Checking Up ... Virginia's Top Firefighter and the Area's History
Firefighter Kenny Kirby poses for a portrait at the Concord Volunteer Fire Department on Tuesday, Mar. 13. On Feb. 24, 2018, Kirby accepted the award for 2017 Virginia Volunteer Firefighter of the Year as part of the Governor’s Fire Service Awards in Virginia Beach. This is the first time in history someone from the Lynchburg area has won the award.
Jay Westcott/The News & Advance
Thumbs up to Concord resident Kenny Kirby who was named the 2017 Virginia Volunteer Firefighter of the Year earlier this year, the first time anyone in the Lynchburg area has received the honor.
Kirby, who grew up in the Concord community, is a volunteer firefighter with the Concord Volunteer Fire Department. Growing up, he remembers being absolutely fascinated by the firefighters and, at the age of 21, decided to join the department himself. That was 20 years ago — as Kirby recalls, “The day I turned old enough to join, I called for an application.”
In his career with the department, he’s served in a variety of capacities: public information officer, lieutenant, captain, assistant chief, training officer and chief. He’s also involved in the Central Virginia Firefighters Association, serving as the group’s president since 2013.
The job that pays his bills is front line manager for BWXT’s safety department at the Mount Athos facility. And his bosses love the fact he’s so involved in the community’s emergency services field.
Joel Burch, BWXT’s Nuclear Operations Group vice president and general manager, was effusive in his praise of Kirby: “For decades, BWXT has supported fire and rescue agencies across Central Virginia because safety is a fundamental part of our culture ... . We are pleased that Kenny was recognized for his leadership and more than two decades as a volunteer firefighter.”
The same goes for the rest of Central Virginia. Congratulations.
Thumbs up to two individuals who have made certain future generations won’t forget about two unique stories from Lynchburg history.
Jane White, a resident of Lynchburg, and Cynthia E. Gaines, a city native who now lives in the Richmond area, sponsored the two newest historical markers dedicated in the Hill City.
White sponsored a marker drawing attention to the life and accomplishments of James Rives Childs, a city native whose accomplishments in the U.S. foreign service are legendary. A diplomat during World War II and the Cold War, Childs was responsible for saving 1,200 Jews in Hungary from the Nazis.
Gaines sponsored a marker to commemorate the Megginson Rosenwald School, one of 16 in the region. Originally on land in Campbell County, the site’s now part of Lynchburg. Rosenwald schools could be found across the South and provided education for black children in the days of segregation. The Megginson school opened in 1923 on land donated by former slave Albert Megginson and provided an education to hundreds of students through the years.
We thank White and Gaines for their work to make certain Central Virginia’s history isn’t forgotten and lost to future generations.
No comments:
Post a Comment