Last month, First Responders in Whitesboro gathered to enjoy an evening of fellowship and camaraderie. The Whitesboro Fire Department (WFD) Awards Banquet was expanded this year to include the Whitesboro Police and Dispatch Departments. The change reflects the growing roles the departments play in the city and their increasing interaction with each other. Jeff Patterson, Director of Public Safety, emceed the event that, for the first time in Whitesboro history, saw all the members of all three departments under the same roof.
The evening was catered by Joe Louis’ Knock Out Catering and sponsored in part by Next Level Center, which provides continuing EMS education to the fire department. After words of welcome and thanks to attending guests, Brother Mike Flannigan, the Whitesboro Fire Department Chaplain and Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Whitesboro, blessed the food and the meal commenced. The annual Whitesboro Fire Department video was shared as the meal concluded. The video is put together by Jamie Jo Patterson and is always met with anticipation as the department’s last year is summed up in short video clips and photos.
Following the meal, retired Dallas Deputy Fire Chief Daniel E. DeYear spoke to those gathered about the value of first responders who are a part of the community they protect. Chief DeYear is a nationally-known speaker and presenter and is currently part of several boards and committees that steer the fire service in Texas. He went on to stress the value of prioritizing the community first and avoiding distractions that hinder the delivery of services to our citizens.
The awards portion of the banquet began with Police Chief Kevin Dockery and Police Lieutenant Wayne Vaughn recognizing several of their officers. Officer Lew Hatch was awarded the 2025 Community Service Award. The award is reserved for those who demonstrate outstanding dedication to improving relationships with the community, and Officer Hatch continues to make that a goal at the police department.
The 2025 Life Saving Award was next presented to Sergeant James Turner and Officer David Morris. These two officers were awarded for their interaction with a suicidal subject where they physically intervened to prevent the individual’s death and talked the subject out of a barricaded home to seek help. The Police Officer of the Year Award goes to an officer who has demonstrated exceptional performance, professionalism and dedication to duty throughout the year. Officer Austin Giddens was selected as the WPD 2025 Police Officer of the Year.
The evening would not be complete without the departments poking a little fun at each other. WPD Officer Kantrelle Lyles received the Most Discharged Extinguishers Award, which reflected his inner firefighter and enthusiasm to grab a fire extinguisher on emergency scenes and help out. After a little laugh, Dispatch Supervisor Curlen Barger took the stage to deliver awards to the Communications Department.
With most of the work of the dispatchers being performed out of sight, the Unseen Hero Award seeks to recognize those that may not be seen yet make an impact through their dedication, reliability and quiet leadership. Dispatcher Rachael Turner was selected for this honor, and her performance reflects her unwavering support of first responders in the field through long hours, critical decision making and professionalism.
Dispatcher Loise Mabry was next awarded a Life Saving Award for the role she played in saving a newborn baby last year. Mabry was manning the dispatch center when the call for help came in for a mother in active labor. Her quick thinking and knowledge of her job led to positive outcomes for all involved. She was recognized last year, along with fire and EMS crews, by the City Council for this call and was able to meet the mom and baby she assisted in this crisis.
The final award for the Communications Department was for Telecommunications Officer of the Year. This award is reserved for those that professionally and consistently demonstrate exceptional skill, composure and dedication. This person is also able to manage crisis with clarity, supports field responders with precision and serves the community with compassion and professionalism. This award was presented to Dispatcher Kathy Keller.
The Whitesboro Fire Department closed out the awards presentation portion of the evening. The department awards were presented by Fire Chief Steve Pinkston and Assistant Chief Stephen Wilcox. They began by presenting length of service awards to Firefighter/EMT Jeremiah Hendry (5 years), Captain Josh Velten (10 years), Firefighter Robert Magar (15 years) and Training Division Assistant Chief Matt Ferguson (20 years).
Three unit citations were issued for three emergency calls from last year. Captain Josh Velten and Paramedic/Firefighter Karsten Whyte were recognized for their response to an accident that occurred on the lake shore requiring a helicopter for medical transport. The two worked with Sherwood Shores Fire Department to secure a landing site for the helicopter while providing patient care to the injured individual.
Karissa Tapia received a unit citation for her off-duty performance of CPR. She was driving down Highway 82 and noticed a slumped over driver on the side of the road. She investigated and while WFD EMS personnel were enroute, she pulled the driver from the vehicle and began CPR on the roadside.
The final citation went to the crews who worked on the Oakview Apartment fire in Whitesboro last April. Over a dozen Whitesboro firefighters and EMS personnel were recognized for their efforts in controlling and extinguishing the large fire. It was a group effort that saw over 40 firefighters from 10 departments put in a lot of hard work to bring the fire under control.
The Phoenix Award is presented to individuals and crews who saved a life as a result of firefighting, rescue or emergency medical operations. The award was earned by the crew that responded to the aforementioned mother who went into labor. Once dispatched to the scene, the fire and EMS crews treated and emergently transported the mother and baby to the hospital. This group was also recognized last July with Dispatcher Mabry, and included Paramedic/Firefighters Karsten Whyte, James Cowger and John Thompson, as well as Firefighter/EMTs Brett Ferguson and Jeremiah Hendry.
WFD’s volunteers who responded to the most calls were recognized next. From third to first, Firefighter/EMT Gavin Brown, Firefighter/Paramedic Jeremiah Velten and Captain Josh Velten were recognized. In a long-standing tradition, Jonathon Sheffield was recognized for “The Stick Award.” This is for an individual driving a piece of fire department equipment who manages to get it stuck. While there were several candidates this year, Firefighter/Paramedic Sheffield turned a muddy driveway into a multi-hour mud-caked recovery operation.
The WFD’s First Responder of the Year is awarded to a First Responder who consistently performs above the high standard set in the department’s EMS system. This is awarded to a medically certified responder who consistently responds to medical emergencies, provides the best care to patients and displays natural leadership ability when taking primary responsibility for patient’s well-being and treatment. It was awarded to Firefighter/EMT Gavin Brown.
The EMS provider of the year was awarded next to Firefighter/Paramedic Cody Keller. His selection was based in part on the vital role he played in responding to and treating local residents during major medical events. Beyond this, Keller has proven himself to be a competent and thorough medical provider and exhibits dedication, professionalism and gives extra effort to provide outstanding service to the department and community.
There were special awards handed out to the volunteer company officers, recognizing them for their commitments to service and the leadership roles they played as the department continued to grow and introduce career staffing positions. The role the Lieutenants played during this critical time made the department the combination organization it is today. They were thanked for their ability to fill operational gaps, support personnel and provide steady guidance for the growth the department was experiencing. These officers are Kevin Walton, Alan Meek, Matt Ferguson, Michael Parish, Levi McDowell, Nigel Yeary, Brandon Prough, Robert Magar and Josh Velten.
Firefighter of the Year is a unique award as it is the only award that is voted on by the membership. This year’s award recipient is Reid Russell. Russell joined the fire department several years ago and has consistently filled shifts, worked events and put in extra time to make sure the department’s needs were met. He is willing to take on any job, and his commitment and dedication were evident to his peers who selected him for this meaningful award.
The final award for the night was presented by Fire Chief Pinkston. The Fire Chief’s Award recipient is selected solely by the Fire Chief. His selection looked for members who have made considerable contributions to community fire safety, firefighter safety, community welfare or by performing normal duties at exceptional levels. Chief Pinkston selected Firefighter/ECA Shane Pirtle for this award. Pirtle contributed to the fire prevention program for years and is always one of the top responders every year. Chief Pinkston was very appreciative of his contribution to the department.
The night ended with words from Mayor Pro-Tem Carla Woolsey and final thoughts from Chief Pinkston. Brother Flanagan closed the evening with a prayer. The police department wishes to thank Southmayd Police Department and the fire department wishes to thank Collinsville Fire Department, Sherman Fire Department and Cooke County EMS for staffing the station so that the WFD on-duty shift could attend the banquet.