Alex Paul
Blair Smith, a 31-year member of the Sweet Home Volunteer Fire Department and assistant chief, received the Keith Gabriel Humanitarian Award during last Monday’s annual fire department awards banquet.
The Keith Gabriel Humanitarian Award was created in 1998 and Mr. Gabriel was the first recipient. He was a fixture in the community and the department, always offering a positive thought and working for the betterment of Sweet Home on numerous civic causes.
Making the recognition especially fitting is that Smith worked with Gabriel on the fire department for many years. Others receiving the award have been Jim Riggs, Fire Chief Gerald Wooley, EMT/Firefighter Loran Emmert and Firefighter/Rescue Squad member Larry Johnson.
Smith has been active for many years at the Elks Lodge where he helps with the Christmas basket program, the Elks Eye Clinic and many other Elks events.
“This man still maintains a love for the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing,” said Fire Chief Mike Beaver. “He has been a long-time supporter of Sweet Home athletics. You may not always see him at the games, but I guarantee you, if you were there, you’d hear him.”
Smith has received the Chamber of Commerce First Citizen award, served the City of Sweet Home as mayor from January 1977-December 1978 and spent 31 years with the fire department before he retired in 1988 as assistant chief.
Other awards were presented to: Firefighter of the Year-Devon Bowen; Officer of the Year-Ken Weld; Rookie of the Year-Dan Powers; Engineer of the Year-Ken Johnston; Rescue Tech-Wes Strubhar; Medic of the Year-Tim Walker.
Also recognized were three major donors to the fire department’s thermal imaging drive. A certificate of appreciation was presented to Beth Lambert of State Farm Insurance for a donation of $2,500 and to SHEDG for $1,000 and Wal-Mart for $600.
Chief Beaver said the amount of time and energy required to be a firefighter/paramedic continues to grow.
“With the new NFPA standards, we have to train and test more. Without the commitment of these volunteers, we wouldn’t have a fire department,” Chief Beaver said.
Chief Beaver said volunteer spent at least 96 hours in drills last year 16 hours on Saturday and 45 of the departments 55 volunteers also took classes outside the department totaling 160 additional hours of training.
“This is a full-time commitment,” Chief Beaver said. “But, without it, we would not have the successes we do and because we are so safety conscious, we have only minor injuries because we work at doing things right.”
Chief Beaver said the firefighters are not only committed to the department but also to the community. He noted the number of volunteers who have been recognized in the past by the Chamber of Commerce.
Junior First Citizen: Joe Mengore, 1979; Larry Johnson, 1981; Dave Ego, 1982; Rob Younger, 1987; Doug Emmert, 1991; Guy Smith, 1997; Randy Whitfield, 1998.
First Citizen: Ivan Hoy, 1953; Gerald Wooley, 1967; Blair Smith, 1971; Keith Gabriel, 1976; Loren Emmert, 1979; Robert Brandt, 1984; Mel Wagoner, 1987; Sherman Weld, 1995; Don Hopkins and Larry Johnson, 1997.
Distinguished Service: Ivan Hoy, 1977; Keith Gabriel, 1992; Gerald Wooley, 1994.