James a Miller “B” Award presented to the Pennsylvania Firemen

The James a Miller “B” award was presented to the Pennsylvania Firemen published by the Lancaster County Firemen’s Association.

The James A. Miller “B” award, established in 1972, is presented to either an individual, a group of individuals who are not members of the State Association, or to a company or corporation which has contributed to the benefit, welfare and the improvement of the fire service in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in an outstanding manner.

The recipient will receive an engraved plaque provided by Provident Insurance Agency. Person or persons, company or corporation can only receive this award once.

In 1937 a county firemen’s association started publishing a newsletter for its members. The purpose was to keep the membership informed and provide a means for its members to communicate with each other. Circulation started around 1390 copies.

Around the mid-1960s, Bob Getz of Denver, PA, president of that County organization, and Tom Shufstall from Rocky Grove in western Pennsylvania, and president of the State Association at that time, formed a partnership between two groups. The State Association would subscribe all of its members to the newsletter, and the newsletter would publish the State Association meetings and convention activities, along with other news of interest across the state. The name was changed from the Lancaster County Firemen’s newsletter to the Pennsylvania Fireman.

In 1967, a Lancaster fireman by the name Of Ernest Rojahn Jr., took over as editor and greatly expanded the topics, its advertising and coverage of the newsletter.

Today, over 10,000 copies are printed each month and mailed throughout the US, and even a few foreign countries. No other publication has affected the fire service in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as the Pennsylvania Fireman.

It’s with this distinction that the State Association awards committee proudly awards the 2010 James a Miller “B” award to the Pennsylvania Fireman published by the Lancaster County Firemen’s Association, and its editor Ernest Rojahn Jr.