'I'm truly honored': ECFR assistant chief named Florida Volunteer Fire Officer of the Year

You probably haven't heard of him, but Escambia County Fire Rescue District Fire Chief Yoshimi Core provides leadership and training throughout the firefighting community in Escambia.

Now, firefighters statewide are singing his praises.

The Florida Fire Chiefs' Association named Core the 2022 Volunteer Fire Officer of the Year for "exhibiting dedication and professionalism with his fellow firefighters." Core is the second Escambia firefighter to receive an award in 2022. In December, ECFR Lt. Nick Gradia received the 2022 Professional Firefighter of the Year Award.

"I'm truly honored," Core told the News Journal of his recognition. "I didn't even know it was an award until I was told it was going to be, but I was truly honored.

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"There's a multitude of firefighters out there that I look up to as my mentors who've gone before me to show me the ropes, per se, and help me to be an officer, much less a good officer," he added. "I'm just flabbergasted I got nominated to begin with."

Core said that every firefighter around him, along with his military career, created a "win-win situation" as he dove into public service. The military career he spoke of, believe it or not, began with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Blue Angels

After graduating from Jesuit High School in Tampa, Core accompanied his friend to pick up his friend's dad — who just happened to be the Bucs team dentist. When they arrived at the locker room, Core said he offered his name and number in case the team needed any help in the future.

"Six months go by and I guess they were getting ready for spring training and they needed some help cleaning some stuff, and he called me up and said, 'Can you do some stuff on this day?'" Core said. "I said, 'Sure,' because what am I going to say? No?"

He then worked as the team's assistant equipment manager until 1984 when new administration relieved a majority of staff. But around the time his job with the Buccaneers ended, Core said he saw an advertisement from the U.S. Navy that said, "Join the Navy, see the world."

"I've already seen the United States and been through every major stadium and state, so I might as well see what they have to offer," he said.

Core said since he had always been interested in electronics, he was immediately able to begin his military career as a sonar technician aboard a Navy ship at the age of 21.

After 18 years and achieving the rank of Command Master Chief, Core was selected from Pensacola's Naval Air Technical Training Center to join the Blue Angels team, spending three years with the Navy flight demonstration squadron.

Once his time with the Blues concluded, he moved on to Eglin Air Force Base and helped begin the F-35 program.

"Once we got our clearance of safe for flight, saying 'yeah we can take care of our own jets,' I was at the 30-year mark," Core said. "You know, four grandkids in the area ... I thought 30 years had been long enough, so I retired from the Navy after that."

U.S. Navy to Escambia County Fire Rescue

After Core retired in 2014 and became a financial advisor for a period, he said firefighting was a natural progression from his work with the Navy.

"Sonar technician means you're out to sea," he said. "And when you're out to sea on the ships, every person on that ship is a firefighter or part of the crew that helps firefighting.

"There is no fire department out at sea but you," he added. "So, the training I got on the ships sparked an interest of being a firefighter later in life."

Although his training aboard Navy ships helped begin his passion for firefighting, he said his late father-in-law, a former fire chief in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, urged Core to become a firefighter for the sake of Core's wife's, Carolyn.

"He was on his deathbed in Philadelphia, and he says, 'When are you going to make Carolyn honorable?'" Core recalled. "'You see that fire truck out there? When I die, they're going to carry me off that fire truck, and you need to be on there. The only way for you to do that is to become a firefighter.'"

Thus began Core's firefighting career and his time being a mentor and trainer to all the volunteer firefighters to "enhance training for the department's volunteer personnel," according to ECFR Deputy Fire Chief Paul Williams.

"Chief Core has been instrumental in carrying out his duties as an assistant district chief, but he has also gone above and beyond in many circumstances," Williams said in a statement. "We are fortunate to have Chief Core as a member of the department and look forward to many years of service to come."

Core will be presented the award on Jan. 18 during the Fire-Rescue EAST opening ceremonies in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Benjamin Johnson can be reached at bjohnson@pnj.com or 850-435-8578

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: ECFR's Yoshimi Core awarded 2022 Volunteer Fire Officer of the Year