Fire District recognizes work of volunteers

BREWSTER – Douglas Okanogan Fire District 15 honored its more than 50 fire and EMS volunteers at the 2023 Volunteer Appreciation Dinner held at the American Legion building on March 11. In addition to the dinner, attendees honored fallen firefighters, reviewed the year just passed, and presented service recognition to volunteers from the Pateros, Methow, Brewster, Rocky Butte, and EMS stations.

District Chief Bill Vallance and EMS Director Tonya Vallance welcomed the group and introduced the evening’s guest speaker, Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Howard Scartozzi. Scartozzi has 39 years of volunteer fire service operational, training, and administrative experience and has spent the past 12 years at the Washington State Fire Training Academy as an instructor, Firefighter Recruit Academy Coordinator and Chief of Instruction. As a Chief Deputy, Scartozzi is currently assigned to the development and implementation of a Statewide Regional Direct Delivery program which includes coordination of National Fire Academy courses, Firefighter and Hazardous Materials training.

District Chief Vallance said the district is always welcomes and needs volunteers.

Volunteers at the District stations include:

Pateros

Chief Kerry Heen

Assistant Chief Matt Coffman

Capt. Thomas Steggall

1st Lt. Gage Carson

2nd Lt. Bruce Henne

John Goyne

Chris Heal

Ricky Heen

A.J. Garcia

Cindy Cavazos

Ray Sandy

Antonio Beason

Amanda McDaniel

Josh Smith

Amber Heen

Abbigale Heen

Methow

Chief Nolan Tonseth

Assistant  Chief Jeff Zahn

Captain David Sorensen

Marke Mattson

Andy Simmons

Joshua Corsa

Austin Kilmer-Morris

Brewster

City Chief Dylan Gamble

Assistant  Chief Victor Vargas

Captain Austin Vargas

1st Lt. Jacob Poole

Jason Allen

Hunter Cooper

Arturo Aparicio

Kevin Vallance

Kylee Levi

Alex Avalos

Gregorio Huerta

Tim Isensee

Beto Infante

Dario Orozco

Ryan Meehan

Oscar Gomez

Tyler Levi

Tyrell Vargas

Douglas Viebrock

Connor Wiggs

Rocky Butte

Captain Sal Rodriguez

Manny Arevalo

Dave McNamara

Santos Hernandez

Jose Rodriguez

EMS

Shelly Brown

Sabrina O’Connell

Marke Mattson

Genea Flynn

Kevin Vallance

Joshua Corsa

Brad Scharnickle

Kristina Martinez

Caroline Cooper

Carlos Tornez

Jason Allen

Hunter Cooper

District 15 paid staff

District Chief Bill Vallance

EMS Director Tonya Vallance, Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT)

Art Smyth, AEMT

Samantha Rains, Basic EMT (EMT-B)

Tim Cakouros, EMT-B