Feb. 3, 2020
Dennis Wischmeier was honored recently as the 2019 Camano Island American Legion Post #207 Firefighter of the Year. Dennis has been an active volunteer with Camano Island Fire & Rescue since 2011, and currently serves at Station #5, Camano Island Fire and Rescue’s southernmost station in Mabana.
“When the American Legion asked us to nominate a candidate for this award, we immediately thought of Dennis,” said Camano Island Fire & Rescue Chief Levon Yengoyan. “He’s been instrumental in working with our high school students enrolled in the Fire Service Cadet Program at Stanwood High School, he’s certified as a wildland firefighter, and he recently earned his Fire Instructor 1 certification. We’re tremendously pleased that the American Legion honored his hard work and dedication.”
Dennis served for 8 years in the U.S Navy, and has achieved both the Washington State EMT certification and the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) Firefighter 1 & 2 level certifications. He is qualified as a wildland firefighter with a Red Card certification and has been deployed to eastern Washington numerous times to work on wildland fire projects there.
You’ll often see Dennis out early in the morning jogging up to three miles on Elger Bay Road – maintaining his excellent physical health and readiness. Also worthy of note is that he has competed at the annual firefighter Columbia Tower Climb in Seattle, which is no easy task.
Since 2010, The American Legion has given a National Firefighter of the Year Award to firefighters who have exceeded the requirements expected of his or her position and have shown a distinct pattern of community service and professional achievement.
In 2018, the American Legion honored CIFR Capt. Bobby Guadamuz as their Firefighter of the Year. The American Legion then entered Capt. Guadamuz in the state competition, which he went on to win.