Saginaw names Madison Gonzales its 2026 Firefighter of the Year at the fire department’s annual awards

SAGINAW, Mich. — Madison Gonzales is the Saginaw Fire Department’s 2026 Firefighter of the Year, an honor announced Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the department’s annual awards ceremony, WNEM-TV5 and Mid-Michigan NOW reported.

The department recognized Gonzales for “unselfish cooperation” and “obvious devotion to duty,” and said he sets an example for others whether he is on duty or not, according to WNEM.

Gonzales said he did not expect the award. “I’m proud to be from the city. I take a lot of pride in what we do. I just love the job,” he told Mid-Michigan NOW. He gave credit to the crews he works with. “It’s not just a ‘me’ thing. It takes all of us,” he told WNEM.

The ceremony was scheduled for 10 a.m. at fire department headquarters, 801 Federal Ave., to recognize residents, firefighters and other first responders for stepping up when people needed help, according to a city news release issued Oct. 5. It also honored Saginaw firefighters who died in service to the city, WNEM reported. Merit awards, life-saving awards and promotions were handed out, and the department’s newest fire truck was on display, Mid-Michigan NOW reported.

Fire Chief Brandon Hausbeck said the work his firefighters do ranges widely. “We pull people out of fires or we fill a bike tire for a kid, a neighborhood kid, everything in between,” he told WNEM.

The ceremony came a few days after Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 4 to 10. The National Fire Protection Association’s theme this year, “Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging Is a Superpower,” centers on the lithium-ion batteries in phones, laptops, toys, power tools, e-bikes and e-scooters, the city said.

The department’s advice, drawn from the association’s guidance: Charge a device only with the cord and charger it came with or one its maker approves. Set it on a hard, flat surface while it charges, not on a bed or couch, and unplug it once it is full. Stop using any battery that runs unusually hot, swells, leaks, smokes, smells odd or makes popping or hissing sounds. Bigger batteries, like those in e-bikes, e-scooters and power tools, are best charged outdoors when that is practical, and a charging device should never block a way out of the house.

Questions about the awards or fire safety can go to the Saginaw Fire Department at 989-759-1393, according to the release.

Sources:
City of Saginaw, news release, “Saginaw Fire Department to Host Awards Ceremony/Open House,” Oct. 5, 2026, https://www.saginaw-mi.com/DocumentCenter/View/6818/Press-Release---2026-10-05---Fire-Department-Awards-and-Open-House-PDF
WNEM-TV5, “Saginaw Fire Department holds annual open house and awards ceremony,” Oct. 13, 2026, https://www.wnem.com/2026/10/13/saginaw-fire-department-holds-annual-open-house-awards-ceremony/
Mid-Michigan NOW, “Saginaw honors firefighters, first responders at annual awards ceremony,” Oct. 13, 2026, https://midmichigannow.com/news/local/saginaw-honors-firefighters-first-responders-at-annual-awards-ceremony
Photo: Ian Poellet, “Central Fire Station - Saginaw Michigan.jpg,” Feb. 22, 2017, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), cropped and color-adjusted; derivative under the same ShareAlike license, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Central_Fire_Station_-_Saginaw_Michigan.jpg

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