Clallam County Fire District 2 issues awards

PORT ANGELES — Ian Brueckner has been named Clallam County Fire District 2 career Firefighter/Paramedic of the Year, Chief Sam Phillips has announced.

Volunteer Assistant Fire Chief Dan Huff was recognized for his 40 years of service to the district at the Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue’s awards ceremony Saturday.

All told, 20 awards were bestowed to 42 volunteer and career firefighters, emergency medical technicians and paramedics.

The annual ceremony is held to show appreciation and to honor emergency responders who give their time and risk personal safety to serve others, Phillips said.

“I’m very proud of all of our volunteers and what they do to give back to the community,” Phillips said in a Thursday interview.

Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue covers 85 square miles outside of the city of Port Angles between Deer Park and Lake Crescent.

The fire district, which is 95-percent volunteer, responds to about 1,500 9-1-1 calls per year, Phillips said.

“We don’t have enough career staff to run that many calls so we rely heavily on our volunteers,” Phillips said.

“We like to recognize their hard work and dedication.”

Three additional awards were presented to four civilians who demonstrated substantial support to the fire district in 2017, Phillips said.

About 80 people attended the ceremony and dinner catered by Coyote BBQ Pub at the Eagles Lodge near Port Angeles, Phillips said.

Brueckner received the Firefighter/Paramedic of the Year award for juggling several roles, including equipment checks and staffing administration in a year that saw many people using earned leave time.

Brueckner headed up the district’s wildland fire division and spent more than a week fighting the Jolly Mountain Fire near Cle Elum last summer as a re-certified engine boss, Phillips said.

“Ian really goes above and beyond for the fire district as a whole,” Phillips said in a telephone interview.

“He’s just a great team player.”

When reached by cellphone Thursday, Brueckner said the award came as a surprise.

“It was kind of unexpected,” Brueckner said.

“It’s cool that I got it.”

Huff was honored for a milestone anniversary with the fire district. He joined the organization 40 years ago, following in the footsteps of his father-in-law.

“Dan is another stalwart for us,” said Phillips, who promoted Huff to assistant chief about six years ago.

“He essentially runs the entire east half the fire district.”

Huff is in change of the district’s facilities maintenance and fleet maintenance programs, among other duties.

“Forty years is quite a landmark for us,” Phillips said.

“We wanted to pay tribute to that as a role model for other folks in the organization.”

Awards for Volunteer Firefighter and EMT of the Year were selected by district captains.

Sarah Springob was named EMT of the Year for the Gales Addition fire station.

Sean Charon was EMT of the Year for the Dry Creek fire station.

Tyler Gear was named Gales Addition station Volunteer Firefighter of the Year.

Michael Jenson earned the Dry Creek station Firefighter of the Year.

“They were chosen because they stood out among the rest,” Phillips said.

The Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue Rookie of the Year was presented to Elizabeth Hagaman.

Marisa DeLano earned a Most Improved award.

Life saving awards were presented to Huff, Springbob, Tyler Gear, Jessica Adams, Chris Bonati, Neil Crumley, Allen Hunt, Mike Jenson, Joe McFarland, Kevin Thompson, Jessica Andrews, Ian Brueckner, Sean Charon, Zachary Gear, Elizabeth Hagaman and Rick Leffler.

Each of those award recipients were directly involved in incidents where their action resulted in one or more lives being saved, Phillips said.

Such incidents included a medical call with CPR in progress and a traumatic vehicle accident with multiple victims who were taken to Harborview Medical Center.

Meritorious Service Awards were presented to firefighters and EMTs who helped rescue an injured motorcyclist who was three miles off road near Lake Dawn, Phillips said. Firefighters carried the patient nearly two miles until they met Cpt. Joe McFarland, who had an all-terrain vehicle with a wheeled stretcher.

In another incident, Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue personnel worked with Clallam County Search & Rescue and a local technical rescue team to bring an injured hiker off the cliffs of the Elwha River, Phillips said.

In a third rescue, firefighters were recognized for their work packing an injured bicyclist off the Dry Hill race course on Walkabout Way west of Port Angeles.

Distinguished unit citations were issued to firefighters and EMTs for their efforts at separate residential structure fires on North Carne and East Bay streets in Gales Addition.

“Both fires resulted in pets being saved from the burning residences and no human injuries or lives lost,” Phillips said.

“Furthermore, distinguished unit citations were presented 23 rescuers for their work extricating trapped victims of a multi-vehicle accident along Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park.

“In this incident, one car was over an embankment treacherously close to slipping into the lake making the work dangerous for the firefighter/EMTs,” Phillips said.

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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.