On Feb. 7, the same night that Orcas Island singers were vying to be voted the Orcas Idol, some very different awards were being given out at the Discovery House at Rosario, as Orcas firefighters and volunteers were thanked for their volunteer service over the past year.

“This is a public ‘Thank You’ to our volunteers for their years of service,” Chief Mike Harris said.

“They are the ones getting out of bed on multiple nights, and missing family events, in the mud, blood and tears, to help their neighbors.”

More than 200 Orcas Fire and Rescue members past and present and their guests met for their annual banquet with the special approval of the new Rosario owners who also attended.

The Chief’s Award went to Westside Captain Bob Nutt who is responsible for the Westsound, Deer Harbor and Orcas stations.

“He is there on virutally every call when he is on the island regardless of where they are,” Harris said.

“He responds to everything everywhere. He is an independent thinker who is always asking, ‘Are we proceeding in the right direciton with training and procedures?’ He is a critical thinker in that he considers first what is the right thing to do and then if the department members can achieve it.”

The other awards are voted on by the members. They voted awards to EMT Bob Phalan as EMS Provider of the Year, Deer Harbor Lieutenant Paul Turner as Fire Service Provider of the Year, Nutt as Officer of the Year, EMT Dove Dingman as Volunteer of the Year and Dr. Mike Sullivan as Most Inspirational Member of the Year. Station 21, (Eastsound) was voted Station of the Year.