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Posted: Oct 04, 2019 7:56 PMUpdated: Oct 04, 2019 8:55 PM

Brady Watson Named Bartlesville Fire Dept. Firefighter of the Year

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Tom Davis

 

Local Firefighter Brady Watson has been named "2018 Firefighter of the Year" by the Bartlesville Fire Department. Watson was honored during a reception held Friday.

Watson, who joined the Bartlesville Fire Department on Sept. 11, 2006, is currently assigned to Fire Station No. 3, located on Madison Boulevard, where he serves not only as a firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician but also as a member of the BFD Honor Guard.

"Brady has been with the department for 13 years and is an excellent choice for this award," said Fire Chief John Banks. "Brady is an excellent employee and just a great person. We are very fortunate to have him here on our fire department."

A Skiatook native, Watson graduated from high school in 2000 and joined the U.S. Army in 2001. He spent four years on active duty, rising through the ranks to become the Section Chief of a Multiple Launch Rocket System. In 2003, he was deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and spent more than a year in South Korea defending the Demilitarized Zone. He then spent one year in the National Guard as a Light Vehicle Mechanic. His military awards and decorations include three Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Ribbon, Korean Defense Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer's Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, and many certificates throughout his service time.

After joining BFD, Watson completed his Firefighter I training through Oklahoma State University and is a certified EMT through Tulsa Technology Center. He was initially a rover for his first year with the department but has been assigned to Station 3 for the last 12 years. In 2010, he graduated Summa Cum Laude from Oklahoma Wesleyan University with an associate's degree in liberal arts.

In 2016, the fire department began working to create the Bartlesville Fire Department Honor Guard. Watson was elected to serve as BFD Honor Guard commander on Jan. 31, 2017, along with a team of six other firefighters. The Honor Guard's mission is to represent the department as a highly disciplined team serving with honor at ceremonial functions. The Honor Guard projects a positive image of the department and its members by performing as a well-trained, professional team at local and state events. The team is dedicated to honoring fallen firefighters, their families and department members, past and present.

Watson, along with Honor Guard member Cody Nissen, travelled to Galveston, Texas, to complete the National Honor Guard Academy in April 2017. Since then, the team has served at multiple community functions, including the annual 9/11 memorial service and the Oklahoma City memorial service.

Watson resides in Owasso with his wife Kimberly and his daughter Madison, 18, who is currently attending Colorado State University, and two sons, Andrew, 7, and Ben, 5.

 


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