SILVERDALE — Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue announced recently that one of its members was recently recognized by the Washington State Fire Fighters Association as the Statewide Volunteer Firefighter Officer of the Year.

Volunteer Captain Pat Busby was presented with this prestigious award on June 4th at the 93rd Annual Conference in Wenatchee. He was recognized for his efforts involving training and mentoring of new volunteer firefighters not only at CKFR, but throughout the State of Washington.

Captain Busby started his career as a volunteer with District 12 in September of 1992. Throughout the years, he moved up through the ranks and most recently worked out of CKFR Station 64 located in Chico. Captain Busby retired from the volunteer program on Dec. 31, 2015.

“I was speechless when I was told I’d be receiving this award,” Busby said.

When asked what prompted him to become a volunteer firefighter, Busby explained that a friend encouraged him to fill out the paperwork and see if he liked it. That led to a love of the fire service with Busby attending recruitment academies and numerous trainings over the years.

In addition to his volunteer duties, Busby currently works for CKFR in the facilities maintenance division and has been in that position since 2005.