National Public Safety Organization Honors Local Firefighter


Media Release

“I’m honored,” said Stillwater Fire Department Battalion Chief Terry Essary on receiving the notable recognition of chief fire officer by the national public safety organization known as the Commission on Professional Credentialing.

Essary becomes one of only 1,298 chief fire officers worldwide.

“Achieving this designation was a compilation of 24 years of work,” Essary said. “It’s not just me either; this was a group effort without question.”

Essary has been an employee of the City of Stillwater for over 20 years, working as a certified police officer, paramedic and firefighter.

“Terry is a wonderful individual. When we talk about Terry, he is truly the picture of what you desire in a command officer for the Stillwater Fire Department,” Fire Chief Tom Bradley said. “Not only that, he is somebody that many firefighters strive to be like and emulate.”

The chief fire officer designation program is a voluntary program designed to recognize individuals who demonstrate their excellence in seven measured components including experience, education, professional development, professional contributions, association membership, community involvement and technical competence. The CPC consists of individuals from academia, federal and local government, and the fire and emergency medical services profession.

“For the Stillwater Fire Department, this shows the caliber of individuals that the City of Stillwater has hired and has working for the Stillwater Fire Department,” Bradley said. “And I think it provides assurance to the community that they have the very best well-trained, well-educated & dedicated servants to the community.”

To learn more about CPC, visit www.cpse.org.