Silver City Ranger District firefighters leading the agency

SILVER CITY, NM, August 24, 2023 – The Gila National Forest has long been recognized as leading in fire management. This year, two separate agencies recognized members of the Silver City Ranger District's fire organization as outstanding in their field in their latest annual awards.

"These employees exhibit leadership, duty, respect, integrity, and community service every day they come to work. It is gratifying to have their contributions recognized by others outside of the Forest Service," said Silver City District Ranger Elizabeth Toney. "I could not be prouder of their skills, professionalism, and dedication to duty."

Earlier this year, the Arizona Wildfire & Incident Management Academy recognized Silver City Fire Management Officer Marcus Cornwell as the 2023 Southwestern Wildland Firefighter of the Year. This annual award recognizes those who show a commitment to community service, going above and beyond the call of duty in their contributions to the fire service. Cornwell shows his commitment to leadership in the wildland fire organization through mentoring and training new and seasoned firefighters coming up through the ranks. His leadership style is open, respectful, and engaging, which inspires followership.

More recently, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group's Emergency Medical Committee announced that the Silver City Interagency Hotshot Crew was recognized as Outstanding Wildland Fire Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Crew of the Year for 2022. The award recognizes individuals and groups who have demonstrated outstanding actions or accomplishments that are above and beyond the expectation of one's normal mission or job duties. The award cites the crew's actions as the first responders on scene of a vehicle rollover accident on a busy interstate while enroute to a wildfire. The crew safely assessed the scene, radioed for local EMS support, extricated the injured driver, initiated patient care, and handled traffic control until local EMS and state law enforcement assumed control of the incident.

The Gila National Forest congratulates Marcus Cornwell and the Silver City Hotshots for the recognition of their achievements. For more information contact Maribeth Pecotte at 575-388-8211 or Maribeth.Pecotte@usda.gov .