City firefighter recognized at commission meeting

Johnson City firefighter Lt. Michael Allen Foshie was recognized at the June 29 commission meeting for completing the Managing Officer Program offered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Fire Academy. This is a challenging two-year program that only one other member of the Johnson City Fire Department has completed.

Foshie participated in a series of courses in emergency response, incident management, critical decision making, and other professional leadership instruction. The program culminated in a Capstone project.

In his Capstone research, Foshie identified gear washing as a contributing factor for higher rates of cancer in firefighters. As a result of the findings, he proposed to the Fire Department ways to protect firefighters through safer practice. “Lt. Foshie’s FEMA coursework has practical application,” said Fire Chief David Bell. “The Fire Department will review this project for possible implementation because of his research.”