MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury Fire Department and Battell Hose Company held their joint annual awards dinner on Saturday, Dec. 2, at the American Legion Post 27 in Middlebury. The dinner was attended by current, former, and life members of the Middlebury Fire Department, as well as by the members of the board of directors of the Battell Hose Company, and guests.
Chief Shaw presided over the annual presentation of awards recognizing the contributions and efforts of the members of the Middlebury Fire Department. 
This year, each life and current member of the department and each member of the Battell Hose Company board received a challenge coin to acknowledge membership in and service to the two organizations.
Service awards were presented to the following members:
•  Firefighters Dan Cioffredi and Brian Hayes for 5 years of service.
•  Captain Donald Mason for 10 years of service.
•  Firefighter Donald Patterson for 20 years of service.
•  Firefighter Laurent Lussier for 30 years of service.
Captain Donald Mason received the Captain Richard E. Hayes Training Award for the most hours of training in the department for the prior year (2016) at 172 hours.  This award is given in memory of Captain Hayes, who passed away in 2001.
Firefighter and former Captain David Broughton received the chiefs’ award for outstanding service to the department throughout his 37 years of service.
The Middlebury Fire Department extended honorary membership to two Addison County fire service professionals:  Retired Chief Mark Bouvier of the Bristol Fire Department, and Chief Tom Estey of the Starksboro Fire Department.  Chief David Shaw noted their individual longtime support of and friendship with the Middlebury Fire Department as key reasons for extending this honor.