Grand Coulee fire department recognizes its volunteers

About 50 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service personnel turned out Dec. 13, at Grand Coulee's fire hall for an annual meeting and special awards banquet.

Charles Pope, who was last year's "Rookie of the Year," this year won the "Terry Sieker" award as firefighter of the year.

This year's "Rookie of the Year" award went to Nic Alexander.

Also receiving an award was Ben Alling, who was named the "Robert McGuire EMS Responder" of the year.

Ryan Fish was recognized for making the most fire calls and the most ambulance calls so far this year.

As of the end of November, Fire Chief Richard Paris said, the Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department had responded to 31 fire calls and 271 ambulance calls. He noted that 1,176 times people had left what they were doing to respond to calls for assistance to citizens and visitors to the Grand Coulee Dam area.

Alling, who recently resigned from Coulee Dam's fire department at a town council meeting, was "the fourth leading responder for Grand Coulee Ambulance this year," Paris stated.