Jessica Roper has been involved with Central Emergency Services for about three years through the Explorer program, service for which she will be awarded for Tuesday night at Kenai Central High Schools Awards night.
Central Emergency Services Chief Chris Mokracek talked about the swiftwater rescue training program Roper has helped raise over $5,000 for.
Mokracek: “We all have the water, even CES with the Kenai River if not the entire service area so there’s definitely a need and especially some of the smaller departments like Cooper Landing and Ninilchik for them to host a class like that is really cost prohibitive, so she saw the need where she could bring an instructor in here and pay for the cost that way there would really be no cost for these volunteer fire departments.”
He said that the rescue training program will be offered this September as part of the Alaska Firefighters Conference.
Mokracek added that Roper has already gone through EMT and paramedic courses.
Mokracek: “With the attitude she’s had and the real passion for fire and EMS, I think she’s going to be an asset to any department that she decides to go to.”
Roper will be presented with an engraved bronze medallion to recognize her selection as a Distinguished Finalist for Alaska in the 2014 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.