Community members and valued partner organizations recognized

Boulder County, Colo. - The Boulder County Sheriff's Office held an awards ceremony last night, June 27, to thank community members and valued partner organization for the assistance during the Marshall Fire. Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle, “We honored the individual employees, agencies, partners, and community members who went to great lengths to save lives, both human and animal, save property where possible, and to begin the process of healing and recovery.”

The following people received a Sheriff’s Commendation:

Superior resident Sheryl Buchman rescued her neighbor Maddie, who she knew was sleeping after working an overnight shift. They made it out the house safely with only a few moments to spare before the fire engulfed their homes. Sheryl credits her rescue to the bond they share as neighbors.

Superior residents Chris and Debbie Clyncke prepared meals in their commercial kitchen that they delivered nearly every day for a month, to ensure that deputies had warm meals to eat while on duty in the fire working in the fire zone.

Black Paw owners Bernadette and Joe Pflug provided their pet boutique facility and cleaning supplies to help bathe and decontaminate canines who were responding with their handlers to the Marshall Fire.

The following organizations volunteered resources and thousands of hours in support of the Marshall Fire response: Emergency Services Public Information Officers of Colorado, Fraternal Order of Police Disaster Response Team, Samaritan’s Purse U.S. Disaster Relief, Search and Rescue Dogs of Colorado, Search and Rescue Dogs of the United States, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, and Team Rubicon.

The following teams, organizations and companies provided extraordinary assistance and support to the Marshall Fire response: City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, City of Boulder Radio Shop, City of Boulder SWAT Team, City of Longmont Communications Group, Crisis Track, First Net, Longmont Department of Public Safety, Motorola, and the Verizon Response Team.

Staff from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office were also recognized during the awards ceremony, including two Sheriff’s Office employees who each received a Medal of Valor for performing an act of extreme bravery of self-sacrifice in the line of duty.

This event helps highlight the significant number of community members, organizations, and businesses that went above and beyond to help respond to the largest disaster Boulder County has ever faced. It is not an all-encompassing list, but an effort to recognize the extraordinary effort that took place in the first hours and days of the Marshall Fire.