On Saturday, November 29th, the St. James Fire Department held its 103rd Annual Installation of Line and Desk Officers at Flowerfield Catering. We were honored to welcome many chiefs from neighboring departments, as well as local politicians who consistently support our mission.

A highlight of the evening was honoring Past Chief Marty Thompson, who celebrated an impressive 50 years of active service with our organization. Congratulations, Mr. Thompson! We deeply appreciate your dedication to our community.

In addition to the officer installations which included our fine Auxiliary, we presented awards to outstanding members from the past year:

- Firefighter of the Year: Assistant Chief James O'Connell

- **Company Awards:**
- Company 1: Chris Wrenn
- Company 2: Past Chief Dave Mills
- Company 3: Lieutenant Chris Topf
- Truck Company 7: Gavin Carney
- EMS Company 6: Jennifer Carney & Olivia Marshall

The annual Dr. Frederick Fischler Award, given to the EMS member who far exceeds expectations and shows unwavering dedication, was awarded to Jennifer Carney, who responded to over 700 calls, the majority of which were EMS-related.

Finally, the Annual Doug "O" Memorial Award recognizes an individual who exemplifies tireless dedication and leadership, much like Doug Oelschlager, whom we lost on September 11, 2001. This year, we congratulate Past Chief Roy Bradshaw for receiving this esteemed honor.