From staff reports
The City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department has named Lt. Justin Acord the 2023 Fire Officer of the Year, according to the department’s social media posts.
This award is voted on by all members of the department.
“I have been happily married for 12 years and would not be where I am today without my wife,” Acord said. “She has pushed me, supported me, and molded me into the man I am today. My beautiful daughter is 9 years old and is an amazing athlete, student, and has the biggest heart I’ve ever seen. I am beyond blessed to be where I am in life and I owe every bit of my success and every blessing to my lord and savior Jesus Christ.”
Acord joined the Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department Reserve Program in 2018 and was hired full-time as a firefighter by the department in 2019.
Known for being a passionate firefighter and an enthusiastic community servant, Acord is also in Paramedic School and will be finishing up in the next few months. He holds several specialty cortication’s such as fire instructor, fire officer, car seat technician, and rope rescue technician.
Acord, born in Beckley, W.Va., joined the United States Marine Corps in 2010 and married his high school sweetheart. In March of 2012, while stationed at MCAS Beaufort, he was deployed to Afghanistan.
After getting out of the Marine Corps in 2014, Acord started his own landscape company before eventually committing to serve his community.
