The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) has named U.S. Fire Administrator and Director of Preparedness at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) R. DAVID PAULISON Fire Protection Person of the Year for his contribution to the nation in his role as USFA administrator and for his commitment to fire prevention and innovative approaches to fire safety. CHARLIE DICKINSON, deputy USFA administrator, received the Chairman’s Award of Distinction for his contributions to the firefighter community. Both have had extensive careers in the fire service before joining the USFA.
DIANA BORASH, first vice president of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International, Inc., has accepted a position as communications director for WestCom, a consolidated emergency communications center providing police, fire, and emergency medical dispatch service for the cities of Clive, Urbandale, and West Des Moines, Iowa. Currently director for Allina EMS Communications in St. Paul, Minn., Iowa native Borash began her communications career in the late 1970s at an Iowa City hospital answering ambulance radios and checking patients into the emergency room. She later dispatched for the Iowa City Police Department while training to become a paramedic. After moving to the Minnesota’s Twin Cities, Borash continued her dispatching career with St. Paul Fire Communications and worked for Allina part-time as an EMT-paramedic.
