It takes "a lot more than me sitting at a desk" to make Manheim Township's fire protection work so well, its chief, Rick Kane, said.

"It's a lot of people doing their jobs, and doing them well. I just have the privilege of overseeing things," he said.

Kane, Manheim Township's fire chief since 2007, has been recognized with a national award honoring a top fire official who has "demonstrated a unique commitment to fire-service health and safety."

Kane, who oversees operations of Manheim Township's three volunteer departments and is a liaison between the companies and township officials, recently was awarded the Alan Brunacini Fire Service Executive Safety Award.

Kane received the national honor, presented by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, at a recent convention in Atlanta.

The award is open to nominations from any fire department in the nation, regardless of its size or the size of the population it protects.

Kane's boss, Manheim Township Manager Mike Rimer, called the award "no surprise to me, and very well-deserved."

Rimer said he has seen "the kind of energy and professional creativity (Kane) exudes here and among the emergency-services community on a daily basis."

Officials with the international fire association lauded the 41-year-old Kane, a township resident, for having "literally created a world-class combination volunteer/career organization."

As an example, he produced standard operating guidelines for the entire fire department, and he color-coded them to correspond to the level of risk to personnel.

He also oversaw the establishment of minimum training standards for all career and volunteer personnel.

Manheim Township is protected by the Eden, Neffsville and Southern Manheim Township fire companies, which combined have between 70 and 80 volunteers and 10 career firefighters.

"Training is one of the key cornerstones to the safety of personnel, and Kane's commitment in this area is exemplary," officials with the fire organization noted.

"By setting the bar of excellence at a high level, Chief Kane has elevated the position of firefighter within his community to one of significant positive standing."

The award Kane received is named for Alan Brunacini, a longtime Phoenix fire chief, leader in the fire-service field and author of several firefighting textbooks.

doconnor@lnpnews.com