The New Jersey Fire and Emergency Medical Services Institute announced last week that Chief Thaddeus ‘Ted’ Lowden of Evesham Fire-Rescue and the Honorable John Wisniewski, Assemblyman representing the 19th legislative district (Middlesex County) are the recipients of the organization’s top awards for 2012.
Wisniewski, who serves as Chairman of the State Fire Safety Commission and has championed many fire and EMS related laws and policies, has been named “Legislator of the Year.” Chief Lowden is to receive the “C. Kenneth Anderson Lifetime Achievement Award” in recognition of his national and state leadership role as well as for 37 years of firefighting service to his Burlington County community. The award carries the name of the late Ken Anderson, a founder of the Institute and also a lifelong volunteer firefighter and activist from Burlington County. Anderson passed away in 2011 at the age of 78 after a brief illness.
“Our organization couldn’t be more proud than to have two such distinguished and longtime friends and advocates as our honorees,” affirmed Carl Christensen, N.J. Fire and EMS Institute Chairman.
The award was presented at the N.J. Fire and EMS Institute’s annual dinner on June 20 at the Pines Manor in Edison. Over two hundred leaders in the state’s fire and emergency medical services attended the dinner to interact with state, local and federal officials. Gregory B. Cade, former U.S. Fire Administrator and an executive with the National Fire Prevention Association, was the keynote speaker.
The New Jersey Fire and Emergency Medical Services Institute is an umbrella organization for many of the state’s fire and emergency medical services organizations. Its mission is to inform and assist legislators and other government officials regarding issues, and to serve as a liaison with the fire and emergency medical services.
In Chief Lowden’s acceptance speech, he stressed that “fire and emergency medical services organizations need to communicate with our elected officials so that they understand that we do not just fight fires-we are all-hazards agencies that respond to a myriad of requests for service” he went on the say that “when the problem can’t be arrested or given a ticket, the fire service is usually called to address the problem.”
Evesham Fire-Rescue congratulates Chief Lowden on this accomplishment.
