The Fountain Hills Rotary Club last presented its Public Safety Awards for the area police and fire agencies in 2020 and immediately afterward the COVID-19 pandemic shut things down. There was no presentation in 2021.

When the Rotary Club gathered last week to present the awards for 2022, Fountain Hills Rural/Metro Fire Chief Dave Ott emphasized the challenges the departments have faced the past two years by naming his entire department as Firefighters of the Year.

“It has been a tough couple of years for these guys with overtime and pulling double shifts,” Ott said. “The whole department pulled together, and they are all firefighters of the year.

“We have embraced the community, and the community has embraced us.”

Ott said the three fire departments in the area – Fountain Hills, Fort McDowell and Rio Verde – all rely on one another and, together, they make the job easier for everyone.

He also singled out the Crisis Response Team for praise of its assistance in Fountain Hills.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has law enforcement jurisdiction in Fountain Hills and the Verde communities. Lt. Jon Halverson announced that Sgt. Chris Brown was named Rotary Officer of the Year.

Brown began with MCSO as a detention officer and has worked his way through the ranks.

“He is an honest and honorable man,” Halverson said. “He is always asking how his actions affect others.

“He is someone we rely on. Chris has found his calling (in law enforcement).”

Fort McDowell Police Department Acting Chief Thomas Gonzales announced Manfred Rojas as Rotary Officer of the Year.

Gonzales said Rojas is consistently one of the hardest working in the department, surpassing people much younger than he.

“He is someone we rely on a lot,” Gonzales said.

Rojas, with 21 years in law enforcement, is a department instructor and active in training the Fort McDowell Crisis Response Team.

Fort McDowell Fire Department Chief Mark Barnhart named Paul Camacho Rotary Firefighter of the Year.

“Paul is a super-hard worker, and he will always tell you the truth,” Barnhart said.

Camacho was selected by the department captains, and Barnhart said he is someone always ready to help. He has helped people with money and often offers others a ride home. In one instance, Camacho was off duty and noticed a man down. When the man was unresponsive, he provided CPR and used an AED on the patient.

Rio Verde Fire District Chief Jay Ducote named Adam Kepler as Rotary Firefighter of the Year in his department.

“These past two years have been really difficult,” Ducote said. “We have worked hard to keep our citizens and ourselves safe.”

He said Kepler has been an important part of that effort. He is a child car seat technician, which is a job that requires nearly constant training. He also is working with the committee planning for the second Rio Verde Fire station currently under construction.

Fountain Hills Rotary Club President Michelle Holcomb presided over the presentations where each honoree received a gift basket from the club, with plaques to come later.

Holcomb also said the club was appreciative of the “amazing work you do for us,” and she was pleased that some of the honorees brought their children to the event.

“It is wonderful for these children to have the opportunity to see their parents honored,” she said.