2019 Firefighter of the Year

Engineer Reed has been a member of Dalton Fire Department since July 2011. During his time with the department, he has proven to be a valuable asset through his tireless work ethic and drive to become a better firefighter.

During recruit schools, Engineer Reed, with the assistance of others, leads the physical training sessions every morning during the fifteen-week program. This requires a level of commitment that speaks to his loyalty to our department. His desire to be physically fit and help others do the same is evident in the fact that he assumes a role in leading his assigned company every shift in physical training. He has become very involved in training candidates within our department for the Georgia Smoke Diver program. He works with them weeks prior to the class, working on drills and other tasks that they will face during the course. These drills typically have to be done during the afternoon hours, on weekends, or after regularly scheduled training and activities have been completed. Dale also assisted in preparing and teaching a class delivered by members of our department at both the Metro Atlanta Firefighter Conference and Walker County Fire Department. Engineer Reed is only able to do these things by pushing himself and attending classes to expand his own knowledge in our profession.

Over the past year, Engineer Reed has been involved in two incidents that resulted in unit citations. One of these incidents was during a fire at an apartment complex in which the company he is assigned to rescued a female from a second-story balcony whose exit was cut off by the fire. The second incident occurred during a flash flood in which a male was caught in flood waters of a creek and was unable to get to safety. Although he was working as a member of a team, his company officer stated Engineer Reed performed exceptionally under the intense pressure of both incidents.

Engineer Reed sets the example for others to follow and is humble in his approach and demeanor. For all of these reasons, Engineer Reed has been nominated and voted on by his peers as Dalton Fire Department’s 2019 Firefighter of the Year.