Four members of Flagstaff’s Fire Department received the Arizona Firefighter of the Year award. They were presented the award May 31st at the Professional Firefighters of Arizona Annual Convention in Tucson.
Members of the department’s Technical Rescue Team hiked to the bottom of Meteor Crater where a man had jumped into a 100 foot mine shaft. The Coconino County Search and Rescue Team also was instrumental in the January effort.
Due to high winds during the winter snowstorm, helicopter support was not viable. Rescuers fashioned an anchor system and transported the gear to the bottom of the crater. The incident was likely the first technical rescue from a mineshaft in a meteorite impact crater.
Members of the Flagstaff Fire Department Technical Rescue Team who participated in the rescue were Captain Jeff Bierer, Firefighter Jess Maier, Engineer Roy Lippman and Captain David Wilson
Photographed L-R Captain Jeff Bierer, Firefighter Jess Maier, Engineer Roy Lippman and Captain David Wilson