Mark Allen Honored by Fire Chief While Attending Cazenovia College

CAZENOVIA, NY (02/23/2011)(readMedia)-- Mark Allen, of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., was one of two Cazenovia College students to be honored at the Cazenovia Fire Department's annual banquet on February 4, 2011. Both Cazenovia College seniors, Mark Allen and Phillip Sheehan received the Fire Chief's Award for their dedication and service during their time as volunteer firefighters in the Town of Cazenovia. Allen is working toward a bachelor of science degree degree in criminal justice and homeland security studies, and is a graduate of Saratoga Springs High School, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y..

Typically, the award is given to an individual volunteer firefighter who has served as an officer at the Cazenovia Fire Department and has displayed years of dedication. This, however, was the first year that two individuals were awarded the honor, and Allen and Sheehan are the youngest recipients of the award.

Fire Chief Richard Macheda, and Assistant Chiefs Gilbert Hodges and Nick Enders acknowledged that the work of the two men over the years played an enormous role in the decision to award them both with this honor. Working alongside fellow firefighters, Allen and Sheehan, both EMTs, have spent thousands of hours training and responding to calls.

Allen and Sheehan have led the College's Firefighter and EMS Club on campus, helping to increase the number of College firefighters to its current total of ten students. Enders says, "Their dedication to recruiting other students has assured that during the day, when most volunteers are at work, we can be fully staffed in an emergency."

Allen stated, "The fire department saw what we were able to do in getting fellow college students interested. We more or less acted as unofficial liaison leaders between the students and the fire department."

Both students plan to graduate in May 2011 and intend to apply all the skills they have learned as volunteer firefighters in their professional and graduate school pursuits. Sheehan said, "I realize that getting an education and then pursuing a career in the fire services is going to help me extensively."

Sheehan noted, "We've done a lot to raise a sturdy herd of College students who are competent, responsible, and want to serve their community. Apparently that is highly appreciated, shown by the award we received. We're proud of the award and proud of all the College students who dedicate themselves to this cause."

Photo: Mark Allen (left), and Philip Sheehan (right), with Assistant Chief Enders, show off plaques representing the Fire Chief's Award. They were honored for their service as volunteer fire fighters for the Cazenovia Fire Department.

Cazenovia College, named one of "America's Best Colleges" by US News & World Report, is an independent, co-educational, baccalaureate college, located near Syracuse, N.Y. Cazenovia, selected as a College of Distinction by www.collegesofdistinction.com, offers a comprehensive liberal arts education in an exceptional community environment, with academic and co-curricular programs devoted to developing leaders in their professional fields. For more information, visit www.cazenovia.edu.

(Written by Kimberly N. Norton, communications intern, Cazenovia College Class of 2012)