A longtime Neodesha firefighter and former fire chief is being recognized at the White House.

Current Neodesha City Commissioner Duane Banzet was invited by the National Volunteer Fire Council and President Donald Trump to attend a reception honoring first responders from across the country. City Administrator Brogan Jones says that is why Banzet is absent from this week's commission meeting.  The reception was at noon today in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C. Banzet has spent several decades serving Neodesha and southeast Kansas in fire and emergency medical services. His career includes responding to a plane crash rescue and the aerosol fire in Neodesha.

National Volunteer Fire Council Chairman Steve Hirsch called Banzet a hero, saying he exemplifies service above self. Banzet continues to volunteer with the Neodesha Fire Department and teaches classes for the Kansas Fire & Rescue Training Institute.