Sanders named Sidney's top firefighter

The Sidney Volunteer Fire Department held its annual awards banquet on Friday evening, with dozens applauding presentations to Firefighter of the Year Dave Sanders, longtime veteran Dean Starr and others.

Award winners represented some 175 years of cumulative service to the city.

Sanders, who works for D & D Roofing, earned the top honor following a vote by department members.

"There is no better award to receive than to be honored by your peers," said Sidney City Manager Gary Person in his remarks leading up to the presentation.

Sidney's volunteer department has been around since 1878, when a group of concerned citizens banded together, eventually purchasing pumps and other modern equipment.

This longevity makes the SVFD one of the oldest continuous entities in Sidney.

Award winners

Firefighter of the Year:

Dave Sanders

Five Years of Service:

Dwayne Holt

Ten Years of Service

Dustin Chaon

Scott Lawson

Kevin Namuth

Matt Perry

20 Years of Service

James Harmon

30 Years of Service

Glenn Morrison

35 Years of Service

Loren Rood

45 Years of Service

Dean Starr