Andy Smeader has been honored by the Knights of Columbus St. Francis of Assisi Council as Firefighter of the Year for outstanding work in 2020.
Smeader was nominated by his shift commander for performance of his duties, and respect from his peers and commanding officers.
In particular, Smeader was recognized for his actions on an emergency scene involving a departmental collision.
While en route to a 911 call, the ambulance he was riding in was struck going through the intersection of Westwood and Pearl roads. The driver was rendered unconscious and Smeader, without hesitation, veered the still-moving ambulance out of the way of on-coming traffic and requested additional resources before himself going unconscious.