GARDEN GROVE, Calif., Aug. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) has presented Pike County Mississippi Emergency Management Director Tina Reed with its 2026 Leadership in Incident Response Award (LIRA).

Presented virtually during NASFM’s 36^th Annual Fire Prevention & Safety Symposium in Garden Grove, Calif., the honor acknowledges Reed’s timely, by-the-book response during a carbon dioxide (CO2) release in her county as well as her ongoing efforts to strengthen training and collaboration between industry and first responders nationwide.

“NASFM commends Director Reed for her outstanding service, professionalism, and leadership both during a response and in her daily life,” said Phil Oakes, Chief Operating Officer, National Association of State Fire Marshals. “Her dedication to keeping her community safe through education, awareness and training on pipeline safety is admirable.”

On the afternoon of Thursday, October 16, 2025, Reed was notified of a CO2 release in a rural area of Pike County at an ExxonMobil valve station. She deployed first responders to work closely with ExxonMobil personnel during the incident response to ensure citizens were safe.

Remarkably, Reed voluntarily attended a CO2 pipeline emergency response training program, conducted by ExxonMobil, just days prior to the incident.

“I am honored to receive the Leadership in Incident Response Award from NASFM, I want to share this recognition with my fellow first responders in Pike County,” said EMA Director Reed. “By working together with NASFM, industry and local first responders we can bring awareness to how to properly respond to incidents and keep our communities safe.”

First responders are encouraged to continue to train and learn about how to respond to pipeline emergencies. Online training is available at: https://www.firemarshals.org/Pipeline-Emergencies.

About the National Association of State Fire Marshals: The principal membership of NASFM comprises the senior fire officials in the Unites States and their top deputies. The primary mission of NASFM is to protect human life, property and the environment from fire and related hazards. A secondary mission of NASFM is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of State Fire Marshals’ operations. For more information, visit the NASFM website at https://www.firemarshals.org/.

About the LIRA Award: The Leadership in Incident Response Award (LIRA) was established in 2024 through a partnership between the National Association of State Fire Marshalls (NASFM) and ExxonMobil Pipeline Company. The LIRA Award seeks to recognize first responders and emergency management officials across the country who have dedicated their lives to providing outstanding service, professionalism and leadership while on and off duty within their communities. Past LIRA Award recipients include Director Jack Willingham of Yazoo County, Mississippi EMA and Fire Chief Todd Parker of Ward 6 Fire Department in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.

Contact
Philip Oakes
Chief Operating Officer
National Association of State Fire Marshals
phil@browning.red 

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SOURCE National Association of State Fire Marshals