Veteran Paramedic Named Urbandale Firefighter of the Year

A part-time paramedic has been named Urbandale Firefighter of the Year.

Paula Merfeld has been involved with the for 23 years. Fire Chief Jerry Holt said several of her peers nominated her as firefighter of the year.

“Paula goes above and beyond to deliver our services. Paula has a winning personality and never meets a stranger," Holt said. "She works very hard to make all of our customers feel at ease and she is active within the department, serving on several committees.

"A common theme in her nomination was that Paula is a joy to work with. She adheres to the core values of the department and she delivers those services with a smile on her face,” wrote Holt.

Other awards included: 

• Leadership Award: Lt. Dan Birkett. "A great example of Lt. Birkett’s leadership was his involvement in the design and construction of the department’s tribute to 9/11. Lt. Birkett oversaw the construction of the Monte Burr Memorial Gardens and made sure that the tribute was fitting and exceeded our expectations," wrote Holt.
• Monte Burr Memorial Training Award: Rob Zahnd. Burr, a firefighter/EMT who died in 2009, attended all the training offerings during his career. The award in his name was presented to the person who attended the most training in 2011.
• Instructor of the Year: Lt. Lance Routson.
• Mike Mercurio Character Award: Craig Pope.
• Make a Difference Award: Lt. Lance Routson