Blevins chosen as 2024 Firefighter of the Year

HARRISON TOWNSHIP — Sgt. Joe Blevins was named the Harrison Township Fire Department’s 2024 Firefighter of the Year at the township’s Board of Trustees meeting March 10.

Friends, family members and colleagues were there to witness the presentation and celebrate with him.

Blevins started his career at the Harrison Township Fire Department in 2016. He said the award was a surprise. He compared getting the award to getting caught off guard by residents buying food or coffee for him in public, and he said it’s nice.

“I work with a lot of really talented, great guys, hard-working guys,” Blevins said. “Yeah, anybody here could receive this award. Super humbled by it.”

He was promoted to sergeant in early 2024 and was given the responsibility of maintaining the department’s EMS equipment. He purchases it, communicates with different suppliers and representatives and more. He also rides with his crew when they’re going to fires and makes sure they’re OK, Blevins said.

He said the job can be stressful, with late nights, and sometimes there are problems going on at home that he can’t handle right away.

“I got a new baby. Being away from the child and my wife — it’s definitely hard at times, not being able to go home and go to sleep,” Blevins said.

Blevins said his wife is his biggest supporter, along with his parents and sister.

“It’s hard to come home sometimes when you’re exhausted or frustrated here,” Blevins said. “She’s been amazing, because I know I can talk to her and open up to her and vent to her when needed. And she listens and tries to be as understanding as she can.”

Blevins said he is proud of the work he’s done and called the experience a journey. He is the person who suggested to Fire Chief David Bostater that the department use video laryngoscopes, which were used the day of the meeting to save someone’s life.

He said he is proud of the work done by the Fire Department.

“Proud to be able to work with such a great group of guys,” Blevins said. “Everybody here takes their job serious.”

Through his nine years, he said, there have been a lot of ups and downs. He said they have a culture now where everybody keeps a positive attitude.

“Your crew and the guys here, I mean, we mean everything,” Blevins said. “It’s a second family here.”

Harrison Township Fire Department battalion chiefs start thinking about who to give the award to in February. They send the list of firefighters to Bostater, and he chooses who to give it to. Blevins said that since he’s been there, the plaque listing previous firefighters of the year has always been filled up.

Bostater said the standouts were Blevins, Sgt. Brian Bilinski, engineer Dustin Currie, firefighter Michael Panczyk and firefighter Bruce Weisgerber. He said at the meeting that Blevins is empathetic and humorous.

“Joe is a husband, a father and a son,” Bostater said. “Family is of the utmost importance to him. Both his immediate family and his Fire Department family.”

Bostater also said Blevins has been “instrumental” in training new probationary firefighters.

“Since my time, since I was appointed in 2019, we’ve hired 15 firefighters,” Bostater said.

He went on to say it takes a lot of effort and training, including orientation and behind the scenes work.

“Joe’s one of those people who has always stood up and been a mentor and been a leader,” Bostater said. “Joe will help anyone at any time, whether they ask for it or not.”

When Blevins was first hired, he fell in love with the community, which is something he wasn’t expecting.

“It’s definitely been a blessing, having this job and working for this community. Yeah, I love it,” Blevins said.

Blevins said he definitely plans to finish out his career in Harrison Township.

“I got about 16 years left to go,” Blevins said. “Yeah, I’ll definitely stay here for the rest of my career.”