SHERBURNE – The Sherburne Fire Department held its annual awards dinner Saturday night, honoring members for their service to the community.
Fire Chief Pat Lawrence and EMS Chief Jay Symonds shared their annual reports with the volunteers and community members. Lawrence said this year, the department responded to more than 100 calls in its protection district, and aided other departments in several other calls. “Those calls accounted for more than 1,000 person hours,” Lawrence said.
Included in the calls were 126 hazard mitigation scenarios, 26 motor vehicle accidents, 11 miscellaneous fires and eight structure fires. “In addition, we spent a large number of hours on education during our Wednesday night meetings and other trainings,” Lawrence said.
The department also aided in community events, such as the 60th Annual Pageant of Bands, regular pancake breakfasts and chicken barbecues.
“We continue to be a strong department, although we do not have a full roster,” Lawrence said. “We need new members.” He added that the strength of the department is due in part to the good relationships Sherburne has developed with neighboring districts. “No one can do it on their own.”
Symonds said the EMS crew saw 496 activations this year, and dispatched crews 447 times. “That means 10 percent of our calls we had to turn over because we could not cover them with Sherburne’s people,” Symonds said.
The biggest issue the EMS department has faced this year, the chief explained, is trying to transition from an all-volunteer department to a revenue recovery system. “That would allow us to hopefully put on some paid staffing and get rid of that 10 percent call volume we couldn’t cover,” Symonds said. “This is a problem that has been going on for 15 years. We’re trying to find a way to make it better.”
Following the reports, officers were announced for both the Fire and EMS Departments, and service awards were given out. Fire Department President Doug Shattuck announced that the fire department officers would be: Chief Pat Lawrence, First Assistant Chief Mike Hodge, Second Assistant Chief Vern Palmiter, Captain Jansen Casscles, First Assistant Captain Fred Jenkins and Second Assistant Captain Paul Jones.
The EMS officers are Chief Jay Symonds, First Assistant Captain Dorothy Tarbell and Second Assistant Captain Elena Casscles.
Two retiring fire department members were honored for their service to the department. Shattuck recognized Bill Hodges and Mike Sanner, both of whom will be leaving the department this year. Hodges had 35 years of service to the department. Sanner had 29.
Captain Jansen Casscles was recognized with the training award. “There are two requirements to being a good emergency service provider,” Lawrence said. “You have to have the heart, the drive and the feeling inside to help your fellow man, but all the heart, drive and best intentions can and will lead to disaster without good training.” Lawrence said one member stood out as a leader this year, pushing the entire department to train as much as possible; that person was Casscles.
Lawrence, Symonds and Vern Palmiter, presented the Chief’s Award to member Michael Jenkins. “He’s always here and willing to help,” Palmiter said.
Shattuck concluded the evening by presenting the lifetime achievement award to retiring member Bill Hodges. Hodges divided his 35 years of service into two stints with the department, serving his first 26 years from 1967 to 1993. After 7 years, Hodges came back for another go, serving from 2000 until his retirement in 2008.
Other award given out were:
