Mount Charleston safety officer earns national award for fire prevention education work

By Henry Brean Las Vegas Review-Journal

7 years ago

Ray Johnson, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service and a prevention patrol officer, speaks about what causes wildfires during an open house at Bureau of Land Management’s Red Rock Fire Station Friday, June 3, 2016, in Las Vegas. (Ronda Churchill/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Concern Mount Charleston residents, Mona Orkoulas, from left, Stephanie Ibasco speak with United States Forest Service Prevention Officer Ray Johnson on Friday, Oct. 14, 2016. Loren Townsley/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @lorentownsley

The first appearance of Smokey Bear in 1944. (U.S. Forest Service)

Fire Prevention Technician Ray Johnson and his pal Smokey speak to kids at a local elementary school in 2015. Johnson has received a prestigious national award for his work educating the public about fire safety and prevention. U.S. Forest Service

Ray Johnson, a fire prevention officer with the U.S. Forest Service, examines a pinyon pine tree that was burnt in the last big wildfire nearly 3 years ago, Monday, May 23, 2016, on Mount Charleston. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

U.S. Forest Service Fire Prevention Officer Ray Johnson, right, protects his face from heat as he walks past a prescribed burn off of State Route 158 on Mount Charleston on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Brett Le Blanc/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bleblancphoto

A longtime U.S. Forest Service employee on Mount Charleston has received a national award for his fire prevention outreach efforts over the past two decades.

Fire Prevention Technician Ray Johnson will be presented with the 2017 Bronze Smokey Bear Award at a ceremony at the Kyle Canyon fire station on June 15.

“Everybody likes to get a pat on the back,” Johnson said. “I’m a little bit overwhelmed by the response.”

Johnson has worked in fire prevention and information at Spring Mountains National Recreation Area for 18 years. Before that, he spent six years in a similar post for the National Park Service at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

During his career, Johnson has given wildfire safety presentations to nearly 100,000 kids, including about 8,000 first- and second-graders at more than 50 Southern Nevada public schools over the past two years alone.

The 56-year-old has also delivered the fire prevention message in countless television, radio and newspaper interviews and worked with Spanish-language media outlets to reach the local Hispanic community.

The U.S. Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters and the Ad Council sponsor the Smokey Bear Awards, which have been handed out annually since 1957.

The bronze award is the highest honor given for wildfire prevention work at the state level. No more than 10 such awards are handed out each year.

The website for the Smokey Bear Awards lists only one past winner from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, which includes the Spring Mountains: Larry Benham, who won a bronze award in 2008.

“In the world of wildfire prevention, receiving a Smokey Bear award is a huge honor,” Carrie Thaler, fire management officer for Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, said in a written statement. “Ray has been instrumental over the last several years helping to get fire prevention messaging out to communities across Southern Nevada. He has helped to foster several generations of land stewards, and his work has helped prevent countless wildfires.”

Contact Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Follow @refriedbrean on Twitter.