The heart of a hero stands the test of
time... |
|||||||||
|
|
||||||||
It doesn’t matter which era
we look at, we have always chosen heroes. People
who we admire, respect, and emulate. Who
is your hero? Who do your kids admire? Do
they share the same qualities? Few
would dispute that the American Firefighter is at the top of any list.
They demonstrate Bravery and Courage beyond compare. But there is more...
they share compassion, a spirit and a tenderness that makes them real and gives
them “heart”. True
heroes stand the test of time, Firefighters are always brave and yet, tender.
That’s why whether we talk about the new millennium or the
1880’s, the same qualities ring true for a firefighter.
Each
year we are amazed at the quality of the Firefighter of the Year nominations,
not only for their bravery, but the tenderness they show to the community, and
their humble attitudes at being recognized.
To our winners, it is a job that they do well, and they need little reward
beyond that. In
2007, the judges looked for fire service professionals that combined the two
traits of a hero: A Brave Soul and A Tender Heart. They selected someone
that has dedicated over three decades to the fire service and has volunteered
countless hours for the children in our community. Dave Acero, who is actually better known as, “Fire Pal Dave”, is a member of both the Phoenix & Goodyear Fire Departments.
For seven years
Dave
volunteered at Camp Courage and in 1999 was selected as councilor of the year.
Dave’s public education
achievements have been numerous and in 2000 he was named Firefighter of the Year
by the Professional Firefighters Association. During his tenure with Phoenix
the basic "Learn Not to Burn" program was enhanced in cooperation
with teachers and firefighters to now include 39 different modules to provide a
realistic and comprehensive program to help students prepare for “Urban
Survival”.
Fifteen
years ago, Dave started sharing the programs he learned at Phoenix Fire by volunteering
with departments that had fewer resources. Dave became instrumental in helping
Goodyear to develop their own excellent Urban Survival program.
Today
he is known as “Fire Pal Dave” to many Goodyear school kids.
He is working with seven schools in Goodyear in addition to seven
different Head Start pre-schools. But Dave’s efforts don’t end there. He
reaches out to other fire departments as well and is currently partnering with
the Avondale Fire Department to train additional instructors in “Community
Risk Reduction”.
Dave’s
work in safety, fire prevention and public education is an area that often goes
unrecognized when we talk about firefighters.
Too often, we look to the single heroic act that defines “hero” for
us. But today, it is our hope that
each of you will have a new definition for that term “hero”.
Today, we recognize that it takes more than a Brave Soul…it also takes
someone like Dave Acero, and a Tender Heart.
|
|||||||||
|