The Commander of Navy Installations Command (CNIC) has announced the recipients of the 2025 Navy Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) Awards, recognising outstanding fire and emergency personnel across the Navy Shore Enterprise for their commitment to operational excellence, emergency response, and mission readiness.
The annual awards celebrate the achievements of teams and individuals responsible for safeguarding U.S. Navy installations around the world. Their work spans a wide range of critical services, including structural firefighting, aircraft rescue and firefighting, hazardous materials response, emergency medical services, and fire prevention initiatives.
According to CNIC, these capabilities play a vital role in maintaining installation readiness and ensuring uninterrupted support for naval operations.
By delivering rapid emergency response and life-saving medical interventions, Navy F&ES personnel help keep naval bases operational, enabling forces to train, deploy, and execute missions effectively.
“Our personnel are the cornerstone of base resilience,” said Capt. Bill Lane, Deputy Director of CNIC Operations. “Protecting our people and tactical assets is essential to projecting power from the Shore Enterprise. These award winners represent the very best in ensuring our mission remains uninterrupted.”
Several recipients also achieved recognition beyond the Navy level. Naval Support Activity Annapolis, Katsuhiro Watanabe of Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka, and Metro San Diego Fire and Emergency Services advanced to top honours in Department of War-level competition, highlighting their exceptional performance among military emergency response organisations.
Department Awards
In the Small Fire Department of the Year category, Naval Support Activity Annapolis secured the top Department-level award, while Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay was named runner-up.
For Medium Fire Department of the Year, Naval Station Mayport earned top honours, with Joint Region Marianas receiving runner-up recognition.
Metro San Diego Fire and Emergency Services captured the Large Fire Department of the Year award, while Navy Region Northwest was recognised as runner-up.
Joint Region Marianas also received the Fire Prevention Program of the Year award. Additional recognition in this category went to Navy Region Mid-Atlantic District 3, Naval Air Station Oceana, and Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek–Fort Story.
Individual Excellence Recognised
The awards also highlighted the outstanding contributions of military and civilian personnel across the Navy’s fire and emergency services community.
ABH2(AW) Kiara Robin of Naval Station Rota and ABH2(AW/SW) Joshua Acuna of Metro San Diego were recognised in the Military Firefighter of the Year category.
Katsuhiro Watanabe of Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka earned the Civilian Firefighter of the Year award and was further recognised as the Department-level winner. Ahmed Dakail of Naval Support Activity Bahrain was named runner-up.
Additional honours included:
- Military Fire Officer of the Year: ABH1(AW/SW) Leaundre Johnson, Naval Support Activity Naples
- Civilian Fire Officer of the Year: Eric Boggess, Naval Station Mayport
Other award categories recognised excellence in emergency medical services, fire inspections, training programmes, fire prevention leadership, and operational readiness across multiple Navy installations.
Honouring a Legacy of Service
The Navy also inducted several distinguished leaders into its Fire and Emergency Services Hall of Fame in recognition of their lasting contributions to the profession. Honourees included retired fire chiefs and senior leaders Ruben Perez, Edward Stillwell, David Inman, William Casey, Kenneth Snyder, and the late Jack Woodard.
Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to Rodolfo Gonzales, William Killen, Christopher Connelly, and Daniel Gaumont, acknowledging decades of dedicated service and leadership within Navy fire and emergency operations.
Supporting Global Naval Readiness
Commander, Navy Installations Command oversees the management of Navy shore installations worldwide, including infrastructure development, sustainment, and quality-of-life programmes. The organisation manages ten Navy regions and more than 70 installations, employing over 48,600 personnel dedicated to supporting fleet readiness, training, and operational success.
As the operational foundation of the U.S. Navy, shore installations remain essential to sustaining global naval missions, with Fire and Emergency Services teams playing a critical role in protecting personnel, assets, and mission capabilities.
