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Ashburn man named Fairfax County's top firefighter
Ashburn's Michael Frames has loved going to work every day for the past 26 years.
His employer, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, returned that love Aug. 7 by naming Frames its 2008 Career Firefighter of the Year.
A technician with the North Point station in Reston, Frames has run numerous calls throughout his career with the department.
“You really love the ones that have a happy ending,” he said. “You like the ones where you're able to make a difference.”
One of those times occurred earlier this year when Frames and his crew rescued two people from a car that had flooded.
He said that he gets pumped up every time he's part of a successful rescue.
“It's a great feeling,” Frames said.
His service to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue doesn't end when his shift is over.
Frames often can be seen teaching elementary school students about fire safety and participating in the City of Fairfax Independence Day Parade.
For the past several years, he has donned the costume of Sparky the fire dog in the parade.
“My kids love it,” Frames said. “They actually walk with me now.”
He became a volunteer firefighter in the late 1970s, following in the footsteps of his father. Then, in 1982, he decided to go into firefighting as a career.
Frames said that going to the fire station is “like going to a second family” because of the camaraderie.
“If I could choose my career all over again, I'd do the exact same thing,” he said. “I love being a fireman.”
Frames said that being named Career Firefighter of the Year was never something he set out intentionally to do, so he was shocked when he found out he had been selected.
“It's a huge honor,” Frames said. “This is the biggest award that the county gives out to one of their own.”
His wife, Erica, and children Eric, 8, and Michaela, 6, accompanied him to the ceremony where he received the award.
The Firefighter of the Year Award was established in 1985 to provide special recognition for outstanding service and dedication.
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