Ray Huntzinger receives Chief’s Award on Saturday
Park City Fire Department Battalion Chief Ray Huntzinger received the PCFD Chief s Award on Saturday at the department s annual holiday party and recognition ceremony.(Courtesy of Park City Fire Department)
Battalion Chief Ray Huntzinger embodies what the Park City Fire Department represents, says Chief Paul Hewitt.
Huntzinger oversees Park City Fire’s involvement with Utah Task Force One and the special operations program. He is also one of three battalion chiefs that manage the 25 people on any given shift every day.
That is why Hewitt said he awarded Huntzinger the Chief’s Award on Saturday, at the annual PCFD holiday dinner and awards recognition ceremony.
“I think Chief Huntzinger is much like a lot of our members, in that he is very professional and dedicated to the job,” Hewitt said. “He is just reflective of our department as a whole in everything that he does.”
When choosing a recipient for the Chief’s Award, Hewitt said he considered performance and dedication, ultimately deciding Huntzinger was the best decision.
“It’s everything he does and he does it so well,” Hewitt said. “And that’s what I look for in people. He’s always proven to be available for the district. He has professionalism, accountability, dedication and customer service. It’s everything we represent.”
Every year, the PCFD recognizes individual employees for their work ethic and service, not only to the department, but also the community at large.
“We try to give them due recognition and it means a lot, for not only them, but us as well,” Hewitt said.
Huntzinger, who’s been with the department for 18 years, was hesitant when prompted to talk about his recognition, openly stating he’s “not big on awards.”
“There are other people who are just as good as I am and any one of them could have gotten the award,” he said. “It means a lot and it is always nice to get recognition, but I wish that everybody that deserved it could receive it.”
Throughout his years of service, Huntzinger has been trained in various types of rescues, including rope, trench, ice, and collapse.
The 15-member Utah Task Force One, on which Huntzinger serves as a liason to the state, is a Federal Emergency Management Agency recognized search-and-rescue task force that can be deployed to assist in emergencies throughout the state.
“I think we all have the same values and priorities,” Huntzinger said of his fellow firemen. “It means a lot, either way, but it’s nice to be recognized by your superiors. I really appreciate it and I was pretty surprised. I mean it’s always surprising to get an award like that. And here are a lot of people that deserve this as much as me.”
The PCFD also handed out numerous other awards recognizing the service of its employees, including the following:
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Customer Service Award: Eric Hintze.
- PCFD honored Hintze for “his dedication to internal and external customers,” according to a press release.
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Outstanding Crew Award: Carlton Complex Wildland Crew.
- This summer, the Wildland Crew was deployed to Washington to join more than 1,600 firefighters to battle the largest fire the state had seen, the release stated. The crew was deployed for 26 days, from July 2 to Aug. 14.