The Santa Maria Elks Lodge celebrated local firefighters Wednesday evening at its 48th annual Firefighter Appreciation Dinner.
Officers from five agencies were joined by family and friends to be honored at the event, including special nominee Nick Ducasse, a fire engineer with the Santa Maria Fire Department.
"This job is all crew oriented, nobody can do it on their own. So for me, to get any honor is an honor for my crew," Ducasse said.
The evening included a cocktail hour followed by a Santa Maria style barbecue, continuing the lodge's nearly five-decade tradition of honoring local firefighters and their sacrifices.
