Navy's Finest: Top Honors Awarded in Fire & Emergency Services

WASHINGTON D.C. (Feb. 25, 2026) – Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) announced the recipients of the Calendar Year 2025 Fire & Emergency Services (F&ES) Awards, recognizing the top departments, teams, and individuals for their outstanding contributions to the safety and readiness of the U.S. Navy.

These F&ES professionals are vital to installation readiness, providing first-line defense against fires, medical emergencies, and other hazards. Their efforts ensure that Navy Shore installations remain secure and operational, directly supporting the mission of the fleet.

“The unwavering dedication and professionalism of our Fire and Emergency Services personnel are fundamental to the resilience of our Shore Enterprise,” said Vice Adm. Scott Gray, commander of Navy Installations Command. “These awards celebrate the best of the best, individuals and teams who run toward danger to ensure our installations remain safe, secure, and ready to support the mission. Their courage and commitment are an inspiration to us all.”

Nine award winners will now advance to represent the Navy in the Department of War F&ES awards competition. The following F&ES Award Winners will advance to the Department of War competition:

• Small Fire Department of the Year: Naval Support Activity Annapolis
• Medium Fire Department of the Year: Naval Station Mayport
• Large Fire Department of the Year: Metro San Diego F&ES
• Fire Prevention Program of the Year: Joint Region Marianas F&ES
• Military Firefighter of the Year: ABH2 (AW) Kiara Robin, Naval Station Rota
• Civilian Firefighter of the Year: Katsuhiro Watanabe, Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka
• 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
• Fire Service Instructor of the Year: Hartsel Stewart, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay

Navy-only award winners noted below:

• Navy Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Provider of the Year: Benny Castro, Joint Region Marianas F&ES
• Fire Inspector of the Year: Victor Kirton, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
• Fire Chief of the Year: Jose Cardenas, Naval Station Mayport

The following are the Navy F&ES Hall of Fame inductees:

• Ruben Perez, Fire Chief (retired), Naval Air Station Corpus Christi
• Edward Stillwell, Region Fire Chief (retired), Naval District Washington
• David Inman, Fire Chief (retired), Metro San Diego F&ES
• William Casey, Region Fire Chief (retired), Navy Region Southeast
• Kenneth Snyder, Fire Chief (retired), Navy Region Mid-Atlantic District 3
• Jack Woodard, Region Fire Chief (deceased), Navy Region Northwest
• Navy F&ES Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients:
• Rodolfo Gonzales, Region Fire Chief (retired), Navy Region Southeast
• William “Bill” Killen, Director Navy F&ES (retired), Naval Facilities Engineering Command
• Christopher Connelly, Region Fire Chief, Navy Region Southwest
• Daniel Gaumont, Senior Fire Protection Specialist (retired), Commander Navy Installations Command

Commander, Navy Installations Command is responsible for worldwide U.S. Navy Shore installation management, designing and developing integrated solutions for sustainment and development of Navy shore infrastructure as well as quality of life programs. CNIC oversees 10 Navy regions, 70 installations, and more than 48,600 employees who are focused on warfighting and manning, training and equipping the Shore to fight and win. Navy installations are warfighting platforms essential to every fleet operation.