Lynnwood Officer Mark Brinkman and Lynnwood Firefighter Dennis “Doug” Douglas have been chosen as the recipients of the Washington State Veterans of Foreign Wars Gold Medal for their consistent, outstanding work in public safety.
Because of their state awards, their nominations have been forwarded to the National Gold Medal Committee.
Douglas has been a part of the Lynnwood Fire Department since 1979. He was originally nominated by his colleagues, who have described him as “a truly integral member of the team and one of the hardest working and best respected firefighters in Southwest Snohomish County.”
Brinkman, who has been with the Lynnwood Police Department since 1996, is known statewide for his skill in detecting impaired drivers and has the reputation as a hero to the victims of DUI, said spokeswoman Shannon Sessions. Among other awards, Brinkman has received the coveted Norma Thompson Award six times. This award is presented annually to the law enforcement officer who was able to remove the highest number of impaired drivers from the roadways of Snohomish County.
In 2006 alone, Brinkman processed 233 impaired drivers. (An average officer in most jurisdictions has about 20 DUI arrests in a year.)
Brinkman and Douglas will be honored with their awards in the spring of 2008 at the VFW’s state convention.
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