WATERLOO - Firefighter Mike Moore felt strange celebrating an award on the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

"It was kind of a melancholy deal," said Moore, noting the more than 400 emergency responders who died at the World Trade Center in New York City. "There's a lot of firefighters in the country that are very deserving of this, including on my own department."

Moore, 44, is being honored as Waterloo Fire Rescue's firefighter of the year for 2008.

The award will be presented Oct. 20 during a lunch by members of the Noon Exchange Club at the Elks Lodge. They're also providing an overnight stay for Moore and his wife at the Grand Harbor Resort & Waterpark in Dubuque.

Also recently honored were Josh Heller, who earned the hazardous materials tech of the year, and Neal Caughron, named paramedic of the year.

Heller, a firefighter and paramedic, has been with the fire department since July 2004. He maintains hazardous materials equipment.

Caughron started working for Waterloo Fire Rescue in January 2002. He has served as a paramedic since 2005. Caughron was voted hazardous materials tech of the year in 2007.

"It's very humbling, it really is," Moore said. "At the same time, it's an honor."

Moore has earned respect from the public and his co-workers, and he promotes up-to-date training and safety, wrote Caughron, who nominated Moore.

Moore has long dreamed of a firefighting career and following in his family's footsteps. His dad, Dennis Moore, and uncle, Ray Moore, are retired from the Waterloo squad.

"I saw (Dad) for years and years how he enjoyed the career and always went to work happy, and it seemed like he enjoyed it," Moore said. "That's just the way I decided I wanted to go, too."

But defeating the competition to get hired would take Moore three attempts in about eight years. He recalls nearly 360 people in the same testing room.

"It was a hard part in Dad's career just watching me try and get on," Moore said. "He knew how bad I wanted it, but at the same time he could only sit back and watch me struggle trying to get on. I had to write a good test, I had to do a good interview and pass the physical ability test."

In the meantime, Moore worked as a third-shift manager at Food 4 Less, a former grocery store in Waterloo. And finally, in September 1989, his persistence paid off.

"The day I told (Food 4 Less officials) I was leaving, they offered me a manager's job in Wisconsin, and I told them, 'No, I'm going to be a firefighter.' And I left, with no hard feelings at all," Moore said.

He was promoted to fire engineer in 1997 and to lieutenant in 2000. About a year ago, he became a captain. He is on the tech rescue team, hazardous materials team and labor management committee. He's also a training officer, stationed at the hazardous materials training center at 1925 Newell St.

The Waterloo native graduated from Columbus High School in 1982. He and his wife, Tammy, have four sons, Tony, Andy, Aaron and Austin.

In his spare time, Moore enjoys annual summer fishing trips with his family to northern Minnesota, football games and biking.

Contact Tina Hinz

at (319) 291-1484 or

tina.hinz@wcfcourier.com.