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NVFC Bestows 2008 Fire Prevention Award to Donald Dalrymple
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| Donald Dalyrmple, center, receives the 2008 Fire Prevention Award from Joe Guyotte, Chair of the NVFC Membership and Awards Committee, while Dalrymple's son Nicholas (left) looks on. |
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) presented its 2008 Fire Prevention Award to Donald Dalrymple on April 5. This prestigious national Award, which is sponsored by First Alert, annually honors an individual whose outstanding achievements in the fire service and community exemplify the philosophy of fire prevention.
Dalrymple is the Program Manager of the Schuyler County Firefighters Association’s Learn Not to Burn fire prevention program, a volunteer position he has held since 2002. He is a 26-year member of the Valois-Logan-Hector (VLH) Fire Company, a volunteer department in central New York.
Dalrymple became involved with fire safety education 18 years ago as an assistant helper for the Learn Not to Burn program. Before the school year was over, he was an instructor. Now Program Manager, his dedication has only strengthened. In addition to instructing fire safety classes in four different schools, he is responsible for providing the necessary assistance and training to the volunteer instructors in Schuyler County. He also coordinates the Free Detector Program with the county’s Office of Emergency Management, runs the county’s annual fire safety poster contest, and develops and manages the Learn Not to Burn program’s annual budget. He dedicates endless hours and much effort to all of his duties as Program Manager.
Dalrymple has instituted many changes that have improved the caliber of the fire safety and prevention programs being offered in Schuyler County. He has a schedule of monthly educational visits to the schools, ensuring that students receive fire prevention and safety messages consistently throughout the school year. One of his most innovative ideas was teaching his dog to “stop, drop, and roll,” a lesson that greatly impresses young children – and one that they remember. His family is also involved in the fire prevention program, including his son Nicholas, who helps his father in conveying these life-saving messages. Dalrymple’s determination and unfailing efforts have ensured that fire prevention is an active and important part of the county’s educational curriculum.
“I absolutely love this program,” Dalrymple said of Learn Not to Burn. “I am very proud of the program, my family, who helps me immensely, and my dog.” He went on to stress the importance of teaching fire prevention and safety messages to children, who can then pass the messages on to their parents. “Teach the kids, and have the kids teach the parents,” he said. He used the example of checking smoke alarm batteries: If the kids learn the importance of smoke alarms and testing the batteries, they will in turn go home and remind their parents to perform the necessary smoke alarm checks.
In addition to his work as a volunteer firefighter and fire prevention education leader, Dalrymple is a grape farmer. He and his fiancée Anita, who is also an active member of the VLH Fire Company, have three sons between them.
The NVFC established the Fire Prevention Award in the memory of volunteer firefighter Marc Mueller, who energetically promoted the causes of volunteer firefighters and supported all efforts to elevate volunteerism to its highest level. Sponsored by First Alert, the Award is presented each spring in conjunction with the NVFC Spring Board Meeting. Applications for the 2009 Fire Prevention Award will be accepted through February 1, 2009. For more information on this or other NVFC awards, visit www.nvfc.org/page/634/Awards.htm, or call 1-888-ASK-NVFC (275-6832). To learn more about First Alert, visit www.firstalert.com.
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