1/17/08

Hardy named Clarendon’s Firefighter Rookie of the Year
By Jerriod Grizzle

JERRIOD GRIZZLE/Manning Times

Fresh from a fire last spring, Jason Hardy is passionate about being a firefighter. He was named Rookie of the Year at the annual Firefighters Award Banquet in December.

He’s got a four-month-old named Cayden, a fiancée named Cassie and on top of it all an hour ride to work each way everyday. He gets up at 5 a.m. to get to work by 7 a.m., works a 12-hour shift, seven days a week and then goes home to take care of his child.

He has been described as “a humble individual,” by workmates and “loving” by friends.

Meet the 2007 Clarendon County Fire Department Rookie of the Year, Jason Garris Hardy.

Hardy, a volunteer with the county department, won the award at the Firefighters Award Banquet in December of 2007 where it was said he won the hearts and minds of all he worked with, even doing a long stretch of welding that was needed at the county burn building.

“I don’t know how to put it into words. There were eight other people and they were just as good as me,” said Hardy. “I am speechless and honored to get it.”

Firefighting is not a family tradition for Hardy, in fact just one other person in his family, his cousin, Lance Green, is a firefighter but it has been a lifelong dream of Hardy’s nonetheless.

Hardy was born and raised in Manning and said that for as long as he could remember, he wanted to be a firefighter.

“I always saw police cars and fire trucks and ambulances and I wanted to follow them. I wanted to know what was going on,” he said.

Hardy graduated the Phoenix Center High School in Alcolu in 2003 and went into welding as a job.

Hardy started with the Fire Department in 2006 to become a professional fire fighter but became a volunteer fireman later that year after his job with Teton Industrial Construction took him out of town to Cross, South Carolina.

Hardy said that though his job may take him away from the daily action, firefighting is still what he wants to do.

“I love being a firefighter and being a citizen and helping my community,” he said.

Hardy’s choice of selfless service goes farther than just being a firefighter when asked about his goal in his beloved job.

“My ultimate goal as a firefighter is to save a life not knowing if I will make it out alive or not,” he said.

Hardy said he plans to go back to his dream.

“I want to take some classes and maybe get on with a station one day full time and get back into fire fighting as a profession,” he said.