For the 17th year, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 256, Lehighton, has presented a Firefighter of the Year award to an outstanding volunteer firefighter at Lehighton Fire Company.

On Monday night, Jason Nothstein was named the 2013 Firefighter of the Year.Presenting the award was Kenneth Repsher, VFW commander and Harry Wynn III, past commander.Nothstein was selected by his peers for the honor.The award was inscribed with the following message: "In special recognition and highest praise for alertness, personal courage and ever vigilant guardianship of life and property."Wynn thanked Nothstein for all the things you do."You do it for the community," said Wynn. "Not many people want to run into a fire, most people want to run out."`Firefighters who received the award in past years are: Larry Diehl, Rodney Rehnert, Gary Frable, Michael Mriss, Wayne E. Nothstein, Dave Oswald, Jim Hauser, Paul Mriss, Steve Ebbert, Chris Ritter, Scott Nothstein, Patrick Mriss, John Kuller, Martin Spezialetti, Justin Klotz and Joesph Flickinger.