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Left to Right, Jayson Fritz, Bill Burns, Frank Stead and Laddie "Zach" Pooser, Nimitz Club President.
Fredericksburg-Nimitz Rotary Club awarded the first annual Paul A. Oestreich Community Service Award to firefighter and EMT Frank Stead on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at the Pioneer Pavilion at Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park.
Stead is secretary for the Fredericksburg Volunteer Fire Department, Texas State Guard member and responder for the Gillespie County Emergency Medical Services. The veteran also teaches an EMS-related course at Fredericksburg High School.
He has worked with FVFD for more than a decade, and was first on the scene during the recent shooting incident with Fredericksburg Police Department officer Bradley Durst.
Stead said he was proud to have the award given in memory of the late Fredericksburg police chief, who died in May 2013 of a blood disease.
“I retired here from the Cleveland (Ohio) area and I wanted to do whatever I could to help this community,” Stead told the crowd of more than 100. “I want to thank all the responders I work with and their spouses.”
Stead was one of five nominees that included Romney Kowert, 32-year Fredericksburg EMS veteran, now a shift captain; Marsha Barrett, captain with the Tierra Linda VFD and emergency medical responder; Wesley Rheinhardt, Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office sergeant; and Clem Castillo, patrol officer with Fredericksburg Police Department.