Cal Fire at Corralitos firefighter Lawrence Erickson will be recognized today as Firefighter of the Year by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors.

Erickson, 47, has been a firefighter for nearly three decades, and has worked at the Corralitos station for nearly 10 years.

“I think it’s a humbling honor, especially when you consider the caliber of the firefighters who live in the community,” he said. “There’s a lot of real outstanding firefighters and fire departments that are extremely competent.”

He said his career was inspired by a firefighter friend of his brother.

“It all looked like a good thing to me,” he said.

Erickson started as a seasonal firefighter, and in the off-season studied to become a registered nurse.

Nursing, he said, was a career that he didn’t like nearly as much as firefighting, but his medical background helped him become a paramedic. He now teaches emergency medical technician refresher courses for staff and volunteers.

For the complete article see the 02-09-2010 issue.

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