Sean C. Morgan
Chad Calderwood was named Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District Firefighter of the Year Saturday night during the district’s annual awards dinner.
Rod Holman was named Engineer of the Year; Zach Lincoln, Medic of the Year; Eli Harris, Officer of the Year; Guy Smith, Pride and Ownership Award; Employee of the Year, Lincoln; and Elmer Riemer, Keith Gabriel Humanitarian Award.
“I was kind of speechless,” Calderwood said. “I’m honored to receive it from my peers.”
Calderwood, 39, became a firefighter before 2000 with the Scappoose Fire District. He left construction, electrical and plumbing, and went to work fighting wildland fires with the Oregon Department of Forestry in 2001. He moved to Sweet Home in December 2006, succeeding Ron Henthorne as forest protection supervisor in the Sweet Home Unit.
He joined the SHFAD in 2007 to keep his firefighter certification current, he said. “The structure fire thing is giving back to the community.”
It’s something he’s trained to do, he said, and he can help.
Fighting wildland fires was one of those jobs where he could work out in the woods, build leadership skills and learn.
“I took it as a career because I enjoyed the people I work with,” Calderwood said. It’s the same volunteering with the fire district.
“The fire community is just a great place,” he said.
Calderwood is hard-working, dependable and trustworthy, said paramedic-firefighter Jared Huenergardt. After joining the department in 2007, Calderwood quickly became an officer and earned respect around the department.
Fire Chief Mike Beaver presented the Keith Gabriel Humanitarian Award, which is named for a man who exemplified the criteria of the award during his long career with the Sweet Home Fire Department and his activism in the community.
The criteria are volunteerism, integrity, honesty and hard work, Beaver said. The winner “possesses a tireless work ethic, a huge commitment to our community and a volunteer background.”
Riemer started working in a Dallas grocery store and stayed in the business for more than 50 years, retiring as manager of Safeway in Sweet Home. He loves fishing and playing games on his iPad. He has been active at Sweet Home Evangelical Church, where he is known as “Mr. Fix-It” for 44 years. He recently retired as longtime member of the Sweet Home Economic Development Group Board of Directors and a volunteer at most Oregon Jamboree events.
He was a 12-year member of the Sweet Home Ambulance District Board, and he has served the past 13 years as secretary-treasurer of the Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District Board of Directors.
“There is no comparison to what you guys do every day,” Riemer told the firefighters.
Employee of the Year goes to someone who day-in and day-out goes above and beyond expectations, said paramedic-firefighter Mike Severns. This year’s recipient, Lincoln, is a respected district employee, who improves the department every day. His skills with computers are invaluable to the department, and he is involved in community events.
“There are multiple reasons why you’re getting this award tonight,” Severns told Lincoln.
Severns also presented the Pride and Ownership Award to Smith, who “always puts others before himself.”
Although he would prefer to be out on calls, Smith, a battalion chief, works tirelessly from his office to improve the department, Severns said.
The Officer of the Year award is given to someone who demonstrates leadership, is a mentor, is dedicated to training and a person who cares, Calderwood said as he presented the award to Harris.
Lincoln shows proficiency in his profession and is the kind of guy people want to respond to calls, Harris said presenting the Medic of the Year award.
Safety of the firefighters is one of the primary jobs for an engineer, said volunteer firefighter Greg Mahler. Engineer of the Year Holman does it well as well as making sure apparatus is ready and in parades and school or community functions.
Also during the dinner, Beaver presented a certificate to recognize Janine Bondesen, who was instrumental in forming a district women’s association.
Volunteer Wes Strubhar was promoted to captain.
Huenergardt was promoted to Lieutenant from among four paramedic-firefighters who took the test. The testing was the closest the district has done, Beaver said. Just two points separated the top two candidates, showing the quality of the district’s young officers coming up.
Calderwood on behalf of the ODF Sweet Home Unit and Cascade Timber Consulting Vice President and Linn Forest Protective Association President Milt Moran presented a certificate to the SHFAD recognizing the fire district’s ongoing support and its contributions on two fires during the 2012 fire season, one on Canyon Creek and another off Highway 228 between Holley and Crawfordsville.
“We wanted to give recognition to the fire district,” Calderwood said. “Without your help, we wouldn’t be able to get a lot of things done.”
Nelia Taraski of the women’s association presented an award, ducks mounted in a row on a board representing the association’s duck race fund-raising event, to Beaver for his support and “keeping all his ducks in a row.”
Harris received a certificate for training the most hours during the year. He received 159 hours of training.
Harris recognized Lincoln for being an integral part of the department and county’s dive and swift water rescue team.
“He hates water,” Harris said. “He always has.”
But Lincoln has been heavily involved, creating a map system, identifying access points and ways to make new access points, Harris said. He’s also worked as the team’s secretary, keeping track of myriad details for the group.