Honoring Heroes: First Responders Celebrated at Fredericksburg Convention Center

Several police officers and fire and rescue crew were honored during the First Responders Appreciation Event on Wednesday, August 21, at the Fredericksburg Convention Center.

The event covered first responders from the Fredericksburg and Caroline, Stafford, and Spotsylvania counties, filling the main ballroom at the Convention Center. There were 19 awards given out to local Virginia State Troopers and county police officers from all over the area. Included in the 19 awards was a lifetime achievement award given to Fredericksburg Fire Chief Mike Jones, Caroline County Citizens Valor awards given to Shericka Twyner, Russell Trainer, and Desiree Dushane, and the Stafford County Fire and Rescue Citizens Valor Award went to Guillermo Shelton and Austin Leonard.

“We are a better region because of you,” added Steve Cox of Rappahannock Goodwill, one of the sponsors at this event, which the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce hosted.

“In many ways, you represent the best of Virginia,” said Jason Miyares, the attorney general of Virginia. He compared them to World War II’s ‘greatest generation’ and the soldiers that landed at Normandy. “You go to work each morning and put on the bulletproof vest,” he added. “The hardest thing I have to do as Attorney General is speak at the funerals of the fallen first responders,” he said.
As the awards were presented, some details were shared about the officers’ criminal enforcement and other community improvement actions.

Captain Crystal Hill of the Fredericksburg Police launched the city’s first lobotomy program, while Fire Captain John Hanson honed the water rescue program on the Rappahannock River. “The efforts of his work are recognized,” said Stafford Fire Department Chief Joseph Cardello. There were many stories that day that showed the professionalism of all involved.

For the first time at this event, the Chamber introduced the Lifetime Achievement Award to honor exceptional contributions in the field. Retired chief of the Fredericksburg Fire Department, Eddie Allen, presented the award to current Fredericksburg Fire Chief Mike Jones.

Jones began his fire service career in 1979 with the Falmouth Volunteer Fireman’s Association. He excelled in training and became a key member of the team. Jones followed in his father’s footsteps, who was a firefighter for Fairfax County. His commitment to excellence saw him rise through the ranks from Lieutenant in 1987 to achieving his dream of becoming Fire Chief in March 2020, a challenging time marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. He played a crucial role in public outreach, recording daily updates to inform and reassure the community during those dark months.

Throughout his career, Jones has been dedicated to community service and building relationships with civic organizations, state agencies, and the Fredericksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad, where he has been a member for over 38 years. He has also been a mentor, preparing others for leadership roles and actively participating in community programs like Leadership Fredericksburg.

Kevin Dillard, Chair of the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and this event stated, “Serving as chair of the annual First Responders event provided me the opportunity to do some research whereby I discovered that our organization had never honored a first responder for a lifetime of service in the Commonwealth. I strongly believe that the men and women who have served for many years, whether as volunteer or career first responders, deserve recognition for their many years of public service.”

The sponsors were highlighted as well, and the list included Goodwill Rappahannock, The Oberle Academy, Pierpoint Construction, Lifecare Medical Transports, Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center, Mullins & Thompson, Tire Tread Service, Dominion Energy, Spartan, Fredericksburg Public School Foundation, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, Riphean, Fredericksburg Nationals Baseball Team, CIP Finishes, Arsenal Events, Truist, Found and Sons, Hilldrup, Matern, Germanna, Little Tire, Discover Next Step, Topside, PRSA, The UPS Store, Virginia Credit Union, Black Rifle Coffee, Mattaponi Springs and RSQ.