Don Marchner honored for 50 years as active Medina firefighter

Photos courtesy of Medina Fire Department: Don Marchner was honored on Saturday for his 50 years of service to the Medina Fire Department. He was recognized during the Brian Kwiatkowski Ball, put on by the Medina Firefighters & Police Benevolent Associations.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 October 2018 at 12:46 pm

Don Marchner is shown in this undated photo during the early days of his service as a Medina firefighter. He also has been an active firefighter for the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company.

MEDINA – The Medina Fire Department honored a long-time member on Saturday, and also presented awards for firefighters who made life-saving actions in the past year.

Donald Marchner was honored for 50 years of service to the Fire Department. He started as a volunteer callman, and was a career firefighter before becoming a Medina police officer. He has remained an active volunteer for the fire department, responding to about 200 calls a year. He also is active with the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company, and responds to about 200 calls for Ridgeway.

Mayor Michael Sidari declared Saturday to be “Donald Marchner Day” in Medina “for recognition of his loyalty and service to the populace of our great village,” according to the proclamation from the mayor.

Marchner was recognized during the Brian Kwiatkowski Ball, put on by the Medina Firefighters & Police Benevolent Associations. About 130 people attended the event at the Sacred Heart Club.

Marchner is a regular every morning at the Medina firehall, joining firefighters for coffee and often on fire and ambulance calls.

Marchner received this ceremonial ax in appreciation for a half century of service.

The Medina Fire Department also presented the following awards on Saturday:

• “Code Save” Award to firefighters Bradley Mahnke, Joseph Simmons, Rich Jenkinson and Mike Young. This crew responded to a cardiac arrest and was able to successfully resuscitate the patient and transport the person to Buffalo General Hospital for further treatment. That patient was discharged home from the hospital with no deficits.

• Meritorious Service Award to firefighters Timothy Miller and Adam Vanderheite for their lifesaving efforts at an off-duty get together. A small child began choking on a soft drink bottle cap and both men attended to the child and successfully removed the airway obstruction by use of the Heimlich maneuver.

• Firefighter Jacob Crooks received the Brian T. Kwiatkowski Award for all the work he does for the Benevolent Association, the Union and the Fire Department as a whole. The Brian T. Kwiatkowski Award isn’t given out every year. It goes to someone “who goes above and beyond for the department to make it better,” said Stephen Miller, the awards chairman.

• Firefighters Stephen Miller and Dan Scanlon received a “Stork” pin for delivering a baby this past year.

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