For the 18th 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, Douglas J. Nothstein was named the 2014 Firefighter of the Year.Kenneth Repsher, VFW commander, and Harry Wynn III, past commander, presented the award.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 said that it was a pleasure to present the award to someone who had been an outstanding firefighter in the previous year."It's a pleasure to be here," said Wynn. "You do it for the community, and it is appreciated."Nothstein is a 16-year member of the fire company and has the rank of lieutenant.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 and Jason A. Nothstein.