Tyler Shaw leaned back in his chair and let the announcement sink in.
He had just been named as Little Dixie Fire Protection District’s Firefighter of the Year for 2020 and accepted the award with his son Lucas by his side.
“It means quite a bit to me,” Shaw said after Saturday night’s awards dinner, held at the 4-H Center in Mexico.
The district took the opportunity to recognize Shaw and 10 others at the annual event. Normally scheduled for fall, the banquet had been put on hold by the pandemic.
Fire Chief Bill Albus explained that COVID-19 made 2020 a difficult year. Regular training sessions were postponed or cancelled, and that led to a waiting list of volunteers.