Ashland Fire and Rescue volunteers honored at annual award dinner
Ashland Fire & Rescue held an award dinner in mid-December 2023, to honor those who volunteer for CERT and WRAP. In attendance were Fire Chief Ralph Sartain, Acting City Manager Sabrina Cotta and Mayor Tonya Graham.
CERT, or the Community Emergency Response Team, is the City’s disaster preparedness program that is comprised of local volunteers. Nearly 1,700 community members have been CERT trained since the program began in 1999. Volunteers learn quickly how to be better prepared to survive a disaster and help those in need. CERT is one of the most successful disaster preparedness programs in the nation.
WRAP is the City’s Wildfire Risk Assessment Program that began in 2021 and was recently merged with the CERT program as an additional operations team for community emergency preparedness for wildfire. WRAP volunteers are an invaluable asset in AF&R’s community engagement efforts for creating a more Fire Adapted Ashland.
The following volunteers were recognized at the dinner:
President’s Volunteer Service Award Gold (Volunteers who have dedicated at least 500 hours in 2023 to the City)
Charisse Sydoriak
Walter Sydoriak
Reggie Windham
President’s Volunteer Service Award Bronze (Volunteers who have dedicated at least 100 hours in 2023 to the City)
Paul Collins
Cat Gould
Fire Chief’s Award (Award to recognize a volunteer’s outstanding achievement and contributions to the CERT program)
Tabitha Viner
Good Jake Award (Peer-choice award for someone who is a good team member that exemplifies the values of the CERT program)
Mike Connolly
20 Years of Service to the Ashland CERT Program
John Ames
15 Years of Service to the Ashland CERT Program
Paul Collins
Mia Driscoll
Tim Learmont
Dan Ragen
10 Years of Service to the Ashland CERT Program
Deb Price
Victoria Bones
Charlie Delgado
Steve Weyer
Bennie Williams
5 Years of Service to the Ashland CERT Program
Chelsea Davis
Tom Doolittle
Harold Kasper
Doug Viner
Tabitha Viner
“We are better together!”CONTACT:
Sydney Jenkins, Fire and Life Safety Specialist
City of Ashland
541.552.2226 cert@ashland.or.us
Brian Hendrix, Fire Adapted Communities Coordinator
City of Ashland
541.552.2231 brian.hendrix@ashland.or.us
#end
Released December 19, 2023
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