The Nyssa Fire Department has honored two top crew members.
Mike Barker, a longtime volunteer crew member, was named Firefighter of the Year, while Sean Campbell was honored as Rookie of the Year.
The awards were presented at the department’s annual Christmas party.
Marvin Seuell, the department chief, said a committee of fire officers including two assistant chiefs and captains selected the two for going “above and beyond” in their duties as firefighters.
Seuell said Barker, a longtime volunteer firefighter, has been “dedicated” to the department. He attended several trainings over the last year, and responded to most of the fire calls the department received in 2024.
Campbell has “made the most of his training” and shown up to many fire calls throughout the year, Seuell said.
The department has a volunteer crew of 22 firefighters. Seuell noted the crew’s only compensation is one monthly meal, while chiefs and assistants get a small stipend.
The awards, he said, are a way to recognize the effort the crew puts in during the year.
“Unfortunately, at this fire department, we are all volunteers. There is no pay,” he said. “Anytime you can give somebody a kudo, I think that helps.”
Seuell said volunteer firefighters put in a lot of extra hours for training and drills. He said the crew responded to 145 calls in 2024 – nearly 25 more than the firefighters answered in 2023. Last year’s call volume, he said, was the busiest he had seen over three decades of volunteering for the department.
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