A beloved former fire chief was remembered on Saturday and given a special honor. The Tryon Fire Department, along with friends and family, celebrated the life of former Tryon Fire Chief James “Tank” Waters. Waters passed away in April after a short illness.
To mark his service and dedication, the NC State Firefighters' Association presented his wife with the annual "Firefighter of the Year Award."
Waters was chosen out of 50,000 firefighters across the state. "It's measured against your career, your training, your service, number of years, officer position, your accomplishment in your community, your accomplishment teaching in other places, your accomplishment participating in state or national level," said Tim Bradley, the executive director of the NC State Firefighters' Association. Due to the pandemic, the annual conference was canceled, making this the first time the fire association came to the fire department where the individual was a member.