Fire Safety Commendation Awarded

Brian Phelps and Randy Atkins presented Ben Coffman the Fire Safety Commendation and Medal on in front of a large crowd on June 12 at the LeadershipLegacy event held at the Atlantic Union Bank in Harrisonburg, VA.

​Ben began his firefighting journey at age 14 with the Timberville Volunteer Fire Department and has now given more than 35 years to protecting lives and property. He served over 20 years with Fairfax County Fire & Rescue, rising to law enforcement-certified Fire Marshal and Explosives Enforcement Program Manager, where his work in fire prevention and code enforcement directly safeguarded our communities. He later served as Fire Chief in Livingston, Montana, and today serves as Deputy Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator for Frederick County Fire & Rescue.

A graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer program, Ben also serves on the National Capital Region Incident Management Team. In that role, he provided critical leadership during the complex multi-agency response and recovery following the January 2025 mid-air collision involving American Airlines Flight 5342 near Reagan National Airport. For those efforts, the NCR IMT was recently honored by the Aero Club of Washington as Persons of the Year, with Ben representing the team.

Ben’s decades of dedicated service in fire prevention, emergency response, and incident command exemplify the highest standards of professionalism and selfless commitment to protecting human life and property.