Siloam Springs Fire Chief Jeremey Criner was awarded the Fire Chief of the Year at the Arkansas Fire Convention on June 11 at the Hot Springs Convention Center.
Criner, who received the award from Mayor Judy Nation at the city board meeting June 21, was also named president of the Arkansas Association of Fire Chiefs when he was in Hot Springs.
Nominations came from Criner's department, City Administrator Phillip Patterson, Rogers Fire Chief Tom Jenkins and Pittsburg, Kan., Fire Chief Dennis Reilly.
"It's very humbling," Criner said. "It's one of those things that I was not expecting, but I am certainly proud of all of the accomplishments that we've had in Siloam Springs."
The Siloam Springs Fire Department listed several projects including the accreditation of the department by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) in 2018 and re-accredited in 2021, according to the nomination letter.
Other projects include obtaining funding for equipment and instructors to allow the fire department to become the Northwest Arkansas regional provider of Swift Water Rescue Technician Training through the Arkansas Fire Academy and assumed responsibility for weather operations and early warning systems in the city, the letter states.
Patterson praised Criner's leadership and its effect on morale and personal growth demonstrated by the department in his letter.
"Under Chief Criner's stewardship, our Fire Department has grown in size and capability," Patterson said in his letter. "Chief Criner has championed several major projects for the department, including the full replacement of the fire apparatus fleet, construction of a live-fire training facility, reconstruction and remodeling of Fire Station 2, a Special Operations Team, and along with the Police Department a new radio communications system."
Patterson also noted that Criner is presently serving as the president of the Northwest Arkansas Metropolitan Fire Chiefs' Association and has managed contracts, cooperative agreements and mutual aid policies with several neighboring communities and agencies.
Criner will serve a two-year term as president of the Arkansas Association of Fire Chiefs, he said. The position will involve participating in the advancement of the fire service, Criner said. This will be done by affecting positive leadership, sharing information and active legislative involvement, Criner said.
"We meet various times throughout the year and try to be a resource for our peers throughout the state," Criner said.
The chief ended by saying that even though the award was given to him personally it is a team effort. Criner said the real credit goes to his firefighters, EMTs and support personnel. Criner is also excited to serve as president of the Arkansas Association of Fire Chiefs.
"It will give me a good opportunity to network through out the state and see if there are any opportunities or best practices to bring back and share what we are doing," Criner said.