MFD Firefighter Kyle Swearingen shows off his 2023 Firefighter of the Year award.
Kyle Swearingen has been chosen as the 2023 Maysville Fire Department Firefighter of the Year.
Maysville Fire Department Chief Kevin Doyle said ballots are handed out to all of the firefighters at the end of the year.
The firefighters vote for their choice based on events that happened during the year, people they enjoyed working with and who they felt stepped up during the year.
Swearingen began his career as a firefighter when he was just 14 years old as a junior at the Lewisburg Volunteer Fire Department. As a senior in high school, he took an EMT class.
After graduating from high school, he was hired on at the Maysville Fire Department.
However, he knew long before then that he wanted to be a firefighter.
“I was around fire departments my whole life,” he said. “From the time I was a kid, I was around the fire trucks, the fire departments. I was with the Lewisburg Department for years. Growing up around my dad and seeing it every day of my life made me really want to do it.”
Since being hired by the Maysville Fire Department, Swearingen has been through paramedic class and received several other certifications.
“I’m not planning on stopping,” he said. “Kevin and I have talked about continuing my education.”
Swearingen said the department has given him opportunities that he would not have had otherwise. It has also changed him into a different person.
“Kevin kind of pulled me out of a box,” he said. “I was extremely shy and I’ve kind of gotten out of that mentality a bit. I’m trying to further myself to be the best employee, the best firefighter and the best EMT I can be. I want to provide the best care to people that call.”
He said the biggest challenge he faces is the shift work.
MFD Firefighters work 24-hour shifts with a 48-hour break before returning for another 24-hour shift.
“It’s a blessing and a curse,” he said. “I have a fiance and two kids under the age of three at home. When you’re gone for 24 or 48 hours at a time, you spend more time with the guys here than you do your own family.”
Swearingen said that also means that family members get to know the other firefighters well.
“It’s an extended family here,” he said. “My daughter loves to come here and see me. She loves all of the guys here. She gets excited when I’m working so she can come and see all of the guys here.”
He said he was surprised about being chosen for firefighter of the year.
“I was very surprised,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting it. It caught my off guard, but it means a lot coming from all of the guys choosing me. I think very highly of everyone here. We’re extremely blessed. These are some of the best fire and EMS I’ve ever worked with. It means a lot coming from all of the guys that I uphold to know that they think the same about me.”
Swearingen said he plans to stay with the department until he retires.
Doyle said Swearingen was deserving of the award.
“Kyle has always been a great firefighter. We always said he was a good one to have on to pull that hose line. He would show up when flames were coming out of the window and always knew what he was doing. He’s always been a natural leader, but what has really set him apart the last couple of years is the EMS and some of the things he’s dealt with and how he’s handled it. He’s very compassionate,” he said. “The biggest thing about this award is that it’s voted on by your peers. If you really want an honest opinion about anything, I think the people you work with are going to tell you how they feel. I think it’s a big deal to be selected by the people that you work with every day.”
MFD Assistant Chief Kyle Carpenter, who has worked with Swearingen for several years, shared similar sentiments about Swearingen.
“He’s grown the past three to four years. He’s really excelled as a firefighter and medic,” he said.
