Cloverdale volunteer honored

Deanne Dement. Photo by Elise Gourguechon

Deanne Dement, a volunteer with the Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District (RFPD), was this year's recipient of the Central Oregon Fire Prevention Cooperative Smokey and the American Cowboy belt buckle for outstanding service to the community and fire prevention efforts.

The Central Oregon Fire Prevention Cooperative outreach effort focuses on children, residents, and recreationists to increase fire prevention awareness and education.

Dement has been a volunteer with the Cloverdale RFPD for 12 years and is currently the president of the volunteer association.

She was president of the Central Oregon Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators and a member for four years before joining the Central Oregon Fire Prevention Co-op in October of 2000.

Dement has also been nominated to The National Fire Academy. She will attend a class in "Prevention Solutions for Small Departments and Communities," focusing on community-wide prevention marketing plans.

"The group vote was unanimous," said Karl Johannsen, COFPC Chairman. "We all appreciate Deanne's contribution. Every child we educate in fire prevention is another step in changing behaviors; fires are prevented, and more lives are saved."

The Central Oregon Fire Prevention Co-op is made up of fire agencies within Central Oregon. This includes: the Oregon Department of Forestry, Walker Range Fire Patrol Association, the Bureau of Indian Affairs ­ Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the USDA Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Oregon State Fire Marshals, and 16 city and rural fire departments.