LAS VEGAS — The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recognized “outstanding achievements in fire, electrical and life safety” during the Stars at Night awards gala on Sunday at the NFPA Conference & Expo.
In addition to the NFPA Committee Service Awards and Special Achievement Awards, NFPA presented the following honors during the celebration:
Fire Protection Research Foundation Medal: Awarded to the international WUI-NITY 4 project team for developing and launching a cutting-edge wildfire evacuation modeling tool that bridges research and practice.
Harry C. Bigglestone Award: For excellence in the communication of fire protection research presented posthumously to Professors Howard R. Baum and James G. Quintiere for their landmark paper, The Emmons Problem Revisited.
The award’s $5,000 prize was donated to the University of Maryland to support students in the Fire Protection Engineering Program.
NFPA Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year Award: Presented to Shawneri Guzman of Washington State for her creative, community-driven education programs and outstanding use of NFPA public education materials.
NFPA Electrical Inspector of the Year Award: Presented to Robert Fahey of Wisconsin for his decades of leadership, training, and service to electrical inspection and safety.
NFPA Fire Marshal of the Year Award: Presented to Chief Tommy Demopoulos of Tamarac Fire Rescue in Florida for his transformative, education-first approach to code enforcement and his collaborative work with local businesses.
NFPA Distinguished Service Award: Presented to Shmuel Netanel of Israel for his decades of leadership, engineering innovation, and successful advancement of NFPA codes and standards throughout the Middle East.
James M. Shannon Advocacy Medal: Awarded to Amy Acton for her tireless efforts on behalf of burn survivors and her leadership in advancing public fire and life safety policies nationwide.
Standards Medal: Presented to Marcelo Hirschler, Ph.D., in recognition of a career defined by technical excellence, consensus-building and decades of volunteer leadership in the NFPA standards development process.
Richard G. Biermann Award: Awarded to Donald R. Cook for his volunteer service to NFPA and his leadership in the advancement and implementation of the National Electrical Code (NEC).
NFPA Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem Global Influencer Award: Presented to the Abu Dhabi Civil Defense Authority for its system-wide commitment to fire and life safety, resulting in measurable improvements in public safety across the United Arab Emirates.
