Captain Troy Spisla
TVF&R Captain Troy Spisla has received the American Legion Firefighter of the Year Award for the state of Oregon. This annual award is conferred upon one firefighter in the State of Oregon who, according to the American Legion, exemplifies the virtues of professionalism and dedication and has demonstrated a distinct pattern of community service to his/her community, State or Nation.
Captain Spisla is in charge of TVF&R’s Fire Station 35 in King City. At TVF&R, Station Captains are expected to act as the local “fire chief” regarding community and intergovernmental affairs within the city served by their station. Captain Spisla is considered one of TVF&R’s most noteworthy examples in this role.
“Captain Spisla has his finger on the pulse of the community he serves,” says TVF&R’s Deputy Fire Chief Mike Duyck. Last summer after a series of arson fires in a mobile home park for senior citizens, Captain Spisla took it upon himself to organize two town hall meetings to discuss the fires and security measures the seniors should take. In addition, he helped organize a four hour door-to-door smoke alarm ‘blitz’ in which firefighters and fire prevention staff visited each mobile home in an effort to ensure there was a working smoke alarm in every home. The event saw over 200 smoke alarms tested, 75 new smoke alarms installed, and numerous batteries replaced. “While Captain Spisla’s actions may not have been heroic in the traditional sense of a fire department,” Chief Duyck says, “you can bet he was a “Hero” to the 200 seniors he impacted that day.”
“TVF&R is proud of Captain Spisla. He exemplifies the qualities to which all of our firefighters aspire,” says Chief Duyck.
Captain Spisla is now eligible to win the American Legion’s National Firefighter of the Year award.
