Ventura County Fire Department

CAMARILLO, Calif. – The Ventura County Fire Department will honor its Firefighters of the Year at its annual Award Ceremony on Thursday, April 16, 2009. The event will be held at 3:30 p.m. at the Oxnard Residence Inn, 2101 W. Vineyard Ave.

Seven firefighters, one from each battalion and two from other units, will be named as Firefighters of the Year, and members of the department’s Swift Water Rescue Team that was deployed to Louisiana and Texas to assist after hurricanes Gustav and Ike, will receive a Bureau of Emergency Services Special Service Award.

The ceremony will also honor civilian and safety personnel named as Employees of the Year by their respective bureaus. Following is the list of honorees:
Firefighter Brian Kinsley – Firefighter of the Year – Battalion One (Camarillo)
Firefighter Daniel Salas – Firefighter of the Year – Battalion Two (Ojai)
Captain Kevin Davis – Firefighter of the Year – Battalion Three (Conejo Valley)
Engineer Rob Schaper – Firefighter of the Year – Battalion Four (Simi Valley)
Captain Tom Glauser – Firefighter of the Year – Battalion Five (Santa Clara Valley)
Captain Richard Toukdarian – Firefighter of the Year – Bureau of Planning and Technology
Captain Chad Cook - Firefighter of the Year – Bureau of Support Services
Chaplain Larry Modugno - Employee of the Year – Bureau of Administration
Fire Inspector Lori Ross - Employee of the Year – Bureau of Fire Prevention
Mark Sackenreuter - Dispatcher of the Year – Fire Communications
Scot Olson – Lifesaving Award (civilian)
Swift Water Rescue Team (15 members) – Special Service Award

The department presents the awards every year to recognize outstanding achievements by its members in service to the department or the public. Fire Chief Bob Roper will preside at the ceremony and other dignitaries are expected to attend in honor of those being recognized.