On Monday, Assistant State Fire Marshal Mark Brauneis traveled to Petersburg to announce that Captain Daniel Bird of Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department is the recipient of the 2023 Ken Akerley Fire Service Leadership Award.

Recipients of this statewide award are nominated by their peers from among Alaska's 8,000 firefighters.

The criteria to be deserving of this award, Brauneis said, the candidate "must exhibit an extraordinary commitment to leading in their fire department and earning the trust and respect of subordinates and peers alike..."

Brauneis praised Bird's exceptional dedication to...