In May, the Lancaster County Fireman's Association (LCFA) chose Paul Thomas of the Conestoga Volunteer Fire Company as a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award for 2024. During the annual LCFA meeting on June 1, Thomas was presented with the award to recognize more than 50 years of service as an active member of the Conestoga Volunteer Fire Company and his dedication to making the community a safer place.

"(Thomas) is the kind of guy who will help anyone," said Larry Frankford, the current fire chief of the Conestoga Volunteer Fire Company. "It could be anything, even outside the fire hall. He steps up to the plate, and he's been that way as long as I've known him."

Thomas joined the fire company in 1969. Although he has worn many hats over the course of his career, Thomas has always served as an active firefighter, and he continues to go out on calls today. Thomas served as an ambulance attendant and EMT with the Conestoga Ambulance Association from 1972 to 1978, and he served his first term on the fire company's board of directors from 1974 to 1994. Thomas is currently serving his second term as a board member since he was elected in 2008.

Fire company bylaws state that a fire chief cannot simultaneously serve on the board of directors. Thomas was appointed as the first assistant fire chief in 1978, and he assumed the role of fire chief in 1995 once his term on the board ended. Thomas stepped down as fire chief in 2007, and he took up his former title of first assistant fire chief from 2008 to 2024.

Frankford said that he credits much of his knowledge of the fire department and his role as fire chief to Thomas' guidance. "He was certainly a leader who would teach and mentor not just myself, but everyone in the department," added Frankford.

When Frankford and his fellow members of the Conestoga Volunteer Fire Company learned about the annual LCFA awards, Frankford said that they immediately knew whom to nominate. "It was a no-brainer for us," said Frankford. "I can't say enough good things about the man. There aren't many people like him in the world, and we wanted him to know he wasn't taken for granted."