer is also a member of South Carolina’s regional Type-3 FEMA Incident Management Team and was deployed to Texas to help with Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts.
JEFFREY JOHNSON was named the new chief of the Salinas (CA) Fire Department (SFD). Johnson was previously the deputy chief of the Kansas City (MO) Fire Department (KCFD). He replaces former SFD Chief Edmond Rodriguez, who became the fire chief for the city of Alameda, California, in November 2017. Johnson is a 31-year fire service veteran who has held the positions of paramedic, firefighter, captain, battalion chief, and firefighter instructor. Most recently, he ran KCFD’s Professional Development Bureau, overseeing personnel testing, a diversity recruitment program, and the professional development curriculum.
