A two-and-a-half-year member of the Salem Fire Protection District has been voted by fellow firemen as their fireman of the year.
Matthew Eastin said he was 100 percent surprised with winning the honor, feeling a lot of others were more deserving. The award was presented at the fire department’s annual Christmas party on Saturday night.
Eastin has lived in Salem since fourth grade and said he had no family members involved in the fire service.
“I don’t really know, I guess just seeing wildfires in California. I know that sounds weird, but that is what got me interested in doing it.”
Eastin likes the variety being a firefighter provides.
“Everything you do is unique. There are some things I never want to see again which is sad, but someone has to do it. I don’t really have a special memory. Everything is always so different, it always seems to top the last it seems like.”
Several other firefighters were also honored.
Andrew Dice was honored for the highest number of calls answered at 246. The rest of the top five are Greg Miller, Jake Heminover, Bill Fulton, and Jim Bryant.
The firefighter with the most training hours is Greg Miller, followed by Jesse DeForest, Glenn Benzing, Dakota Hires, and Bill Fulton.
The department presented Ben Trinkle with a 15-year pin, Kenny Benzing for ten years, Paul Michael Anderson, Jesse DeForest, Shawn Duffy, and Ryan Meador with five-year pins, and Matt Arrasmith, Andrew Dice, and Travis Nix with three-year pins.
