The Chief James P. Seavey Sr. Health and Wellness Leadership Award: Promoting Emergency Responder Health and Wellness

Recipient Qualifications

In order to be nominated for this prestigious award, the individual must currently be serving as an active volunteer firefighter, EMS provider, or rescue worker and has made an impact on emergency responder heath and wellness at the local, state, and/or national level. Several required materials must be submitted as part of the nomination process and a winner is selected by the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Membership/Awards Committee and a representative of both Ward Diesel Filter Systems and VFIS.

This award was created in memory of Chief James P. Seavey Sr. who was an almost 30 year career firefighter who dedicated himself to promoting programs and raising awareness of firefighter and fire service cancer. He played an essential role in the creation of the “Lavender Ribbon Report: Best Practices for Preventing Firefighter Cancer”. He was chair of the VCOS cancer committee and co-chair of the NVFC cancer focus area, along with retiring as a Captain D.C. Fire Department and Chief of the Cabin John Park (MD) Volunteer Fire Department.

2024 Chief James P. Seavey Sr. Health and Wellness Leadership Award Recipient

The NVFC held its annual board of directions meeting for the 2024 year in late April to discuss Council business, host guest speakers, have meetings, and recognize award recipients. An awards banquet was held Apr 26, 2024 to award individuals with NVFC’s annual fire service achievements.

The recipient of the 2024 Chief James P. Seavey Sr. Health and Wellness Leadership Award is Chief John Swan Sr. of the Colona Fire Deparment in Illinois. Ward Diesel’s President Scott Beecher was in attendance at the ceremony to present the award to Chief Swan Sr.

Chief Swan Sr., selected for his outstanding dedication to firefighter health, initiated an on-scene, gross decontamination process called “Go Green Clean” to clearly tag equipment to separate clean from contaminated gear to help reduce harmful chemical exposure. Seeing the success of the Go Green Clean process, Chief Sawn Sr. brought it to the attention of the Illinois Firefighters Association, where he was President, leading to the eventual Go Green Clean Initiative across local, state, and national levels.

Chief Swan Sr. also started a program to raise awareness for the Go Green Clean Initiative by partnering with Alexis Fire Equipment to acquire a working 1994 HME fire engine. The truck was then cleaned, wrapped with updated graphics, and installed with television screens to show cancer prevention videos. Since 2022, the truck has traveled to over 40 towns, distributing free decontamination kits, showing at conferences, and being displayed at the state fair.