>> Well good afternoon
everybody and welcome here. As
we are in 2026. But we are
going to be celebrating for
2025 wards through the
Vancouver Fire Department. And
just want to thank you for
taking time out of this
beautiful day where you could
have been outside sunbathing
and enjoying your favorite
cocktail or something like that,
but that you chose to come here
as we celebrate. And you know,
this is a line of work where
many times what we're dealing
with is tragedy, and it's
important in all of our lives,
no matter what our line of work
is, is to take pauses and to
reflect on the positives,
because usually the negatives
are right in front of us, and
we have to be intentional to do
this to slow down, whether it
be a relationship in your life,
whether you're a parent, it's
always good to slow down and
appreciate your own kids. And,
and so that's what we're going
to do today. I want to start by
welcoming the mayor and thank
her for coming out today. The
fire district five
commissioners, all the local
four, five, two members and any
other outside agencies that
came to celebrate with us today.
We're going to be doing two
main things. Today. We're going
to be looking at the heroic
efforts of bystanders who went
above and beyond to assist
others in times of crisis. So
these are people where this
isn't their profession. This is
something where they just
happen to be somewhere when
something tragic took place,
instead of just standing by,
instead of just grabbing their
cell phone and taking a picture
or, hey, let's, you know, live
stream this crazy event, they
chose to step into action and
we want to honor them for that,
but also for the exceptional
achievements of our own
firefighters who have shown
outstanding dedication and
courage as they do their job.
And many times as first
responders. You can look at it
as just that I was doing my job,
but it's important to remember
that a lot of these things.
Yeah, you showed up to work
that day and you just did what
you get paid to do, but you did
it with excellence because
you've chosen to train and
you've chosen to remain
dedicated. And so because of
that, you performed
exceptionally well. And that's
what we want to highlight in
this way here in a minute, the
Honor Guard is going to be
bringing in the flags, and
we'll also be singing the
national anthem. And when we do
that, I'm going to have you
stand right before and they'll
bring in the flags. And then as
we sing the national anthem, if
you are in uniform, you can do
render a salute. And if you are
not in uniform, just ask that
you place your hand over your
heart. And so with that, I
would like to ask for Mia McKay
to come up and stand up here
and be ready for the national
anthem. And you'll be able to
just start singing once they
get the flags placed. And with
that, would you all please
stand? And would the Honor
Guard present colors?
>> This evening against.
>> Cyndie? Can you sing? By the
dawn's early light. What so
proudly. We have at the
twilight's last gleaming. Whose
broad stripes and bright stars
through the very. For the rest,
we are. Were. So can. Streaming
and the Roeun. The box by.
Staying in air. Came through
last night that our flag was
still there. Oh, say, does that
star spangled banner yet wave.
O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave.
>> You can be seated. I am
playing two roles today and
running the ceremony, but also
filling in for the chaplain as
well. No, I actually am the
chaplain. And so we are going
to open in prayer, and I just
invite you to join me as you
feel comfortable. Father, I
thank you. That we are choosing
to slow down and be intentional
with this opportunity to
reflect on the positive, to
reflect on doing things well
and just the extraordinary
efforts of both citizens and
members of the Vancouver Fire
Department. I just ask that you
would help each one of us to.
Yeah, just to be able to be
present in this moment and to
truly celebrate, help those
that are getting awards to be
at peace with the fact that
they're getting an award and be
able to receive it, and the
appreciation that we, as a
department and those in
attendance feel, and that you
would just guide this time, in
Jesus name I pray. Amen. All
right. At this time, I would
like to invite up Chief Drake
to give some opening remarks.
Chief.
>> Good evening, mayor.
District five commissioners,
elected officials, dignitaries
are sworn and civilian members
and our community at large.
This is one of those public
speaking engagements where it's
absolutely a pleasure we look
forward to, because it's such a
positive thing to recognize the
importance of our members. And
when I say our members, I don't
want to isolate that, just to
the sworn members who subject
themselves to perils away, but
also our civilian staff and all
those who contribute to the
advancement of the VFD in our
mission and goals. We see our
statement of purpose has mainly
to do with protecting lives,
property and the environment.
And we say it in that order for
a reason. We have members who
are willing to subject
themselves to perils way
because they prioritize 300,000
people over a department and
over themselves. Oftentimes,
they subject themselves to
dangerous atmospheres, to
environments that can cause
harm and injury because they
are committed to the ideologies
we recognize in our mission
statement and our goals to
preserve life, property, and
environment in that order.
There's a reason lives are
number one, but I also don't
want to forget to recognize the
meritorious acts of our
civilians as well, for their
acts of kindness and quick
action, who also are willing to
subject themselves to perils
way for the same reasons. It's
because they are altruistic or
benevolent in preserving life
and contributing to the
community. And similarly to the
fire department priorities. So
I would like to recognize not
just our firefighters, but our
sworn personnel and our
civilians that will also be
recognized both on and off duty
for their exceptional service,
for providing for exceptional
public safety and emergency
services. The the VFD Vancouver
Fire Department doesn't act
alone in a lot of these events.
We know that it takes a village,
it takes a community, and it
takes all members to
participate in what makes us
successful. Oftentimes, I like
to talk about core values. When
I get on, I get on my podium
and I'm literally doing it
right now. About the importance
of mission statements and
visions and core values,
because they do mean a lot to
me. And character is one that
is very prominent, and these
are people that are willing to
maintain the integrity and the
core ideologies to put the
community ahead, competency in
what they do. Our firefighters
train and they work earnestly
at being the best they can be.
Contribution. It is not just
showing up to work. There's a
lot more to it. I can remember
hearing for years when I was
going to school, so many people
would say, the last thing I
want to do is fight traffic,
wear a pencil, a suit and tie
and have a job where I feel
like I'm a cog in the wheel. So
our firefighters are sworn, and
civilian personnel also have
the opportunity to derive
significant gratification in
the work they do, because they
do something that is of the
utmost importance, and that's
prioritizing the safety and
welfare of our community. Last,
I'd like to thank everyone for
being here, all community
members, because you're
participating in a ceremony
that I feel is warranted and
deserving to recognize people
in our community and our
department who are altruistic,
who are giving, who are good
Samaritans, who do prioritize
community department and
members. Thank you.
>> You can stay up here if you
want.
>> Thank you chief. All right.
Well, we are going to get
started with the ceremony. We
switched things up a bit this
year. If you've been at prior
award ceremonies where instead
of just one person, don't worry,
you do not have to listen to me.
Read every single narrative
that took place. What we are
going to have is those that
nominated the either the
individual or the group. Read
the story of what took place of
the events. And so what I will
be doing is inviting up that
individual that did the
nomination, and you will be
coming right up these stairs
and coming to this podium and
reading from this place. And at
the same time, I will be
inviting up the nominee, and
you get to slowly move out of
your row saying, excuse me,
excuse me as you go through,
and you'll make your way over
to those stairs, and then you
get the great pleasure of
walking to the center of the
stage. And just like that. And
you can even slide in if you
would like. Now, I would ask
that you hold your applause
until after the nominator is
done reading the narrative, as
they will begin reading it as
the nominee is walking up, and
then we will all appreciate the
nominee. And and then if you've
been nominated, you will then
meet with the chief and he will
be giving you your award. And
then don't rush off with it.
You need to get your picture
taken so that you all remember
this, and you can pass it down
generation to generation that
this actually took place. So
now we will first be
recognizing citizens who went
above and beyond, and then we
will be moving on to the men
and women of the Vancouver Fire
Department. I'm going to read a
quick overview of some of the
awards that we will be
presenting. The first one is a
certificate of appreciation. It
is presented to citizens or
employees for Good Samaritan
activities and or efforts in
support of the Fire
Department's Mission to protect
life, property and the
environment. The Life Saving
Award awarded to citizens or
off duty employees for assuming
a level of involvement or risk
that results in the
preservation of human life. And
then the Fire Medal awarded to
citizens or off duty employees
for extraordinary effort in
saving a human life, reducing a
serious injury, or aiding in a
significant reduction of
property loss, then to the on
duty Awards. Individual
commendation awarded to
Vancouver Fire Department
employees who make an
exceptional contribution to the
department, take on extra
responsibilities or in other
ways distinguished themselves.
The company commendation
awarded to Vancouver Fire
Department units or companies
that distinguished themselves
in the performance of their
duties, or provide an
exceptional contribution to the
progress of the department by
displaying superior teamwork or
display of exceptional
professional skill and conduct,
and then the Meritorious
Service Award awarded to the
Vancouver Fire Department
employees who distinguished
themselves by a display of
remarkable action, conduct or
achievement that reflects
positively upon the Department.
There are two other awards that
we will be presenting, but we
will read those when we get to
that place. So for the first
award, I would like to invite
up Captain Jared Green to the
stage to present it, and then
would also like to invite up
Kayla Edwards and Alex Dennis,
who will be receiving the fire
medal.
>> All right, just my luck.
This is my first time
nominating somebody, and it's
the first time the nominator
gets to get up and present. So.
Okay, so in the early morning
hours of February 2nd, Alex and
another passerby who we were
unable to locate came upon a
severe single vehicle crash on
northbound I 205. A sedan had
left the roadway, struck a line
of trees, and was nearly split
in two. Inside, they saw an
unconscious driver and flames
beginning to grow in the engine
compartment. At the same time,
dispatcher Kayla Edwards was
training a new hire when the
call came in. Hearing the
urgency in the caller's voice,
she quickly gathered the
critical details and guided the
trainee through. Assessing the
situation. Kayla took over,
dispatching due to the urgency
needed, she provided calm,
clear instructions, advising
that if it was safe, the driver
needed to be removed
immediately on scene, Alex and
the passerby attempted to free
the driver but found the
seatbelt jammed. Following the
dispatcher's direction, they
searched for anything that
could cut the belt. The
passerby used a fire
extinguisher to hold back the
flames, while Alex used a
pocket knife to cut the
seatbelt and pull the injured
driver to safety. Just moments
before fire overtook the
compartment. This rescue was
the result of exceptional
teamwork. Alex's courage on
scene and Kayla's steady
leadership and communication
under pressure. Their combined
actions helped save a life that
morning.
>> All right, good job
everybody. Next, I would like
to invite up Captain Greg Smith
to the podium and then also
Broedy Walton, who will be
receiving the fire medal, and
paramedic John Moseley, who
will be receiving the life
saving award.
>> Johnny's not here. He
conveniently scheduled a
Caribbean cruise. So. All right.
On August 23rd, 2025, paramedic
John Moseley was off duty at a
family gathering when Broedy
Walton noticed an eight year
old child lying motionless at
the bottom of a pool. Broedy
immediately jumped in, brought
the child to the surface and
alerted the adults. John found
that the child was not
breathing and had only a weak
pulse, and quickly started.
Lifesaving actions took control
of the situation. Drawing on
his training, he began rescue
breaths and provided first aid,
while others cleared space and
stayed with the family. John
continued to care until
emergency crews could arrive,
and by the time EMS arrived,
the child was breathing on his
own again. The eight year old
was admitted overnight for
observation and released the
next day fully recovered.
>> Right next, I would like to
invite up Captain Katie Mercer
and then also Ashley Lyon and
Tony Castro, who will be
receiving the life Saving award.
>> On October 2nd of 2025 at
1400 hours and a line
construction crew was cutting
concrete on a park sidewalk
when one of the employees
collapsed and became
unresponsive. Ashley Lehan was
driving by and noticed the
employee lying on the ground.
She immediately pulled over and
began shouting for assistance,
but the machinery drowned out
her voice. Once the machinery
was powered off, Ashley
continued calling for an AED
while dialing 911. At the same
time, city employee Tony Castro
was nearby on an unrelated task
when he heard Ashley's call for
an AED, he ran to his work
truck, retrieved the AED, and
returned to assist. Working
together, Ashley and Toni
applied the AED and delivered
one shock. The patient regained
consciousness and was talking.
By the time EMS arrived, the
employee, who was in cardiac
arrest, later walked out of the
hospital and is reportedly
doing well. This successful
resuscitation was the direct
result of Ashley's awareness
and quick action. Paired with
Tony's rapid response and
teamwork, their efforts played
a vital role in saving a life.
>> Next, I would like to invite
up Battalion Chief Mark Patchen,
who will be presenting the
awards to Captain Jared Gron,
paramedic Josh Lawson,
firefighter firefighter Adam
Pozsgai, and they will be
receiving the life saving award.
>> On February 11th, 2025.
Captain Jared Jermann and
firefighters Josh Lawson and
Adam Kosugi were off duty
talking in the front yard of
Captain Grant's home when a
neighbor suddenly ran toward
them, carrying her three year
old child. The child was
unresponsive and Blue without
hesitation. All three
firefighters immediately began
life saving care, despite
having no EMS equipment, no
monitors and none of the tools
they would normally rely on,
they worked together to assess
the child, provide airway
support, and deliver the
critical interventions needed
in those first moments,
emergency crews arrived and
transported the child to
Randall Children's Hospital. By
the next day, the child was
discharged with no deficits.
>> He was about to do a stunt
off of the stage and then land
it. Next, I would like to
invite up Captain Joe Hudson,
who will be presenting the
award to paramedic John or Sean
Zafer and EMT Aiden Schrater
for the Certificate of
Appreciation.
>> On October 8th, 2025,
paramedic Sean and EMT Aiden
Shrader responded with engine
four to a call for a 75 year
old male experiencing chest
pain, asking for a ride first
completed an initial assessment
and assisted with loading the
patient into the ambulance
before clearing the scene.
While in the back of the
ambulance, the patient went
into sudden cardiac arrest,
working completely alone for
approximately eight minutes,
Sean and Aiden immediately
began CPR, applied
defibrillation pads, delivered
a shock, and administered
cardiac arrest medications.
They also requested engine four
to return code three to assist.
By the time engine four ride
back on scene, the patient had
regained a pulse and was
conscious and talking. He was
transported to PeaceHealth
Southwest in stable condition.
He made a full recovery and is
here today. Doug, would you
stand up, please? Normally,
normally, chief. Normally a
scene involving a cardiac
arrest requires eight EMS
personnel. Sean and Aiden
proved their expertise and
professionalism by reviving the
patient by themselves. Sean and
Aiden. We might remain on stage
real quick. Doug would like a
quick photo with you guys.
Thank you. Come on up, Doug.
All right. Thank you. This next
award is for Chaplain Peter
Schrater for the Meritorious
Award. And actually, this is
Aiden's father. So back to back
runs in the family on September
17th, 2025. Engines four and 11
and Battalion two were
dispatched to a devastating
auto versus pedestrian incident
involving a father and his
young son. Despite the efforts
of first responders and medical
personnel, both victims
tragically passed away from
their injuries. The call
quickly became one of the most
emotionally challenging
responses for everyone involved.
Recognizing the profound impact
of the incident, Chaplain Pete
Schrader responded immediately.
Upon arrival, he immediately
began providing comfort and
support to those affected. He
spent time with bystanders who
had witnessed the event,
helping them process the shock
and grief of what they had seen.
He also offered support to VPD
officers and fire personnel,
many of whom were deeply
affected by the loss of life,
especially involving a child.
He remained on scene for more
than six hours long after all
fire units had cleared to
comfort the grieving family and
many witnesses affected by the
event. He then went to the
hospital to support the child's
family during their most
difficult times. In the days
and weeks that followed,
Chaplain Schrater continued to
walk alongside the family and
the community. He traveled to a
Portland ICU. When the family
made the difficult decision to
withdraw life saving measures.
He was present. When the child
passed away. He attended the
candlelight vigil at the
child's school and later
officiated the joint
celebration for both victims
held at his very own church.
Chaplain. Schrader's compassion,
steady presence and willingness
to step into the most painful
moments brought comfort to
countless first responders,
community members and grieving
family. Chaplain Schrater took
a lot of time away from his own
family to assist a family he
didn't even know. Normally,
Chaplain Schrater brings hope
and support to first responders
during our difficult times. But
during the time that followed
this tragedy, he was a light
for the whole community. His
actions reflect the highest
standards of human compassion
and selflessness, helping many
begin to heal from the tragedy
of that day.
>> Okay. For this next award, I
will be standing in for chief
Rob Milano and would like to
invite up captain paramedic Ray
Egan, captain paramedic Katie
Mercer, engineer, paramedic. Ty
Vroman, engineer. Paramedic.
Ben Berdal, engineer paramedic
Kevin Wilson and battalion
chief Ryan Morsy to receive the
certificate of appreciation.
Recently, the Washington State
Department of Health updated
the requirements for ongoing
advanced airway training,
prompting the Vancouver Fire
Department to develop and
implement a completely new
program for all 120 of our
paramedics. During the month of
October, the members of this
team stepped forward to design,
build and deliver a top tier
advanced airway training
program that met the new
standards and ensured our
paramedics remained fully
prepared for critical life
saving interventions. Their
combined efforts included
creating updated curriculum,
coordinating with the Clark
County Medical Director's
office, and providing hands on
instruction to every paramedic
in the department. Much of this
work required sacrificing
personal time, yet each member
remained committed to
delivering high quality
training that directly supports
patient care. Their
contributions strengthen one of
the most essential skills our
paramedics possess.
Congratulations. For this next
award, we'd like to invite up
Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli,
who will be presenting the
award to Fire Code Officer Zach
Prine for the individual
commendation.
>> Fire code Officer Prine is
nominated for an individual
accommodation in recognition of
his steadfast dedication to
community risk reduction.
Officer Prine consistently
assumes additional
responsibilities by actively
participating in community risk
reduction initiatives,
including Project Home Safe,
fire extinguisher training
sessions, and even a
multifaceted event held at
PeaceHealth. Many of these
activities occur on weekends or
evenings. However, Officer
Prine reliably attends and
contributes to each event
regardless of timing,
demonstrating his dedication.
Officer Prine exemplifies
several key qualities that make
him a skilled fire code officer
and a leader within the
Vancouver Fire Department. He
possesses an in-depth knowledge
of safety protocols,
regulations, and practices, and
he engages with community
members addressing their
concerns and questions
effectively. Congratulations.
>> The last one. Okay.
>> I'd like to invite Joe
Desormeaux and Shane Lebeck to
stage, please. We are giving a
certificate of appreciation to
both Fire Code Officer
Josefmart. Excuse me.
Desormeaux conducted a
comprehensive multi-week
inspection at a large high risk
campus, uncovering critical
fire and life safety hazards
that required immediate action.
His thorough investigation
identified unpermitted
processes, unauthorized
building modifications, and
missing special hazard permits.
These issues adversely affected
emergency egress, fire
protection systems, and the
overall compliance with
established safety codes.
Officer Dalesandro meticulously
US attention to detail brought
long standing problems to light
and set the foundation for
corrective action. Lead Deputy
Fire Marshal Shane Beck
promptly escalated these
findings to leadership,
utilizing them as strategic
framework for a coordinated
follow up efforts. Lead Deputy
Fire Marshal Beck organized a
collaborative meetings with the
facility's architect engineers
and the Fire Marshal's Office
leadership team and city
building officials to address
systematic issues and establish
a clear pathway towards
immediate and long term fire
and life safety compliance.
Following these meetings, I
actually received a letter of
appreciation from the Facility
Director, commenting and
commending the professionalism
of the team, acknowledging the
hazards that they identified
and ensuring their commitment
to enhancing the operational
safety and processes moving
forward. Congratulations to you
both.
>> Alrighty. Next, we'd like to
invite up Captain Leo Mercer.
Thank you for being ready, sir.
Who will be presenting the life
saving award to firefighter
engineer Shane Seth.
>> On July 16th of 2025 while
returning home from tech rescue
drill engineer Seth happened
upon a traffic collision
involving a motorcycle engineer,
Seth, using equipment that he
carried in his own vehicle,
started rendering aid to the
patient. Prior to our arrival
on engine nine, and in doing so
also integrated as a part of
the team. He assisted with
bandaging the patient,
controlling, bleeding and
backporting the patient, and
then loading the patient into
the ambulance engineer. Steph's
quick actions and rendering aid
had our scene time at seven
minutes, with recent studies
showing the trauma scene times
are about 14 minutes. We can
quantify the impact that
Engineer Seth had on the scene,
and this reward award being
given to Engineer Seth is not
solely based on his actions
that day, but actions over his
distinguished career, and he's
been an impact on many people
at this department. He's been a
mentor to a lot of people,
myself included, and a model
for people to look at. So this
award is definitely deserved by
Engineer Seth. I'm very happy
that he got it.
>> Right for this next medal. I
want to invite at Vancouver
Police Department Officer
Zachary Olsen, who will be
presenting the Meritorious
Service Award to engineer
paramedic Sam Dixon.
>> All right. I hate doing
these things, but I'm up here.
On May 6th, 2025, engineer
paramedic Sam Dixon responded
to a highly sensitive incident
involving a distressed child at
the Hollingsworth Academy
cruiser dispatched after report
the child was in crisis on the
roof of the school and the
situation was extremely tense.
Engineer paramedic Dixon had a
calm, reassuring contact with
the child and when I asked him
to assist, he immediately
stepped forward with the
patience and steady
communication. Engineer
paramedic Dixon climbed up to
the roof, slowly approached,
maintaining a supportive dialog
throughout. His calm presence
helped ease the child's panic,
allowing him to safely reach
her and guide her away from the
edge. Engineer. Paramedic.
Dixon's professionalism,
empathy and exceptional
exceptional de-escalation
skills directly prevented a
tragic outcome. His actions
that day exemplify the highest
level of care and compassion
and emergency response.
>> Was next award.
>> Sorry, I didn't mean to cut
off your music so quickly. I
will be reading the nomination
on behalf of Chief Tim Keys,
and it will be to. Chief KS, I
am sorry. Yeah, I've always
been trying to cut you out of
things. I would like to invite
to the stage, Chief Tim Keys to
present the next award for
individual commendation to
Captain Brandon Weary and
Captain Andre Yellowjackets.
>> Here they come from all the
way in the back.
>> Captain Brandon Weary and
Captain Andre are nominated for
the Individual Commendation
Award. This is for their
outstanding service and
continued excellence within the
Vancouver Fire Department's
Training Division. As demands
on training have grown, both
captains have consistently
risen to the challenge,
providing high quality and
mission focused training. This
training is strengthened. Every
level of the organization.
Together, these individuals
have led recruit academies,
delivered hands on realistic
training, introduced modern
training methods. They have
mentored new officers and
firefighters, developed
comprehensive training props,
and they've spent countless
hours beyond their normal
duties. Their shared leadership,
innovation and commitment have
improved training efficiency,
operational readiness, and
built strong relationships,
both internal and external
stakeholders. Captains Weary
and yellow Yellow Zwetzig
exemplify professionalism,
integrity and pride in their
roles. Their exceptional
efforts not only elevate the
performance of our members in
the field, but also strengthen
the long term foundation and
future of the Vancouver Fire
Department.
>> All right.
>> My family's laughing at me.
Is it the way I come around the
curtain? Should I change up the
approach? Well, I just want you
guys to all know we're two
thirds of the way done, and
we're through this. Next, I
would like to invite up
Battalion Chief Shane Orum, and
he will be presenting the
individual accommodation to
Justin Walker.
>> Behalf of Shane Orum.
>> I'll be reading this for
Justin on the evening of
November 7th, 2025, a large
fire broke out at Metro Metals,
quickly growing into a
prolonged and resource
intensive incident that lasted
through the night and into the
next afternoon. Vancouver
firefighters operated four
pumping engines, two elevated
master streams and multiple
support units, flowing more
than a million gallons of water
to keep the fire contained.
With apparatuses running
nonstop, it became clear that
fuel and maintenance needs
would become a critical
challenge. Around 10 p.m.
Justin Walker was contacted for
assistance. Without hesitation,
he got out of bed and responded
to support the operation
throughout the night and into
the next day. Justin worked
tirelessly refueling rigs
multiple times, addressing
mechanical issues and shutting,
shuttling supplies back and
forth from the shops. Thanks to
his dedication, not a single
engine had to be shut down for
fuel or maintenance. During the
entire 18 hour incident.
Justin's commitment, work ethic
and can do attitude directly
contributed to the
uninterrupted suppression of a
complex and demanding fire. His
efforts went above and beyond
expectations and played a vital
role in the success of the
operation. Next, I would like
to invite chief Tom O'Connor,
who will be presenting the
individual accommodation to
engineer paramedic Casey Holmes.
>> Right as Casey walks up.
Before I read the formal award,
a couple of comments about him.
Casey is widely known in the
fire service, and when I got
this job in 2018, folks from
Portland Fire Station 1724, the
battalion chiefs. Do you know
Casey Holmes? Yes, I do,
Seattle Fire. Do you know Casey
Holmes? Yes, I do oil spill
responder teams in the boat
captains in Portland. Hey, Tom,
do you know Casey Holmes? Yes I
do, we both live in floating
homes on the Columbia River. So
some of the residents there.
Hey, you work for Vancouver? Do
you know Casey Holmes? Yes, I
do, and the last one's a little
weird on the bench on my 15
over hockey team, one of my new
teammates turns to me on the
bench during a game and says,
you're a firefighter, right?
Yeah. You know Casey Holmes,
you know the answer. Say it
with me. Yes I do. Okay. Now
the formal award engineer
paramedic Casey Holmes is
nominated for his remarkable
achievements and leadership on
Vancouver Fire Department's
Marine team. And as a member of
the Maritime Fire and Safety
Association's regional core of
shipboard firefighting
technicians. A US Navy veteran
and the most senior member of
the Marine team, Holmes has
served for more than 20 years
and currently is our Marine
lead pilot. He has trained
nearly every fireboat pilot and
deckhand who followed him,
played a key role in the design
and commissioning of fireboat
one, and now oversees fireboat
one and the Boathouse
maintenance programs. Engineer
paramedic Holmes is highly
respected throughout the region,
often representing the
department as an evaluator for
both pilot testing and as a
shipboard firefighting
instructor. As he nears the end
of an exceptional fire service
career, the preparation he has
done to ensure a smooth
transition for his successors
reflects his steady leadership,
commitment to service and care
for the people he works
alongside. This nomination
recognizes engineer paramedic
Casey Holmes for his
outstanding contributions and
the lasting impact he has made
on the Vancouver Fire
Department's Marine team and
the regional Shipboard
Firefighting program.
Congratulations.
>> Right. For the next award,
would Battalion Chief Eric
Aquino please come up? And
he'll be presenting the company
commendation to Captain Tony
Cleary, pilot Mark Bennett and
deckhand Jake.
>> Walked up like a uniformed
company in line. Did you
practice it for a while? Yeah.
All right. I'll be reading this
on behalf of.
>> Chief Casino on December
18th, 2025, during severe
winter weather, Vancouver
Fireboat one played a critical
role in the search and recovery
of a person who had entered the
Columbia River from the I-205
bridge. While engine eight
Battalion two managed the
incident from above. Fireboat
one was the first unit on the
water, immediately beginning a
coordinated search in extremely
rough conditions, with multiple
agencies responding, Captain
Cleary organized the search
area and coordinated incoming
marine resources, while Pilot
Bennett maneuvered the boat
through heavy winds, fast
currents, and debris. Deckhand
Weyrauch worked alongside them,
managing equipment, maintaining
lookout and supporting
communications, ensuring the
crew could operate safely and
effectively in this storm. When
Port of Portland's rescue boat,
80 located the mail but
suffered an engine failure,
Pilot Bennett executed a
difficult side by side approach,
allowing crews to safely
transfer the patient and
responders onto fireboat one.
Bennett then navigated through
debris filled waters to the
Marine Park boat launch, where
the mail was transferred to Amr
and continued care and rapid
transport. Despite dangerous
weather and rapidly changing
conditions. The fire the crew
of Fireboat one demonstrated
exceptional seamanship,
communication and teamwork.
Their actions were instrumental
in stabilizing a complex
incident and ensuring the
safest possible outcome. All
right, for this next one, I
would like to invite up
Battalion Chief Mark Patchen,
who will be presenting the
company accommodation to
captain paramedic Joe Yala,
engineer Jesse Avery,
firefighter Corey Anderson and
paramedic Jennifer English.
>> Hi, Jen.
>> Jen will be representing the
rest of the truck company today.
On May 7th, 2025. Truck ten
played a critical role in the
response to a drowning incident
at Lacamas Lake. While
monitoring the radio at the
station, the crew heard Heavy
rescue five being dispatched
and immediately responded
because they were much closer
and they had three technical
rescue team members on the
truck that day. Upon arrival,
paramedic English already
appeared in a dry suit entered
the water. Within moments,
firefighter Anderson gathered
information from bystanders and
directed paramedic English to
the last known location.
Despite cold, murky water and
depths of 10 to 12ft, Jen made
several rapid dives before
locating the mail and bringing
him to the surface. Captain
Yala entered the water to
assist while Firefighter Avery
supported operations from shore,
preparing equipment and helping
coordinate the extrication plan.
As English and Yala brought the
victim to land heavy rescue,
five and additional units
arrived to assist with getting
the mail onto shore and into
the care of EMS. Thanks to the
swift, coordinated actions of
the truck ten crew, the mail
was given the best possible
chance at survival and I
responded to the call, but I
wasn't in command. I think I
was safety, but I had the best
seat in the house to watch the
truck arrive and within I think
about four minutes, they were
in the water and had the victim
up on the shore. So it was
impressive to watch the
coordination and skill of the
truck ten crew. And we will
have a paramedic stay on stage.
The next award is for the Medal
of Valor. It's awarded to
Vancouver Fire Department
employees who have exhibited
exceptional courage to save or
protect others from harm,
regardless of their personal
safety. So paramedic Jennifer
English is also nominated for
her exceptional performance
during the May 7th drowning
response at Lacamas Lake. While
the full incident has just been
described as important to
highlight Paramedic English's
individual actions that made
her role so critical, paramedic
English, geared up en route,
arrived fully prepared for
immediate water entry and
obtained the last known
location directly from
firefighter Anderson before
entering the water. Despite
extremely poor visibility, cold
water and entanglement hazards,
Paramedic English conducted a
series of rapid free dives,
demonstrating both technical
skill and calm. Under pressure.
On her fourth dive, she located
the male at depth, brought him
to the surface and slammed him
to shore, where EMS crews could
begin advanced life support
efforts. Paramedic English's
readiness, decisive action and
exceptional rescue capability
gave the male the best possible
chance of survival. Her
performance that day stands out
as a remarkable, remarkable
example of technical rescue
excellence. And as a side note,
I was standing by some other
firefighters watching this
occur and they all said, I
couldn't have done that. So
thank you, Jed.
>> For this very last award.
I'm going to read the the
definition of it. It is the The
Chief's Achievement Award,
which is presented by the fire
chief to an employee that makes
an exceptional contribution to
the department and
distinguishes themselves in the
performance of their duties.
And to present this award, I
would like to invite back up
Chief Drake and also today's
this year's recipient for the
chief's award, Chuck Winkler.
>> All right. Thank you.
>> This is the final award of
the evening, and it is one that
comes directly from myself. It
is not given lightly, and it
represents more than a single
action or moment. It reflects
character, integrity and a
level of commitment that
defines what it truly means to
serve. I always say the
operative word in mission
statements when you're in
public safety is service. Chuck
is the epitome of service. As
one of our civilians here at
the Vancouver Fire Department,
we deliver exceptional service
every day, and that level of
readiness is only possible
because of the partners who
support us behind the scenes.
One of the most essential is
our fire shop. When our fire
engine doesn't start or it
operates at its best, the
consequences truly can be life
or death. Our mechanics
understand that responsibility
and they meet it with
professionalism, pride, and an
unwavering commitment to
keeping our crews response
ready. Much of that culture
comes directly from the
leadership of you, Chuck. Chuck
came to Vancouver from the oil
fields of Texas Panhandle,
first working for C-tran before
moving into the fire shop as
supervisor. Under his
leadership, the shop has
maintained an incredibly
diverse fleet engines, ladder
trucks, wildland vehicles,
administrative vehicles. Our
new fireboat one, and big Red,
our foam pump. Vancouver
firefighters put heavy hours on
our apparatus, and Chuck's team
is the reason reserves rotate
smoothly. When I say reserves,
those are the reserve apparatus
that replace the front line
apparatus. When the front line
apparatus need maintenance or
repairs, he ensures that rigs
get repaired at all hours and
crews can count on their
equipment every time the tones
go off. Chuck also built strong
relationships with our
engineers, keeping an open door
shop and teaching portions of
the Engineer Academy to help
new engineers understand the
mechanical systems they rely on.
As he prepares to retire and
return to Lubbock, Texas, five
years from now. Not this year.
We recognize, honor and thank
him for 25 years and five more
years of leadership,
craftsmanship, and dedication.
>> All right. Well, that
concludes the award ceremony
this year. Again, I want to
thank you all for coming out.
But first, can we give a
applause to all the nominators
who thought they were just
doing a good deed by filling
out a piece of paper? And as
they say, no good deed goes
unpunished. And then they all
got to engage in the wonderful
career of public speaking. Can
we tell them? Thank you very
much. Lastly, I believe no
matter what events we go to,
there's always a take home
thing for each one of us. And I
want to encourage each one of
us today to, as we leave here,
think of who can we go and
appreciate. Maybe it's a
coworker, maybe it's a spouse
or partner. Maybe it's a family
member or a child. Maybe that
neighbor that you struggle with.
But to think of a way to allow
appreciation, to pause and find
appreciation, and let's just
get better a