Scott Swanson
Of The New Era
Devon Bowen finds being a firefighter and paramedic a rewarding calling.
Rewarding in more than just the sense that he’s received two Firefighter of the Year awards in the five years since he joined the Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance district.
Bowen, 24, was named to the honor at the SHFAD awards dinner on April 21 after receiving it in 2003.
“He’s extremely self-motivated and a tireless worker,” said Chief Mike Beaver of Bowen. “He’s one of those people who’s extremely mature and educated beyond his years.”
Bowen grew up in Lebanon, where he was home schooled, though he played baseball for Lebanon High School.
After finishing high school, he attended a military fire science school in Tyler, Texas as a civilian, studying “everything from flight to paramedics to rescue techniques,” he said. He learned diving rescue, high-angle (rope) rescue, crisis counseling, trench rescue techniques and earned his emergency medical technician basic certification – “it was basically fire academy,” he said.
He got a chance to exercise his high-angle rescue skills recently when he rappelled down a cliff above Highway 20, across from the weigh station, to rescue a dog that had fallen down the cliff and was stuck on a ledge halfway down.
After attending the school, he returned to his parents’ home in Lebanon and hired on with SHFAD as an intern medic in October 2002. He earned his paramedic certification on April 1, 2006 and was hired as a full-time paramedic.
He and his wife, Lindsey, live in Sweet Home.
“I enjoy being here,” said Bowen, noting that he coaches freshman baseball at Sweet Home High School and is active in church at Community Chapel, and that he has family close by. “I want to stay in Sweet Home.”
He said he would like to eventually move into management and has been getting a taste of some desk activity recently while he’s been recovering from knee surgery after he got injured while riding his dirt bike.
Bowen said he enjoys being a paramedic and firefighter because it gives him a chance to help people in distress.
“On most of the (emergency medical) calls, somebody’s in need,” he said. “I like being able to help them out. It’s a chance to show them God in my life, to be calm and support them when they’re in a time of hardship.”
Beaver said he’s pleased that the department was able to hire Bowen and last year’s winner, Josh Bondesen, who were the two highest scorers in recruitment testing when SHFAD was seeking to fill positions.
“He’s a good person,” Beaver said. “He’s honest, sincere and a dedicated person. We’re fortunate to have him, not just as a part of the department, but as a part of the community.”