thedrifter
09-24-07, 01:34 PM
Published: September 24, 2007 12:51 pm
Schoharie firefighter honored by Marines
SCHOHARIE _ A Cobleskill man has been named the U.S. Marine Corps’ “Fire Officer of the Year,” and was recognized for that distinction Friday at the county board of supervisors’ meeting.
Staff Sgt. Andrew Tator, a member of the Cobleskill-Richmondville High School Class of 1991, has made firefighting his life’s work, according to the resolution. He joined the Marines right after graduation.
Tator comes from a family for emergency service volunteers and professionals. His late father, Robert “Butch” Tator, served as chief of the Cobleskill Fire Department for many years, and his mother, Judith Warner, is director of the county’s Emergency Management Office.
Warner said her son is stationed at the U.S. Marine Corps air base at New River, N.C., which is adjacent to Camp Lejune.
Tator is a member of the “crash crew,” she said, and he currently specializes in aircraft rescue and firefighting. He is additionally the base’s fire services’ section leader and training chief.
When not working on the base, Warner said her son is also a volunteer firefighter in the neighboring community of Topsail.
The award was announced in the base newspaper, the New River RotoVue. The paper said the annual award recognizes the individual fire officers for superior job performance and outstanding contributions to the fire services. Nomination criteria include accomplishments, job performance, technical competence, leadership ability, initiative and resourcefulness.
As the Marines’ top fire officer, Tator was one five members representing the service branches at a Department of Defense ceremony in August. The defense department selected from among them their own fire officer of the year.
“Firefighting has always been a part of my life,” Tator was quoted as saying in the base newspaper. “I was born in a fire house, not literally, but figuratively.”
Also on Friday, county supervisors heard a report on the Armed Forces Day Parade they had provided $6,000 in funding for.
In a related measured, the board approved a resolution in support of the county’s veteran groups after hearing from one of the parade organizers, Don Mackey, a Vietnam-era veteran.
Ellie
Schoharie firefighter honored by Marines
SCHOHARIE _ A Cobleskill man has been named the U.S. Marine Corps’ “Fire Officer of the Year,” and was recognized for that distinction Friday at the county board of supervisors’ meeting.
Staff Sgt. Andrew Tator, a member of the Cobleskill-Richmondville High School Class of 1991, has made firefighting his life’s work, according to the resolution. He joined the Marines right after graduation.
Tator comes from a family for emergency service volunteers and professionals. His late father, Robert “Butch” Tator, served as chief of the Cobleskill Fire Department for many years, and his mother, Judith Warner, is director of the county’s Emergency Management Office.
Warner said her son is stationed at the U.S. Marine Corps air base at New River, N.C., which is adjacent to Camp Lejune.
Tator is a member of the “crash crew,” she said, and he currently specializes in aircraft rescue and firefighting. He is additionally the base’s fire services’ section leader and training chief.
When not working on the base, Warner said her son is also a volunteer firefighter in the neighboring community of Topsail.
The award was announced in the base newspaper, the New River RotoVue. The paper said the annual award recognizes the individual fire officers for superior job performance and outstanding contributions to the fire services. Nomination criteria include accomplishments, job performance, technical competence, leadership ability, initiative and resourcefulness.
As the Marines’ top fire officer, Tator was one five members representing the service branches at a Department of Defense ceremony in August. The defense department selected from among them their own fire officer of the year.
“Firefighting has always been a part of my life,” Tator was quoted as saying in the base newspaper. “I was born in a fire house, not literally, but figuratively.”
Also on Friday, county supervisors heard a report on the Armed Forces Day Parade they had provided $6,000 in funding for.
In a related measured, the board approved a resolution in support of the county’s veteran groups after hearing from one of the parade organizers, Don Mackey, a Vietnam-era veteran.
Ellie