Fire Chief Dan Smith Community Service Award
The Fire Chief Dan Smith Community Service Award was established in 2023 when it was first presented to its namesake who served as the leader of North Kitsap Fire & Rescue (NKF&R) from 2008 until his retirement in 2023. Recipients are individuals who have shown selfless dedication to public service, embodying the values Chief Smith instilled in the culture of NKF&R. By recognizing those who provide exemplary service to the public, we continue to honor Chief Smith’s significant legacy and hope to inspire others to embrace his commitment to helping people and communities.
The 2024 recipient is Dave Wetter, longtime Kingston resident whose list of contributions is extensive. He is a member of Greater Kingston Kiwanis and present with each of this very active group’s initiatives. The retired Vice-President of Engineering for United Parcel Service was a key part of the effort to build the Village Green Park and Community Center, filling the role of project manager and serving on the related charitable foundation’s board of directors. He is known to engage in highly competitive bidding for the right to choose his favorites at the Village Green Foundation’s Pie in the Park event. Dave also serves on the Kingston Fourth of July Committee and has been an integral part of Tiny Town. He does all of this and more quietly, efficiently and humbly, consistently rejecting the spotlight unless he can be convinced that attention will help the community. An anecdote from the 2016 opening of the Village Green Community Center sums it up. Watching the community’s reaction to the impressive building, Dave is rumored to have quoted President Harry S. Truman: “It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets credit for it.” With little concern for credit, Dave has accomplished a lot and embodied the spirit of the Fire Chief Dan Smith Community Service Award.
Dave, along with his wife Ann and their grandchildren, are leading Kingston’s 2024 Fourth of July Parade aboard NKF&R’s flagship engine.