Tuesday, April 15, 2008 • Susanville Fire Department hosts annual Firefighter of the Year dinner
Publisher’s note: This story originally appeqred in the Tuesday, April 15, 2008 edition of the Lassen County Times.
Susanville Fire Department Chief Stu Ratner, left, accepts an award for his years of service from Battalion Chief Ted Friedline at the Firefighter of the Year awards banquet.Food, family and friends highlighted this year’s Firefighter of the Year and Awards banquet held at the Susanville Fire Department.
Firefighters, police officials, city officials and their families were all on hand for a huge meal on Saturday April 6, followed by awards presentations for many of the city fire department’s personnel. More than 150 people attended.
The 2008 Firefighter of the Year Darrell Campbell accepts his award from Chief Ratner, while Campbell’s wife, left, looks on.Darrell Campbell, who received the 2007 Firefighter of the Year award, was the man of the evening. The fire department honored Campbell with a plaque, badge and classic fireman’s helmet, while his wife Sandy was presented with a bouquet of flowers.
Campbell has been a volunteer firefighter with the department for seven years. Currently he works with the city of Susanville Parks and Recreation Department. Campbell kept his acceptance speech brief, thanking everyone for coming and telling everyone how honored he was to be this year’s recipient.
Representative Roy Barnes, left, accepts an award on behalf of the California Correctional Center, which provided assistance to local fire agencies while some of their personnel was sent to Southern California to combat wildfire.A veritable who’s who of Susanville kept the rest of the evening relaxed and filled with light-hearted merriment.
Mayor Lino Callegari, Mayor Pro tem Vern Templeton, Susanville City Councilmembers Kurt Bonham and Rod DeBoer, Lassen County Sheriff Steve Warren and City Administrator Rob Hill were some of the guests. Also in attendance were several of the departments paid and volunteer firefighters, both past and present, along with their families.
Joe Claiborne, standing far right, accepts his award for Explorer of the year. Claiborne was recently accepted into the department as a volunteer firefighter, after spending some years with Explorer Post 2911.Cocktails were served at the beginning of the dinner while members of Explorer Post 2911 went around the room soliciting money for raffle tickets for prizes ranging from gift certificates to a grand prize of a collectible miniature brass fire engine.
The fire department has handed out a Firefighter of the Year award every year since 1955. The first recipient of the award, retired Assistant Chief Don Kurts, was one of the many at the banquet.
Chief Ratner, left, and Battalion Chief Ted Friedline, far right, talk briefly about the outstanding work of recently promoted fire engineer Dan Weaver, center.The SFD department honored many of its own firefighters at the meeting, from long-time explorers to volunteers.
The department also gave recognition certificates to representatives from the High Desert State Prison, the California Correctional Center and the Federal Correctional Institute in Herlong.
Members of the volunteer officers for the fire department recite their oath during the banquet. The members include Ratner left, Chad Wilbur, Wayde Nash, Bruce Rummel, Eric Ewing, Tim Williams, and Arlene Zelano.Fire chief Stu Ratner presented them with the certificates in appreciation for the prisons’ ability to step in and assist the local fire agencies during last summer and early fall, when many of the area’s firefighters were sent to assist with the wildfires in Southern California.
The department formally presented its newest firefighters Anthony Smith and Prairie Houck with official badges at the banquet, while newly appointed volunteer firefighter Joe Claiborne received the Explorer of the Year award.
The SFD also awarded various members of its staff with pins commending them for their years of service, and recently promoted Engineer and Shift Supervisor Dan Weaver also received special attention, being honored for his recent promotion.
The Firefighter of the Year banquet hosted about 150 members of the Susanville community, including fire, law enforcement, and city officials, along with their families.
