CHARLOTTE, Mich., Jan. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Spartan Emergency Response (“Spartan” or “Spartan ER”), a business unit of Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAR) (“Spartan” or the “Company”), has awarded its Emergency Vehicle Technician (EVT) of the Year recognition to Al Hasenfratz, Master Duty EVT of the Fire-EMS Department in Sylvania, Ohio. Hasenfratz was honored by Spartan, in partnership with Firehouse magazine, at an awards ceremony at the 31st Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) Apparatus Symposium held in Orlando, Florida.

“Our first responders rely heavily on the expert skills of firehouse EVTs to allow them to do their jobs safely and successfully,” said Todd Fierro, President, Spartan Emergency Response. “It’s the unwavering commitment of EVTs like Al that empower his team to serve the community.  He has proven himself to be an expert and a leader over the course of his 30-year career, and Spartan is honored to present him with this well-deserved recognition.”

Hasenfratz has spent the past 13 years serving the Sylvania Township Fire-EMS team where he focused on enabling the relationship between firefighters and the mechanics working on the vehicles. His colleagues praise Al’s eagerness to share his knowledge with others and encouraging best practice application. Hasenfratz is a Master Heavy Duty EVT, certified by the EVT Certification Commission, and a Master Heavy Duty technician, certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. He is an active member of the Ohio Association of EVTs and serves on the EVT Certification Commission Task Group, in addition to serving as an alternate for the National Fire Protection Association 1071: Standard for Emergency Vehicle Technician Professionals.

The FDSOA’s annual Apparatus Symposium conference is dedicated to providing a better understanding of fire apparatus and ambulances to the emergency services industry. For more information, visit www.fdsoa.org.