Jemison Fire and Rescue awarded firefighter Jamie McKenzie with Fire/Rescue Member of the Year honors at its annual Christmas dinner in December.

“Jamie is very dedicated to the department and a great asset for us,” Jemison Fire Chief John Dennis said. “He is also one of seven firefighters in the county to complete the Volunteer Firefighter Certification classes this year.”

Dennis said the classes encompassed 160 hours of training involving introduction to the fire service; basic and advanced firefighting skills and knowledge; and hazardous materials awareness and operations training.

Others who completed the class were: Marc McMinn from Jemison; Joe Cole, Kim Winters and Mitch Keener from Fairview Fire; and Christy Aaron and Riley Yeargan from East Chilton Fire.

Dennis said 2011 was a busy year for Jemison’s fire department, with a total of 846 responses, up 18 from 2010.

“We responded to 161 structure fires and over 500 EMS related incidents,” Dennis said. “We also began our own fire inspections within the city this year, with 96 commercial occupancies coming within compliance with the International Fire Codes.”