A volunteer firefighter, a New Jersey Division of Fire service certified fire inspector and Level II fire instructor, an emergency medical technician, plus mother to seven children.  Who does all of this, and more?  Nancy Naylis of the Bergenfield Fire Department.  

During the New Jersey & New York Volunteer Firemen's Association 110^th annual convention on June 6^th, Nancy received the 2025 Rudy Appeld Service Award.  This award is presented in conjunction with the Hillsdale Fire Department.

At 16, Naylis joined the Bergenfield Rescue Squad.  She remained with the squad for 20-years, until the unit was folded into the fire department in 1996.

In 1996,  Nancy joined Prospect Fire Co. 1 as a volunteer firefighter at the age of 39, and having given birth to seven children.  She completed a Firefighter I course at the Bergen County Fire Academy. 

For the past 29-years, she has responded to all types of emergency calls, no matter what time of the day or night.  She has been one of the most consistent responders in the department.   

Other duties that Nancy has possessed include fire company secretary, department secretary and the Board of Fire Officer's secretary.  

When Nancy turned 18, she completed EMT training and served with the fire department volunteer ambulance corps for 10-years.

In 2007, while attending a NJ & NY VFA meeting, the then association president began to choke on some food.  Nancy sprung into action, administering the Heimlich Maneuver, for which she received a life saving award.  The person she saved was her own brother, Bob Kirsch.