North Morrow Volume XVIII Number 5 December 3, 2010
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Boardman Rural Firefighters mint commemorative coins In 2008 there was a huge fire that encompassed a great portion of the Bombing Range and Nature Conservancy lands south of Boardman. “Nearly 315,000 acres burned during the week of June 30 to July 7,” recalls Boardman Rural Fire Protection District (BRFPD) Assistant Fire Chief Bill Ellis. Initially, the Boardman crew put in 41 hours fighting the fire before they turned the fire over to mutual aid, which is a cooperation of area fire protection units: Stanfield, Hermiston, Umatilla, Irrigon, Pendleton, Heppner, Lexington, Ione firefighting crews. That allowed the Boardman crew to take a break, rest up and then return to their fire fighting duties. Assistant Fire Chief Bill Ellis
began his career as a volunteer in April, 1991 with BRFPD; then in 1998 he became the Assistant Chief, which was a part-time paid position. In 2004 the position became a full-time paid position. Shortly after the 2008 fire, Ellis and his wife, Tammy vacationed at the Oregon coast. They stopped in at a gift shop in Rockaway Beach, where Ellis found a pewter coin that was for firefighters, with a fireman’s prayer on one side and the Maltese Cross, which is the universal insignia for firefighters nationwide on the other side. Bill thought this might be a fitting “thank you” gift to all Boardman crew who assisted with fighting the horrendous fire, so he purchased one for each person. He remem-
Some of the 25 firefighters, 9 board and 20 fire corps members display their BRFPD coins.
Puter, Bronze, Gold, Silver and Coper Challenge coins
Oregon Cultural Trust featured at December Chamber luncheon The December Boardman Chamber Luncheon will feature Kimberly Howard, Trust Manager of The Oregon Cultural Trust. The Trust was authorized in 1999 to increase public and private support for Oregon’s arts, heritage and humanities. Its visionary goal: create a sustainable $200 million permanent endowment for culture. Come learn more about this great Oregon project. Judy’s Scott’s ChuckWagon will be the caterer for this month. The lunch is Wednesday, Decem-
ber 15 at the Port of Morrow. Serving begins at 11:45 am, the cost is $10.00 per person and an RSVP is required by Monday, December 13. Call the Chamber at 541-481-3014. The Ambassadors will hold a special 50/50 drawing this month; It is a “heads or tails” special 50/50 contest. Bring your $5.00 and get in on the fun. The winner will receive 50% of the proceeds and the other 50% will be donated to the Cultural Trust in your name. So, don’t forget an extra $5.00 for a good time and a good cause.
bered from his US Marine Corps days that they also had special coins, and the Marines had a “challenge”. When one Marine meets another, the member produces his coin and challenges the other Marine to produce his. If the challenged Marine didn’t have his coin on him, he was required to purchase a drink for the challenger. Ellis envisioned a similar circumstance for the firefighters so they would treasure their coin and carry it with them always. “I started pulling a challenge out with this coin and everyone else started doing the same. It pulled us all together as a cohesive unit,” says Ellis. The Boardman Fire Fighter’s Association decided to mint their own coins. They used profits from volunteer events such as Christmas tree sales, car washes and the BBQ Cook-off to pay for the coins.
A contest was held for the development of artwork, which had to include four elements: BRFPD’s mascot ‘Scorch’ (a little devil), the Maltese Cross, the American flag, and the words “Boardman Rural Fire Protection District”. Any other design could be added. Seven people entered and after a tie they decided to take elements from each design to create the coins. Ellis researched many places who mint coins, finally choosing an American company over International companies. Northwest Territorial Mint produced four coins specific to BRFPD: a bronze coin labeled ‘Rookie’ for when a volunteer passes the entry level firefighter or when a fire corps member volunteers 25 hours. A silver coin is labeled ‘Firefighter I’ and is earned when a firefighter passes the tests for that designation or when a fire corps member volunteers 50 hours.
A gold coin is inscribed with personal call number or fire truck number, and is earned when a firefighter passes the Firefighter II exam or when a fire corps member volunteers 100 hours. These three coins can only be earned by BRFPD volunteers or staff. A copper coin is available for purchase by the firefighters to be given out of respect to those assisting with the mission of BRFPD. All past and present board of director members also received a gold coin. The receipt of a coin is not to be taken lightly: there is a two-page set of rules governing the usage. The esprit de corps of the volunteers has taken a huge leap forward. They are striving to earn their next firefighter level and the coins help. “I love my country, community and family, my job, and everything I stand for is in this coin,” says Bill Ellis.