Cherokee County
Fire & Emergency Services
Fire & Emergency Services
Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services (CCFES) recognized eight members of the department Wednesday morning at an event hosted by the Cherokee County Fire Chief’s Foundation (CCFCF). The event, which was titled Breakfast with Our Best, was held at the Cherokee County Conference Center at the Bluffs.
The CCFCF opened the event with an introduction by the foundation’s president, Scott Gordon. Foundation board member Jey Willis then came to the stage to recognize various sponsors that made the event possible through their contributions. A keynote address was provided by former Forsyth County Fire Chief Danny Bowman who spoke about the impact and obligation the fire service has to the people we serve. Deputy Chief Kevin Lanier recognized members of the department’s Awards and Recognition Committee before Battalion Chief Matt Richter came forward to speak about the accomplishments of the event’s honorees.
Fire Chief Eddie Robinson presented the following 2023 Of the Year awards:
Volunteer Member of the Year: Stan Ice
Support Services Member of the Year: Sgt. Rick Scales
Special Operations Member of the Year: Sgt. RC Vaughn
EMT of the Year: FAO Jonathan Laurich
Paramedic of the Year: FAO Beau Witcher
Firefighter of the Year: FAO Alissa Whetstone
Fire Officer of the Year: Capt. Nathan Baum
Chief Fire Officer of the Year: Battalion Chief Shannon Gibbs
After the awards were presented, the CCFCF presented a check to Sgt. Chris King. The foundation recently held a fundraiser for Sgt. King to assist him and his family as he battles cancer. The fundraiser, which was a huge success, brought in more than $32,000. Cancer among firefighters has been on the rise for decades. According to the Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN), firefighters have a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14 % higher risk of dying from cancer than the general U.S population.
Learn more about the CCFCF: cherokeefirefoundation.org
Learn more about the FCSN: firefightercancersupport.org