Dan Kolman,

a firefighter and EMT with the Fayetteville Fire Department, has been

named the city's firefighter of the year.

Kolman will

be honored by the Optimist Club at a special banquet Thursday night at

Melear's Barbecue. He has been with the city since 1997, and before that

he served as a volunteer firefighter for four years.

"He is

a very conscientious and hard-working individual," said Fayetteville

Fire Chief Alan Jones.

Jones said

Kolman has kept his job separate from other problems that cropped up in

his personal life over the past year.

Kolman, one

of 23 career firefighters on the city's staff (not counting the 20 volunteers),

got his EMT certification while he was still a volunteer. Currently, he

holds extended qualifications after taking training classes that are above

and beyond what the department requires.

One of those

certifications qualifies Kolman as a Hazardous Materials Technician, meaning

he can suit up to help mitigate and clean up conditions created by hazardous

substances should the need ever arise.

"I just

think he's very deserving of this award," Jones said. He added that

the department appreciates the Optimist Club's recognition of public servants.