GAINESVILLE, Texas — Gainesville Fire and Rescue held its annual awards and pinning ceremony last week at Station 3, honoring new firefighters, promotions and standout performances from the past year.
Five officers received the City of Gainesville's Medal of Distinction for their response to a call on the evening of Jan. 6, when the crew was dispatched with incomplete information but still successfully rescued a victim and transported them to medical care.
Capt. Luke Myers, Lt. Caleb Anderle, Engineer Braxton Craigie, Engineer Cade Russell and Firefighter Brent Boone were recognized for the call.
"The crew used sound judgment and ingenuity," City Manager Barry Sullivan said. "Their ability to assess complex, radically evolving situations and execute an effective solution with the resources at hand reflects a maturity and confidence well beyond their years of service."
Lt. James Fuller received the Firefighter of the Year Award. Fuller joined GFR in March 2018, was promoted to engineer in 2021, and was among those promoted to lieutenant at Monday's ceremony. He serves on GFR's Swift Water Rescue Team.
"He is the type of person you call upon to get the job done completely, competently and correctly," Fire Chief Wayne Twiner said.
Capt. Myers also received the Lt. Doug Anderle Award for Outstanding Member of the Year, presented annually in honor of a GFR veteran who died in 2016 after nearly 19 years of service. The award is presented by Anderle's wife, Brenda.
The department logged 3,969 emergency responses in the past year and opened the new Station 2. Twiner noted the job has grown more complex in recent years with the rise of electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries.
New Firefighters: Casen Harris, Conner Ross, Brent Boone, Dawson Archer, Seth Foster, Nolan Bayer, Carter Smith, Jackson Parrish
Promoted to Driver/Engineer: Ryan Huchton, Tanner Hayes, Hayden Trainor, Ryan Wolf, Cade Russell, Austin Young, Braxton Craigie
Promoted to Lieutenant: James Fuller, Caleb Anderle, Will Boyd
Promoted to Captain: Zane Ferguson
Community Risk and Emergency Management Specialist: Tamara Sieger