Alm receives Governor’s Award

By Danica Baker
Herald Staff Writer

July 02, 2008 11:54 am

— CAMANCHE — Camanche Assistant Fire Chief Bob Alm has received the 2008 Governor’s Award for Fire Prevention Officer of the Year.
The award goes to a fire service representative who has made, through involvement in fire prevention, a significant contribution to the prevention of fire in the state of Iowa. The nominee, at the time of the act or acts resulting in the nomination, must have been a member in good standing of an organized fire department in the state of Iowa. He or she must, through either the results of a single program or the culmination of numerous fire prevention programs, have provided an exceptionally effective contribution in the area of fire prevention.
Alm was nominated for the award by the Camanche Fire Department Executive Board in honor of serving the department for more than 30 years and his dedication to fire prevention. In the nomination letter, the board lists some of Alm's many contributions to the fire department and the community including providing fire safety/prevention programs at the local preschools, serving as coordinator of the Camanche Fire Department Juvenile Fire Setters Prevention Program and a key instructor of the department’s Fire Safety Program.
“We believe that Assistant Chief Bob Alm’s contributions in the area of fire prevention are invaluable to our department and our city,” the Camanche Fire Department Executive Board said in the nomination letter. “We also believe it would be difficult to find anyone more committed to the prevention of fires.”
Alm has been with the department for 30 years since beginning his tenure on the fire department as a volunteer in January 1977. He served as a volunteer until 1987, when he became firefighter/building inspector for the city of Camanche. He has served in nearly every capacity available at the department including chief, assistant chief, captain, lieutenant, secretary-treasurer and works and projects.
Alm has been involved with the Smokey’s Helper’s Program at Camanche Elementary School since 1981 and has been the facilitator since 1987.
In July of 1981, Bill Rowe was hired as a career firefighter for the city. That same year, Bill Rowe and Jerry Wiebers attended Summer Fire School in Ames and brought back the idea of providing a Fire Prevention program at Camanche Elementary school. This was the beginning of “Smokey’s Helpers.”
“Bill became the facilitator of this program and was assisted by the volunteers,” Alm said. “I was fortunate at the time as I was working for the city and a volunteer on the fire department. Bev Tyler, the chief, afforded me many opportunities on the department while working for the city. I became a regular with Bill at the monthly Smokey’s Helper classes, many times wearing the Smokey Bear costume.”
Each month throughout the school year, Alm and Fire Chief Dave Schutte meet with third-grade students at Camanche Elementary School. The lessons include EDITH, or Exit Drills In The Home, smoke detectors, stop, drop and roll, phoning in an alarm and other fire prevention topics. The goals are accomplished using videos, lectures and class participation/interaction and guest speakers.
“This program has been very successful in preventing fires in our town, said Schutte. ”This is obvious due to the low incidents of arson and juvenile set fires.”
In 1987, Tyler retired, Rowe became the chief and Alm was hired as the career firefighter. Some time after this, he became the facilitator of the Smokey’s Helper program. He is also the co-coordinator of the Juvenile Fire Setters and a certified arson investigator.
Alm has served in numerous capacities including treasurer, lieutenant, captain, and has been assistant chief for the past five years. He was appointed to the position of acting fire chief, after the death of Fire Chief Aubrey Wilson, who died of cancer in February 2006. Alm is a State Certified EMT-B, Firefighter I and II, Fire Department Company Officer, Fire Service Instructor I and Arson Investigator. He is an Emergency Rescue Technician, Haz-Mat Operations Trained and certified as a Juvenile Fire Setter Intervention Specialist.
Alm is a member of the International Association of Arson Investigators Iowa Chapter, the Clinton County Fire Chiefs Association (where he serves as secretary/treasurer) and the Iowa Fireman’s Association. Alm also has been certified as a Dosimeter Control Officer by Excelon Nuclear. The dosimetery equipment is used to monitor personnel and equipment in case of a release from the Excelon plant. Schutte said he is very proud of Alm and he joins the ranks of several Camanche firefighters to be honored with a Governor’s Award.