Tryon firefighter Daniel Walker receives Firefighter of the Year award

Published 10:00 pm Tuesday, March 7, 2017

The Tryon Fire Department held its annual awards dinner last week at Caro-Mi Dining Hall. Pictured are firefighters who received awards for 2016. (photos submitted by James “Tank” Waters)

TRYON – Tryon firefighter Daniel Walker received the 2016 Clarence G. Scoggins Firefighter of the Year award.

The Tryon Fire Department held its annual awards dinner last week at Caro-Mi in Tryon.

Walker was awarded Firefighter of the Year, named after the late chief Scoggins as well as several other awards, including Top Dog, Training Hour Award and an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic award.

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Other awards went to Jordan Fleming, who received the Top Dog award, Training Hours award and Medical Technician-Basic award.

The Top Dog award is based on the number of calls each firefighter responds to.

Fleming answered 106 calls in 2016, Peter Piacente answered 117 calls, Walker answered 209 calls and Chief Geoffrey Tennant answered 709 calls. All listed received a Top Dog award last week.

Other training hour recipients were Brian Claxton, who had 149 hours; Fleming with 202 hours; Eric Freeman with 124 hours; “Doc” Stott with 122 hours; Tennant with 238 hours; Walker with 156 hours; and Assistant Chief James “Tank” Waters had 327 hours.

The Tryon Fire Department Retirement plaque was awarded to Deputy Chief Johnny Hipp, who served the department from 1988-2016.

Community awards went to the Polk County Community Foundation, Kirk Gollwitzer and Bailey Nager, who all received Chief’s awards.