LAKEWOOD – The Lakewood Fire Department is the recipient of the 2023-24 Fire Department of the Year Award from The American Legion, Department of New York.

The award was presented to Lakewood Fire Department personnel at the 106th American Legion Convention in Niagara Falls.

“This award is a testament of the dedication of our village’s volunteer firefighters. They volunteer countless hours for our neighbors in need and I am incredibly grateful for their work – as I know all Lakewood residents are. These selfless men and women live amongst us every day, thank them when you see them,” said Lakewood Mayor Randy Holcomb.

The Lakewood Fire Department is a fully volunteer organization dedicated to fire protection and prevention within the village and town of Busti. Founded in 1893, the department currently consists of about 43 members.

“This award belongs to every member of LFD,” said Kurt Hallberg, Lakewood Volunteer Fire Department chief. “Thank you to every one of them for their work achieving this honor, and to our mutual aid partners who are also vital to our success. In addition, thank you to our residents for their continuous unwavering support – we all appreciate it.”

“Our volunteers do an exceptional job in responding to emergencies which can occur at anytime, 24/7 throughout the year,” said Dan Imfeld, president of the Lakewood Fire Department board. “These men and women leave the dinner table, or climb out of bed in the middle of the night to answer calls. They scrape the ice off the windows of their cars and respond to wherever they are needed as soon as possible.It is humbling for us to be named The American Legion New York State Fire Department of the Year. I am proud of the service our members provide for our community. It is an honor to have them recognized as a team, because it takes all of us to be the department we are.

Other awards given include:

– Firefighter of the Year – Chief Robert Weiskerger of Forestville Fire Department

– Corrections Officer of the Year – Keri Genthner, Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office

– Police Officer of the Year – Deputy Brian Hanner, Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office.