Jim “JD” Dalton to be Honored at the 29th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner
Recipient of 2017 CFSI/Motorola Solutions Mason Lankford Fire Service Leadership Award

(March 8, 2017) – The Congressional Fire Services Institute’s Board of Directors selected Mr. Jim Dalton as the recipient of the 2017 CFSI/Motorola Solutions Mason Lankford Fire Service Leadership Award. The presentation will take place at the 29th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner on April 6th at the Washington Hilton, in Washington, DC.

Dalton’s career in the fire service began in 1960 when he joined the Silver Spring, Maryland Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter. Shortly thereafter, he was hired as a career firefighter and served for 25 years with the Montgomery County (MD) Department of Fire and Rescue Services. Over the span of his 57-year career, Dalton’s contributions to public safety have had a profound impact at the local, state and national levels. He is considered one of the pivotal leaders of our time in advocating for smoke detectors and sprinklers systems, among other public safety initiatives. Following passage of the most comprehensive smoke detector law in the country in Montgomery County, Dalton traveled the country helping other jurisdiction implement similar smoke detector initiatives.

Throughout his career, Dalton has been active with a number of public safety organizations, including the International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Fire Protection Association, United States Fire Administration, International Society of Fire Service Instructors and the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA). In 1993, he joined NFSA as its Director of Public Fire Protection and was appointed to serve as its representative to the CFSI National Advisory Committee. In 2012, he was elected as Vice Chair of the NAC and in 2014, his peers elected him as Chair of the committee.

“Jim Dalton epitomizes the spirit of the Mason Lankford Award,” said CFSI President Bill Jenaway. “When you look at the four goals of the award, you’ll clearly see that Jim has clearly achieved each one of them throughout his illustrious career. The consummate consensus builder and tireless educator, Jim has had such an immeasurable impact on public safety, making both the fire service and our local communities much safer. We look forward to honoring him on April 6th.”

“The CFSI/Motorola Solutions Mason Lankford Fire Service Award recognizes individuals who have advanced fire and life safety initiatives,” said John Zidar, corporate vice president for Motorola Solutions. “We are proud to recognize Jim Dalton who has dedicated his career to fire safety education for firefighters and the people they protect.”

Please click here or additional information about the 29th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Symposium and Dinner. This event benefits the mission of the Congressional Fire Services Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan policy organization designed to educate members of Congress about fire and life safety issues.

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