Mesquite honors firefighters with meritorious awards, sets Fill the Boot dates for MDA
March 02, 2026 | Mesquite, Dallas County, Texas
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Mesquite’s fire chief and fire department leaders used Monday’s council meeting to recognize individual and team achievements and to announce the department’s Fill the Boot schedule for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Fire Chief Hopkins introduced the department award winners and praised their service. The 2025 Officer of the Year is Lieutenant Royce Cartwright; the 2025 Paramedic of the Year is Firefighter Paramedic Jesse Boone; and the 2025 Firefighter of the Year is Driver Engineer Jeremy Hiner. Chief Hopkins also presented a new Excellence Award to a team that led the department’s records‑management system replacement: Debbie Randall (senior management analyst), Captain Jesse Kingery, Captain Jacob Heisey and Driver Engineer Justin Turner.
The chief described two recent life‑saving incidents. In one March response, Ambulance 2 and Engine 2 arrived to find a patient receiving CPR; crews achieved return of spontaneous circulation, the patient was taken to a cath lab and two stents were placed, and the patient was discharged home about nine days later. In another March call, Ambulance 7 and Engine 7 responded to an infant who required advanced interventions; the child recovered and was transferred to specialized pediatric care before discharge.
Battalion Chief Phil Cunningham announced the 2026 Fill the Boot schedule and fundraising goal for the department’s annual campaign with the International Association of Firefighters and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He said Mesquite volunteers will staff street corners on selected Thursdays and Fridays (late March and into April) from about 4–6 p.m. and asked the community to support MDA’s research and camp programs; the department’s local goal this season is to exceed $600,000 in donations.
Why it matters: The recognition highlights the department’s response successes and internal work to replace critical records systems; the Fill the Boot campaign funds research and family programs and is a longstanding IAFF–MDA partnership.
Fire Chief Hopkins introduced the department award winners and praised their service. The 2025 Officer of the Year is Lieutenant Royce Cartwright; the 2025 Paramedic of the Year is Firefighter Paramedic Jesse Boone; and the 2025 Firefighter of the Year is Driver Engineer Jeremy Hiner. Chief Hopkins also presented a new Excellence Award to a team that led the department’s records‑management system replacement: Debbie Randall (senior management analyst), Captain Jesse Kingery, Captain Jacob Heisey and Driver Engineer Justin Turner.
The chief described two recent life‑saving incidents. In one March response, Ambulance 2 and Engine 2 arrived to find a patient receiving CPR; crews achieved return of spontaneous circulation, the patient was taken to a cath lab and two stents were placed, and the patient was discharged home about nine days later. In another March call, Ambulance 7 and Engine 7 responded to an infant who required advanced interventions; the child recovered and was transferred to specialized pediatric care before discharge.
Battalion Chief Phil Cunningham announced the 2026 Fill the Boot schedule and fundraising goal for the department’s annual campaign with the International Association of Firefighters and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He said Mesquite volunteers will staff street corners on selected Thursdays and Fridays (late March and into April) from about 4–6 p.m. and asked the community to support MDA’s research and camp programs; the department’s local goal this season is to exceed $600,000 in donations.
Why it matters: The recognition highlights the department’s response successes and internal work to replace critical records systems; the Fill the Boot campaign funds research and family programs and is a longstanding IAFF–MDA partnership.
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