Submitted photo

Hines Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief David Reiss (center) with his Golden Sparky Award, which he won for excellence in fire prevention and public safety education.

David Reiss, assistant chief of the Hines Volunteer Fire Department, was awarded the 2023 Golden Sparky Award.

The Golden Sparky recognizes a fire service member or fire agency for their outstanding fire prevention or public safety education achievement.

Only two awards are given out each year. One award recognizes a fire service member or fire agency, and the other recognizes a civilian or civilian agency for outstanding achievement in fire prevention or public safety education.

Below is the nomination letter that was written by Hines Fire Chief Bob Spence and submitted to the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office for consideration.

•••

To whom it may concern,

Dave Riess has worn many fire prevention hats during his wildland and structural fire career.

Riess is the assistant chief of the Hines Volunteer Fire Department (HVFD) in Hines. He’s been a member of the HVFD since 2006. In that time, Dave has been responsible for sharing critical fire prevention information with the citizens of his community through words and action.

Assistant Chief Riess has coordinated school fire prevention programs, bike rodeos, and holiday parades. He’s responsible for maintaining the department’s social media presence by frequently updating the public on shared State Fire Marshall fire prevention announcements, critical fire danger notices, critical fire weather events, and other issues — all to accomplish the difficult task of keeping the pubic informed and educated about fire issues.

For years, Riess has been responsible for implementing the smoke detector giveaway program and coordinating their installation into our citizens’ homes. The State Fire Marshal smoke detector grant program is competitive, and Assistant Chief Riess’ submissions have been very successful. He and his firefighters have installed hundreds of detectors into citizens’ homes with outdated or not working smoke detectors. In a rural community such as Hines, fire resources are difficult to sustain, and every smoke detector can provide an early lifesaving warning for homeowners.

Assistant Chief Riess has, for many years, provided fire extinguisher training to citizens, businesses, and school faculty, ensuring competent use of extinguishers as a fire prevention tool.

He is also the training officer for HVFD, ensuring the department’s firefighters are meeting Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training standards, identifying training needs, setting up classes, and coordinating fire prevention activities with our cooperating/neighboring federal fire resources.

He also works closely with the Burns Fire Department and the Burns Paiute Fire Department on all matters of fire prevention and education.

Riess has also spent an entire career working as a federal wildland fire engine captain. During his tenure, he participated in, or organized, dozens and dozens of fire prevention activities, including school preparations, Smokey Bear escorts, County Fair booth development and staffing, community parades, and even sports team escorts for state championships.

Riess has facilitated and worked with Oregon State Fire managers, enabling the local volunteer fire departments to access excess and surplus wildland fire equipment and vehicles. He has been dedicated to working through this complicated process and has been so very successful due to his tireless efforts.

Riess also worked with many of our local Rangeland Fire Protection Associations, providing wildland fire training to these rural firefighters, who are so critical to successful firefighting in the mix of land ownership that is so prevalent in rural Eastern Oregon.

His dedicated fire prevention efforts have provided essential lifesaving fire prevention education and awareness to all the citizens of Harney County.

Thank you for your consideration.

•••

Please join us in congratulating Assistant Chief Reiss on this well-deserved award!