Honeywell Industrial Safety and DuPont Protection Solutions announced that 20 outstanding firefighters will receive expenses-paid scholarships to attend the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis April 18-23. A welcoming dinner and awards event will take place Tuesday, April 19, 8 p.m., at the Indianapolis JW Marriott.

“The scholarship awards dinner and ceremony is an opportunity to highlight individuals and organizations that are not only setting the gold standard for firefighting service, courage and selfless dedication, but have demonstrated an intense desire for education and training,” said Ken Schmidt, general manager for Honeywell First Responder. “Honeywell and DuPont are proud to co-sponsor a program that furthers the professional development of these 20 exemplary firefighters who will benefit their communities greatly by applying the knowledge they acquire from their training at FDIC.”

To be considered for the scholarship, firefighters must be nominated by a peer in their department.  Applications and essays are reviewed by a committee including fire chiefs, FDIC panelists, and representatives from Honeywell and DuPont.

The 2016 recipients are:

Scott Peterson, City of Fulton Montgomery Fire Protection District, Missouri – Peterson has served nine years as a firefighter in Missouri, with numerous certifications and roles including firefighter 2, Hazmat Operations and Emergency Medical Technician. Currently he serves as a state evaluator for the department and recently took over the role of training officer for Fulton’s volunteer department.

Carmen Delia, Wilmington Fire Department, North Carolina –  Delia is a master-firefighter-certified professional with 16 years of service including extensive leadership as a trainer and recruiter for the Wilmington, NC Fire Department. He joined the department immediately after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Neal Schweiner, De Pere Fire Rescue, Wisconsin – Schweiner has spent nine years in the fire service including the last three years at De Pere, where he also serves as a paramedic and field training officer.

Randy Aust – Richland Fire and Emergency Services, Washington – Aust is a captain and paramedic with 15 years of service on the firefighting and technical rescue teams for Richland. He recently coordinated a city-wide building pre-plan with the city fire marshal and dispatch center and will teach firefighters on using the mobile data terminal on the fire trucks.

Stoney Mathews, Bradley County, Tennessee – Matthews is a battalion captain serving the Bradley County Fire-Rescue team in a multifaceted role: he leads the diving team, swift water program, and technical rescue program.  He has also taught extrication classes and assisted with special operations.

Brent Muller, Northville Township, Michigan – Muller has an illustrious service record with the Northville Township Fire Dept. spanning nearly 20 years. He also is team leader for the Western Wayne County Hazardous Materials Response Team and is a Blue Card IMS Instructor for various training and certification classes serving fire departments in Southeastern Michigan.

Mark Toohey, Ashburn V