February 8, 2011 > Jason Livermore, Firefighter of the Year Jason Livermore, Firefighter of the Year Submitted by Hayward Chamber of Commerce Photo by Simon Wong Leadership, a strong sense of duty and devotion to his profession and the community he serves are how colleagues describe Capt. Jason Livermore, Hayward Fire Department. A nephew of uncles who served in the San Francisco Fire Department, Livermore began working toward his career goal as a teenager in the City of Fremont's Fire Explorer program, then attended the California's best Firefighter Academy at Chabot College and trained as a paramedic. By the time he was 21, he had been hired by Hayward Fire Department. Livermore has served the department in various roles - as a firefighter, as a captain on both engine and truck companies, as a fire academy instructor and president of the firefighters bargaining unit Local 1909. His dedication to professional development has led him to take specialized training in areas such as extracting victims from wrecked vehicles, rescue techniques, fighting wild-land fires and the course work to become a licensed mobile intensive care paramedic. He and his crew are the latest recipients of the department's medal of Valor for the actions in going to the aid of a Mt. Eden High School Student who was subjected to a group attack. Livermore has a long record of community service, including work with the Hayward Firefighters' Toys for Tots program, the Matt Jimenez Charity Golf Tournament, the Sun gallery, the Hayward Police Department's gun buy-back program, the Special Olympics, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Girls, Inc., St. Rose Hospital and others. "Jason cares about the serving the public and providing all-around fire service to the community," said his colleague Mike Hildebrand. "He is professional on the street and in the firehouse." Livermore received his award, sponsored by Waste Management of Alameda County, at the Hayward Chamber of Commerce's 67th Annual Celebration Awards Gala at Cal State University, East Bay on January 22, 2011.