ASHLAND – Justin Hubler can’t imagine doing anything else.
He’s been a firefighter in Ashland for 11 years, following in the footsteps of his father, Lee Hubler, who was a volunteer firefighter in Sullivan, and his uncle, Lowell Patton, who was a captain at the Ashland Fire Department.
It’s a job Hubler loves.
“It’s an adrenaline rush. I like helping people, and it’s not a Monday through Friday 9 to 5 job. It changes up every day,” Hubler said. “For the most part, no call is the same.”
It’s also a job in which he excels.
After being named Ashland Fire Department’s EMT of the Year in 2015, Hubler was named Firefighter of the Year for 2017 at the department’s annual banquet on Jan. 20.
Hubler was nominated for both awards by his peers, who referred to him as a great mentor and role model for newer firefighters. His colleagues praised Hubler for being level-headed, fair, respectful and dedicated.
He “consistently does the right thing and never complains,” one firefighter wrote.
“I normally try to have a positive outlook on things, even when sometimes it’s hard to see the positive,” Hubler said. “I also try to take the new guys in and show them around, answer their questions and take time out of the day or night to help them become more proficient on something.”
For the past six years, Hubler has taken shifts as acting captain, a position that requires him to make the lineup for the day, assigning chores and leading or arranging for training sessions.
Hubler takes that responsibility seriously.
“It’s very important to keep up the training, because especially on the fire side, we don’t do it every day,” Hubler said. “We know how to do it, but it’s good to brush up on it and refine things.
“And because every situation is different, we try to come up with a situation to make it more difficult and train on that so we can be prepared for it.”
For Hubler, the fire station has become home away from home, and the guys at the department have become like family.
Hubler said he feels honored to have been nominated and chosen by his peers as Firefighter of the Year. Other top nominees were Ben Burrer and Chad Buzzard.
“Being respected by your peers, I think, makes you feel good about yourself and what you’re doing here at the department… It’s good to know the guys think you’re doing a good job day in and day out,” Hubler said.
Hubler lives in Ashland with his wife, Carrie, and their three children.
