Cazenovia College seniors Mark Allen and Phillip Sheehan were each awarded the Chief’s Award on Feb. 4 at the annual Cazenovia Fire Department banquet. The award, which is typically presented to one volunteer firefighter a year, was given to both Allen and Sheehan. Both have dedicated an extraordinary amount of time and service, to the village and their vocation.

Although the two were the first recipients of the award in a single year, as well as the youngest; Allen and Sheehan are careful to share their spotlight with their fellow volunteers.

“It’s not just us, it’s all the firefighters at the college, they make us look good by showing up at 3 a.m.,” Sheehan said. “All the other guys here at the department are great, too. It’s absolutely a team effort. It takes a lot of people to do this job.”

“Every time we’ve wanted to take a class or get some training in, they provided transportation, the gear, the equipment, whatever we needed,” Allen said. “They really put a lot of faith and trust in us, I think this is a reflection of what we were able to do with their support.”

Allen and Sheehan were randomly paired as roommates during their freshman year at Cazenovia. Allen, a native of Saratoga Springs, and Sheehan, an Eagle Scout from Troy, quickly realized they both majored in criminal justice, and had interest in the local fire department. Together they filled out the required applications and were voted into the department by established members. For the past three years, both men have been volunteering time at the fire house and gaining experience as both rescue squad members and emergency medical technicians.

Over their careers at Cazenovia College, Allen and Sheehan were integral with the creation of the Cazenovia College Firefighter and EMS Club, as well as the recruitment of an additional 10 members. This is quite an accomplishment for the school and fire department, as previous campus organizations had yielded less than a hand-full of volunteers.

The club promotes participation and understanding of the life-saving activity. Allen and Sheehan had coordinated a number of trips to surrounding departments and lectures from area professionals. In addition, the club joins the Cazenovia Fire Department at Burton Street Elementary the second week of every October for “Fire Prevention Week,” where young children are taught about fire safety and introduced to the specialized equipment.

Both Allen and Sheehan have accomplished countless hours of certification and service. The men have completed the 96 hour introductory course “Firefighter I,” a 16 hour class “Firefighter Survival,” Firefighter Assist and Search Team courses and intensive EMT certification courses.

While graduation is still a few months away, both are contemplative of their next moves. Allen and Sheehan hope to acquire employment in law enforcement, at either the local, state or federal levels. The two said they would enjoy finding work in a fire department or emergency medical service. Cazenovia’s Fire Department is currently a volunteer association, so the two may look towards Syracuse or surrounding areas