Rotary recognizes emergency service standouts

The Fort Smith Rotary Club honored four Fort Smith public servants at the Phoenix Expo Center on Wednesday (April 4).

The awards given were for Fireman of the Year, Paramedic of the Year, Police Officer of the Year, and Deputy of the Year, as selected by the winners’ co-workers and subordinates.

Accepting first was Fort Smith Fire Department member Ryan Rains, who graduated from Fort Smith Northside High School in 1993 and the Louis F. Garland Fire Academy the following year.

Since graduating from the Fire Academy, Rains has also served with the 188th Fighter Wing. He joined the Fort Smith Fire Department in October 2004 and is a member of its Honor Guard as well as the co-creator of the Firefighter Indoctrination Program and the creator of the Fort Smith Fire Department Smart Book.

Fire Chief Mike Richards, who was in attendance for the ceremony, said that Rains, “in addition to being an active member of multiple fire department committees and boards, is a devoted husband and father.”

Following Rains’ acceptance, the Rotary Club recognized Veronica Harris as the Paramedic of the Year. Harris has worked out of the Sparks Emergency Room for 18 years, and has served as the Field Supervisor.

“She has served as an educator to many, as well as mentored young, new paramedics. Her paramedic skills and critical care changes lives on a daily basis,” said Fort Smith EMS Director Tim Hearn.

Hearn continued: “One thing that I find brings Veronica above the bar is her compassion and caring for others. She has on many occasions taken food to the homeless downtown, purchased clothing and toys for young children that she has encountered on EMS calls, participated in the backpack programs for kids, and even goes and checks on previous patients in the evenings to be sure that they are okay. I truly believe no one deserves this award more than her.”

Third in acceptance, Detective Adam Creek of the Fort Smith Police Department (FSPD) received the Officer of the Year Award. Creek came to the FSPD from the Magnolia Police Department in 2003.

He began as a patrolman before moving up to the Property Crimes Task Force in 2007, and the Criminal Investigations Division on the Crimes Against Property Unit in 2008. Also in 2008, Creek joined the Special Investigations Unit as the Sex Offender Coordinator.

In 2009, Creek settled in the Crimes Against Persons Unit, where he investigates crimes, such as rape, robbery, homicide and battery.

Closing out the awards presentation, the Rotary Club presented Sergeant Tyler Steel of the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office with the Deputy of the Year Award.

Steel joined the Sheriff’s Office in November 2007, and according to Jail Administrator John Devane with the Sebastian County Detention Center, he “worked his way up through the ranks at an accelerated rate.”

Devane continued: “In his career, Sergeant Steel has helped to save the life of a man attempting suicide, helped perform life saving CPR on a woman overdosing on drugs, and applied emergency First Aid to stop life-threatening bleeding on an inmate, who dove from a bunk bed.”

“As a single father, he works two jobs to provide for his family. He is a role model for young men to follow,” Devane added.