Rookie of the Year

During their Christmas banquet held in December, Firefighter/EMT Ian Macintosh was named as the Rookie of the Year for the Colfax Fire Department (CFD).
Macintosh grew up in Greensboro with a family of first responders. He noted that from an early age, he wanted to be a first responder.
“When I was in kindergarten, I knew I wanted to be either be a police officer or firefighter,” he said.
Macintosh said other than his brother, who used to work at CFD part-time, a majority of his family is in law enforcement.
Macintosh explained that he started out in the fire service as a junior firefighter.
“It was the 10th anniversary of 9-11 when I applied as a junior firefighter at Summerfield Fire Department when I was 16 years old,” he said, noting that he worked there for three years.
Following his time at Summerfield Fire Department, Macintosh worked at Georgetown County Fire Department in S.C. for about a year before coming to CFD, where he has worked part-time for the past two years.
Along with being a firefighter, Macintosh also works full-time for Guilford County EMS (emergency medical services).
Macintosh shared what he enjoys about being a firefighter.
“Everyday is different and every call is unique,” he said. “I enjoy going on calls and making a difference.”
Macintosh said while he enjoys how different everything is, it’s also the hardest part of the job.
“The hardest part is probably having to adapt to different circumstances because every call is different,” he stated.
As far as working at CFD, Macintosh said it’s the people that make it a great place to work.
“It’s a good area and they are good people to work with,” he said. “I’ve had a good experience here.”
The most rewarding experience Macintosh said he has had since working at CFD was one that earned him a Rescue Life Saving Award.
“We had to cut a teenager out of his car on I-40 and he made a full recovery,” he said. “It was one of the worst wrecks that I’ve ever been on. Everyone on call got a Rescue Life Saving Award.”
Macintosh shared that he has also received a Medical Life Saving Award through CFD, and a training award when he was working for Summerfield Fire Department.
When Macintosh isn’t helping others, he enjoys playing basketball for fun and working out.
He is also currently working on his Bachelors in Emergency and Disaster Management.
When he learned that he was being named as the Rookie of the Year, Macintosh said he was surprised. Unlike other departments, the Firefighter and Rookie of the Year awards are based on training hours worked and calls firefighters go on.
“I just wasn’t aware of it until the Christmas party,” he said. “It gives me a sense of accomplishment.”
Looking towards the future, Macintosh said he hopes to be an emergency management coordinator and to continue working at CFD part-time.