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Wednesday, September 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Sheriff’s
Volunteering at Sisters Fire District is rewarding
mentorship
program to
host training
By Kema Clark
Correspondent
Central Oregon Part-
nership for Youth (COPY)
will hold a 3.5-hour virtual
fall volunteer training on
Saturday, September 26.
COPY is a program in the
Deschutes County Sheriff9s
Office that mentors chil-
dren of the Bend, Sisters,
Redmond, and La Pine areas
with incarcerated parents.
The more than 40 mentors
of this program are volunteer
members of the community.
The program allows children
to participate and engage in
a wide range of community
activities.
Children with an incar-
cerated parent or caregiver
face greater risks, barriers,
and challenges than those
fortunate enough to live in a
more stable family environ-
ment. The Deschutes County
Sheriff9s Office created the
COPY program to provide
support and assistance to
the children of inmates, giv-
ing them an opportunity to
succeed.
COPY is not a court-
mandated program. Youth
and families have to apply
and be supportive to become
involved. COPY does not
work with juvenile offenders
or kids with extreme mental
health needs.
For more information on
being a COPY Mentor, visit
https://sheriff.deschutes.org/
jail/copy-program.
Ken Ammann says he9s
done a lot of crazy things in
his life, but being a volunteer
firefighter for the Sisters-
Camp Sherman Fire District
team is definitely the most
rewarding of all.
<It was a complete sur-
prise to me how much I get
out of helping, since I had no
background in firefighting,=
he told The Nugget. <It was
pure chance I even joined the
team.=
Five years ago, Ken and
a few friends were riding
their motorcycles and just
happened to run into Deputy
Chief Tim Craig.
<We almost literally ran
into Tim9s patrol car while
he was riding around get-
ting to know his district bet-
ter, Ammann recalled. <I had
seen the 8Volunteers Needed9
signs at the Camp Sherman
substation, but hadn9t
thought about volunteering.=
Tim was a cyclist also,
so they started talking, and
after 30-40 minutes, Tim
suggested coffee and con-
versation, which led to Ken
training and joining the
team.
One of Ken9s favorite
memories is from when he
first started training.
<Mike McLaughlin and I
were both in our early 50s, so
we called ourselves the two
old guys since everyone else
in the class was 18-23 years
old.=
Ken and Mike challenged
themselves after the others
went home and would video
each other to make sure they
F
LL TODAY
E IN OR CA
PHOTO PROVIDED
Ken Ammann (right), pictured with his friend Mike McLaughlin who
subsequently died of cancer, began volunteering with the Sisters-Camp
Sherman Rural Fire Protection District in his early 50s.
Lauren, if I fail to prep our
own property after all my
training in fire prevention!=
he said.
Ken said Lauren always
supports him in his commit-
ment to his volunteer work.
<Her first comment when
I get a late night call is,
8What can I help you with to
get going?9=
Lauren also helps moti-
vate him if he9s had a tiring
day when it9s weekly drill
night. She tells him <Get off
the couch and go! You know
you9re going to have a great
time!= And when he returns
from the drill, he9s happy
because he did have a great
time.
Ken enjoys spending his
spare time in the middle of
nowhere 4 backpacking off
motorcycles and rides into
the desert or mountains. He
and Lauren also volunteer
with Friends of the Metolius.
Volunteers with the
Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire
District team are always
needed and appreciated.
The training required to be a
structural and wildland fire-
fighter ensures volunteers are
ready for whatever comes.
The Fire Corps is also a great
opportunity to help support
the field crews and provide
info to the community. A full
description of the training
and application process is
available at www.sistersfire.
com/volunteer-program-2/.
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met all the time requirements,
including self-contained
breathing apparatus (SCBA)
readiness. Tragically, Mike
died of cancer a year after
the training academy, but
Ken said the friendship they
shared and the bond of going
through training will never
be forgotten.
Ken noted the calls he
goes out on are not specific
to fires.
<All the volunteers carry
pagers and get basic info on
it, plus info from a 911 app
and verbal info by radio,= he
said.
The volunteers don9t have
to go out on every call, but
it9s a close community and
many calls are people they
know. Tom, a friend and vol-
unteer, has been volunteer-
ing for over 40 years and has
been a great mentor to Ken.
<We let each other know
if we9re going out of town or
won9t be available.=
In recent weeks, Ken has
helped with several fires,
including helping the Forest
Service by driving a water
tender, torching to burn out
small fuel, and going to
homes in Level 2 areas to
note characteristics of every
address.
<Driving at night in heavy
smoke, on little back dirt
roads, having to depend on
GPS since phone service
can be challenging,= he
said. <You have to know the
roads.=
Ken has also been spend-
ing time prepping his
own property in the Camp
Sherman area.
<I definitely don9t want to
get 8the look9 from my wife,
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