Technician Michael Frames is not your typical firefighter. The 26-year veteran of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department specializes in extremely technical jobs — reaching people trapped underground, stranded in moving water and stuck in confined spaces.
And on top of that, he’s modest.
Frames said when he learned he had been selected as firefighter of the year in Fairfax County, he thought it was a practical joke.
“At first I thought the guys were up to a prank again and playing a joke on me,” Frames said. “But it became clear that I was actually put into it and chosen for the award.”
Frames is part of a Technical Rescue Operations Team at the North Point station in Reston, which means he has to be knowledgeable about a variety of complicated rescue techniques.
His colleague, Capt. Barry Rathbone, said he nominated Frames for the award because of his positive influence in the community and in the firehouse.
“Probably one of the first things that stands out among the other firefighters is his dedication to his co-workers,” Rathbone said. “Often times he would cancel his own plans to come to the aid of another firefighter.”
Frames said he chose to become a career firefighter in the late 1970s after witnessing a fire that left seven people dead. A volunteer firefighter at the time, he realized he could be more helpful with a larger skill set.
“I was limited in what I could do with my training, and I wanted to expand on that … to help out more,” he said.
Rathbone and others spoke at a ceremony honoring Frames in early August. It is the 23rd year that the award has been given out.
