The Peachtree

City Volunteer Firefighters Association hosted nearly 130 members and

guests at its annual banquet at the Peachtree Wyndham earlier this month.

Newly appointed

Chief Stony Lohr and assistant Chief Ed Eiswerth installed association

officers and presided over the awarding of honors to outstanding members

of the department, both volunteer and career. They also awarded length-of-service

pins.

Lt. Ron Mundy

served as the evening's master of ceremonies, and chaplain the Rev. John

Weber gave the invocation and benediction. Guests included several life

members who were honored as having participated in the early development

of what is now regarded as an exceptional agency, according to department

leadership.

Peachtree City

Rotary President Eric Maxwell presented his organization's Member of the

Year award to volunteer station Sgt. Fred Bryant. Rotary actively supports

both the city's Fire and Police departments.

Other award

recipients, selected by department leaders for their outstanding service,

included: Volunteer Firefighter of the Year, David Sewall; Career Firefighter

of the Year, Robert Harkins; Volunteer EMS Provider of the Year, Precy

Eiswerth; Career EMS Provider of the Year, Jeremy Carlisle; Volunteer

Rookie of the Year, Jeff Baker; Volunteer Officer of the Year, Tom Bowman;

Career Officer of the Year, Jeff Koldoff.

The following

are the association's officers for 2001: President Kevin Smith, Vice President

Martin Poffenberger, Treasurer Doug West, Secretary David Sewall, fire

representative John Bruschetti, EMS representative Precy Eiswerth, career

representative Chris Campbell.

A ceremony

of remembrance honored the late Chief Gerald Reed, who died Dec. 9, as

well as other department members who have died since the department's

beginnings in the 1960s. Reed's sister and brother-in-law, Donna and Donnie

Harrell, and his daughters, Michelle Callahan and April Reed, were among

the guests. Helen Leach, widow of the department's founder and first chief,

M.D. "Brother" Leach, also attended.