Sarah Hancock, Chief and Gwen Berryt
Editor’s Note: This is the second part of the speech that Fire Chief Sarah Hancock didn’t get to give at the Firefighters Appreciation Dinner on March 29. An emergency call came in just as everyone was finishing dinner, and she and the other firefighters had to leave to answer the call. The first part was printed in the April 2025 High Prairian.
We have such a great crew! It is easy to acknowledge we love to respond to large, exciting events; but for me the amazing thing is when we get a call for a minor emergency and so many of our Department personnel respond. That tells me we have many dedicated members that really care about our community members. Each member brings something different regarding life experiences and wisdom to share. It always amazes me that with so many diverse backgrounds, we all come together and protect this community as a cohesive team.
Here’s a brief introduction to each of our High Prairie Firefighters:
CAPTAIN and FIRE COMMISSIONER PHILIP HANER
Phil is not only our Captain at our Struck Road Station, but one of your Fire Commissioners. Phil has been with High Prairie Fire for 26 years. He is also our most advanced wildland firefighter in the department.
CAPTAIN DAVE THOM
Dave is our Captain at our Schilling Road Station and our Training Officer. He has been with High Prairie Fire for 15 years. Dave is an excellent instructor and mentor in all aspects of firefighting. We always have a great time when Dave is around! We won’t let him retire.
LIEUTENANT TIM DARLAND
Tim is our Schilling Road Station Lieutenant and previous Fire Chief. Tim has been with High Prairie Fire for 26 years. Tim is excellent at showing empathy towards the crew and our medical patients and fire victims. He’s also a great instructor. We won’t let him retire either!
LIEUTENANT TOM MCMACKIN
Tom is our Struck Road Station Lieutenant and an Emergency Medical Responder. He has been with High Prairie Fire for 14 years. Tom, year after year, has had one of the highest response rates to our 911 calls. Tom also does a lot behind the scenes. He keeps track of supplies, helps prepare our drills, makes sure our engines are fully prepared for the next call, helps with public education, writes articles on behalf of the fire department for The High Prairian – the list goes on and on. He’s one of the first to check in on a patient after a 911 call.
SENIOR FIREFIGHTER and FIRE COMMISSIONER JAMES AMERY
James Amery is not only one of our senior firefighters, he is also one of our Fire Commissioners. He is also the son of the late Tom Amery, who co-founded High Prairie Fire. James has been with High Prairie Fire for 28 years. James is excellent at teaching the history and traditions of High Prairie, and he’s helped our volunteers learn how to drive our different vehicles. James is our go-to when it comes to caring for and protecting our emergency vehicles. There are so many occasions where we have mechanical issues and the response is, “Let’s call James.” He is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the mechanics of our bigger vehicles. He always has a way of bringing a big problem down to size and usually has a working solution in short order. For the more complex problems, he has contributed his knowledge and skills to eventually overcome and fix the problem. He is a skilled, knowledgeable individual that is always willing to take on and solve the biggest of problems.
SENIOR FIREFIGHTER JIM DAY
Jim Day has been with our department for 11 years. He is passionate about the safety of others and is always finding ways to protect our crew and community.
SENIOR FIREFIGHTER RON MCDONALD
Ron has been with our department for 10 years. Ron has extensive safety training. He has a long history of working in safety for the government, Red Cross, Emergency Management, and as a police officer. Ron will point out potential hazards and safeguard our well-being while we’re on a call. He is always willing to share his experiences, help mentor our crew, or pat you on the back for a job well done.
FIREFIGHTER/EMT SAM HOLMAN
Sam joined our department when he was 16 and has been with our department for 5 years. Sam just received his EMT where he was the top of his class and a favorite among the instructors. He is now in Structure Fire Academy*.
FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC GREGORY HANER
Greg joined our department when he was 16 and has been with us for 8 years. He is a career firefighter and paramedic. Greg is a natural leader and trainer. He is excellent at training both Fire and EMS skills at our drills. We always enjoy it when he comes over to High Prairie to teach us what he’s learned at Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue.
FIREFIGHTER CHRIS ROPER
Chris has been with our department 3 years and has enthusiastically jumped into doing whatever is needed by the department and our community. Chris has a background in emergency response as a military police officer. He is another crew member who regularly checks in on some of our senior community members. Chris has put an extensive amount of time into training in all areas of emergency response for our department.
FIREFIGHTER/EMT BRENDA EDIN
Brenda has been with our department for 3 years. She has her EMT and is a certified Peer Counselor. Brenda has a passion for protecting the mental health of our crew members, building the team within the department, and within the community. She is passionate about community health, an excellent instructor, an amazing cook, and the best caption reader.
FIREFIGHTER KEN HILL
Ken has been with our department for 2 years. He is currently in Structure Fire Academy* and will be starting EMT school soon. Ken is our tech guru, he’s always willing to learn, and always smiling when he comes to drill!
NEW RECRUIT RICK WILSON
Rick has been with our department for 1 year. He is currently in Structure Fire Academy*. We are impressed by his enthusiasm and willingness to learn!
NEW RECRUITS EDWARDO ORNELAS and KRISTINE AUSTIN
Edwardo and Kristine have been with our department for 2 years.
*at the time of the March 29 Appreciation Dinner