Jan 23, 2018 2 min read

Mt. Lebanon Fire Department is one of only 200 organizations in the United States and Canada to achieve accredited agency status from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International, and John Lufburrow and Lawrence Celender exemplify the dedication that goes toward earning the honor.

Each was presented with an award during the Jan. 22 Mt. Lebanon Commission meeting, Lufburrow as 2017 Firefighter of the Year and Celender as Fire Officer of the Year.

“I’m truly blessed to be able to work with the incredible staff members on both the career and volunteer sides of the organization,” fire Chief Nicholas Sohyda said. His department consists of 17 career and 50 volunteer firefighters.

Lufburrow serves as president of the Mt. Lebanon Volunteer Fire Company board of directors, which is responsible for the volunteer budget, recruitment and retention programs, incentives, and the volunteer constitution and by-laws.

“During his tenure, Firefighter 1st Class Lufburrow exhibited exemplary leadership and an ability to get people to work together toward a common goal while having fun, but never losing sight of the organization’s mission to save lives and protect property,” his proclamation from the commission states.

On the career side, Celender served as a firefighter in a large countywide system in Maryland prior to Mt. Lebanon.

“Lt. Celender has brought a fresh, new perspective and an abundance of experience that has led to several operational improvements in the areas of fire suppression, training, and technical rescue,” according to his proclamation.

The department responds to approximately 1,700 calls annually and participates in more than 1,000 hours of community-related activities.