For many firefighters, a simple "thank you" can go a long way.

There were plenty of those to go around Monday night when the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 256, Lehighton, presented the 19th annual Firefighter of the Year award to an outstanding volunteer firefighter at Lehighton Fire Company.This year's recipient is Daniel Oswald Jr., who was named the 2015 Firefighter of the Year after being selected by his peers to receive the award.Kenneth Repsher, VFW commander, presented the award to Oswald, which reads "In special recognition and highest praise for alertness, personal courage and ever vigilant guardianship of life and property."Repsher told Oswald that "The VFW, and the community as a whole, appreciate your service.""It's to recognize them for community service they do for everybody else," Repsher said. "It's important that they be recognized."Oswald, a 25-year member of the fire company, who has the rank of assistant engineer, said he didn't find out about the award until earlier in the day."I wasn't really expecting it," Oswald said. "It's a nice award; usually a thank you is good enough for me."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, Joseph Flickinger, Jason A. Nothstein and Douglas J. Nothstein.