Elizabeth J. Braun’s promotion to a Gainesville Fire Rescue lieutenant was not only an honor but also an inspiration from the legacy of her family.
Braun stood in front of friends, coworkers and family members, while her husband and sister presented her with a badge — the same one that belonged to her father, William A. Diven, a New Jersey volunteer firefighter who died Saturday.
For Braun, the promotion was a 10-year work in progress.
“It’s been something I’ve been working very hard for, for a very long time,” she said.
Braun was one of three officials honored during a promotional ceremony Thursday at the Service Support Bureau, 1026 NE 14th St.
Allen W. Siorek and Jeffrey J. Lane were also honored at the ceremony. Siorek was promoted to district chief, while Lane became an assistant chief of the department.
Fire Chief Gene Prince, who has worked with the department for 28 years, said promotional ceremonies are fire services’ tradition to recognize milestones, and it takes a number of years for members to move to a new position.
Prince conducted the majority of the ceremony, while Paul Folkers, assistant city manager for the city, later swore in the officials.
Before his promotion, Siorek served as a lieutenant for five years, Prince said.
“He’s positioned himself well,” he said. “He’s always one of those to be involved and wanting to learn, not just about what’s going on in his crew, but also what’s going on in the department.”
Lane, who has worked for the department for 22 years, spent the last six years as a district chief and was a lieutenant prior to that.
As assistant chief, Lane will now lead the department’s training bureau. He said there are a lot of role models in the department.
“It’s been a journey as the opportunities became available,” Lane said. “During that time, I’ve learned from the people who went before me.”
When Lane first became a firefighter, he worked with Prince as a new lieutenant.
“I was there on Jeff’s first day,” Prince recalled during the ceremony. “Jeff showed up as a rookie, and a guy introduced him to his rookie lieutenant, which was me.”
Lane said he and Prince took different paths within the department but eventually found themselves working together once again.
“I could have never imagined in a million years that today I’d be working for him again,” Lane said. “The opportunities and the journey led me here, and ironically, it’s with the first lieutenant I ever had.”
Prince said this is the only promotional ceremony from GFR expected for this year, but it was an event that focused on Braun, Lane and Siorek’s dedication to the department.
“The milestones that they’re each reaching to today is something they chose in their careers to move up to,” he said.
Elizabeth J. Braun receives a badge from her husband, George Braun, in honor of her promotion to lieutenant at a ceremony promoting Gainesville Fire Rescue members at about noon Thursday at the Support Services Bureau, 1026 NE 14 St.
