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<p><strong>From staff reports</strong></p>
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<p>During the Burton Fire District’s 49th birthday celebration on Tuesday, Feb. 15, those who were selected by their peers to be the 2021 Firefighter and Fire Officer of the Year were recognized.</p>
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<p><strong>2021 Fire Officer of the Year</strong></p>
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<p>Captain Bobby Davidson was nominated for, and selected, as Burton Fire District’s 2021 Fire Officer of the Year. His colleagues describe him as dedicated to the service of others both on and off duty. They note his patience and continued training, which he readily shares with crews to ensure that they are operating safely and efficiently, and that our citizens receive the best services possible.</p>
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<p>Captain Davidson is a member of the S.C. Firefighter Assistance Team, who assists with the mental health firefighters and their families across the region, and is also a volunteer firefighter for the Town of Hampton.</p>
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<p>This is not the first time Captain Davidson has been recognized for his dedication to others and his service. In 2010, he was selected as Burton’s Firefighter of the Year, and again in 2015 as Burton’s Fire Officer of the Year. In 2017, he was selected to receive the Citizenship Award from the South Carolina Firefighters’ Association, and in 2018 he was also selected as Beaufort Exchange Club’s Firefighter of the Year.</p>
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<p>Most recently in 2021, American Airlines recognized Capt. Davidson for preventing an emergency landing and helping to keep passengers and crew safe by calming a veteran passenger who was experiencing a severe PTSD crisis.</p>
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<p>In 2020 and 2021, he was member of a crew that restored a pulse to a person in cardiac arrest. An Air Force Veteran, Capt. Davidson also received the prestigious Order of the Maltese Cross award when he graduated the South Carolina Fire Academy in 2003.</p>
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<p><strong>2021 Firefighter of the Year</strong></p>
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<p>Firefighter Mauricio Gallego was nominated for, and selected, as Burton Fire District’s 2021 Firefighter of the Year. His peers selected him for his great attitude and his motivation for learning new things in everything from firefighting courses to fire truck maintenance, and they state that he is always willing to jump in and help with any task.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/BurtonFD_Mauricio-Gallego-1.jpg"><img src="https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/BurtonFD_Mauricio-Gallego-1-731x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-55865"/></a><figcaption>Mauricio Gallego</figcaption></figure>
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<p>Firefighter Gallego came to the United States from Bogota, Columbia, when he was only 10 years old. After retiring as a Marine Corps Warrant Officer, in which he participated in two deployments to Afghanistan and four deployments to the Pacific, he joined the Burton Fire District. Firefighter Gallego also received the prestigious Order of the Maltese Cross award when he graduated from the South Carolina Fire Academy in 2020, and was also a member of a crew that restored a pulse to a person in cardiac arrest.</p>
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