DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Nearly a year after being recognized for his dedication to service, now Lieutenant Roger Chapman has been named the 2021 firefighter of the year.

Chapman, who was promoted to lieutenant last year, has been with the department for almost eight years.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chapman volunteered more than 170 hours of overtime to help distribute over 1,200 COVID-19 vaccines to residents at the Dearborn vaccine clinic.

Dearborn Heights Fire Chief Dave Brogan said that choosing Chapman wasn’t an easy choice, but that Chapman is always dedicated to everything he does.

“I am very proud of Roger for all of his hard work,” Brogan said. “He is a great example of a Dearborn Heights firefighter. He’s always taking on additional tasks for the department and for the union. He was promoted to lieutenant last year and since then he has been dedicated to not only his own growth and training, but the growth and training of the entire team.”

In addition to taking on tasks for the department, Brogan said that Chapman goes above and beyond for the community as well.

“I’ve told this story before of a resident falling in the Kroger parking lot and she didn’t want to go to the hospital for treatment or anything, so Roger helped her load her groceries in her car and actually followed her to her home to make sure she got home safely and volunteered to help her take her groceries inside so she wouldn’t hurt herself further,” he said. “That’s just one example of how much Roger cares for the community and how he is always looking for ways to go the extra mile for the community.”

Chapman said that he couldn’t do what he does if not for his team and Chief Brogan.

“It’s an honor to be recognized and it reaffirms that I’m doing the right things,” he said. “I work with a great group of people and any of them deserve the recognition just as much. The firefighters before me, the administration we have and Chief Brogan have really paved the way and it makes it easier to come to work every day and do what I love. It’s nice to work for a place like this with traditions in place and Chief Brogan is the best chief I’ve ever come across.”

As Chapman continues to advance in his career, he said all he wants is to continue to grow and be better.

“I just want to keep getting better for the citizens of Dearborn Heights,” he said. “I want to keep becoming a better coworker and a better firefighter. The community of Dearborn Heights is great and they deserve the best. My goal is to just keep growing and being better and one day finish my career here.”