Brian Polasko is Strongsville's 2015 Firefighter of the Year.
The award was presented May 18 by the St. Francis of Assisi Council of the Knights of Columbus.
Polasko "is always extremely polite and professional with the patients and their family members, making this job so much easier for everyone," his nomination says.
He is an integral part of the day to day operations for vehicle and general equipment maintenance, working at it several hours a day with little recognition. He is available by phone, even when off duty, to troubleshoot, provide answers or speed up service department response.
He also knows his job as a firefighter/paramedic very well. Lt. Matt Fabec has watched him solve various pump/water supply problems in seconds that other people did not know how to solve -- and is able to diagnose the reason the problem occurred and explain it so that everyone understands.
His skills as a paramedic put him, in Lt. Fabec’s opinion, in the top 10 percent of the SFD. The other firefighters often look to him for his opinion on emergency medical matters. He is also very professional in daily interactions with his coworkers.