Public Fire Educator Board

2024 Washington Fire Educator of the Year- Courtney Thompson

Please join us in celebrating Central Pierce Fire & Rescue’s Lead Public Educator, Courtney Thompson, who has been honored with the 2024 Outstanding Washington Fire Educator of the Year award. She received this prestigious recognition during the WSAFM Fire Prevention Institute at Campbell’s Resort in Chelan. As highlighted by the presenter, this award “recognizes exceptional educators who go above and beyond to impact the lives of students, families, and the community… while exemplifying a commitment to their profession and contributing to fire and life safety education in Washington State.” At Central Pierce Fire & Rescue, we are incredibly fortunate to have Courtney on our team. Her contributions include developing and implementing educational programs across various grade levels, elevating public outreach efforts, and securing nearly $300,000 in grants that have directly benefited both our department and the community. We’re excited to see all the incredible things she will achieve for both the department and the community in the future!

2024 Washington Fire Educator Lifetime Achievement Award- Ben Shearer

The Washington State Public Fire Educators (WPFE) Board is honored to present Ben Shearer (City of Pasco Fire Department) with the Washington Fire Educator Lifetime Achievement award. Ben has over 30 years of experience in the fire service, including at least eight (8) years supporting WPFE in various roles. Amongst his many career accomplishments, Ben developed a Resource Navigator program that reduced repeat patient calls by over 70%. He was invited to share the program success nationally at Strategic Fire’s Vision 20/20 Symposium. Known by many across the state, when asked his colleagues stated: • “Ben has been a role model for many of us working in the community risk reduction and prevention realm. He has developed model programs, and he has shared his knowledge and experience with his colleagues at the local, state, and national levels.” • “He is comfortable in front of the camera, and he has put together some amazing educational videos on fire and life safety topics. He has served as Public Information Officer locally and at large-scale incidents.” • “ Ben’s life’s work is to the betterment of others. He has a passion for the fire service and is a true public servant. “ • “He has made a positive impact on my career, both professionally and personally. I am thankful to call him a partner and friend.” A friend who is rarely seen without Mountain Dew in his vicinity and known for much more than ‘putting the wet stuff on the red stuff,’ WPFE appreciates Ben for all he’s done for his community and state.

2025 NFPA Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year- Shawneri Guzman

The National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) has announced that Shawneri Guzman, fire and life safety educator for South County Fire in the state of Washington, has been named the 2025 Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year. Guzman will be formally recognized at the annual Stars at Night Awards gala during the NFPA Conference & Expo® in Las Vegas on Sunday, June 15. Each year, the Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year award recognizes a dedicated educator who is employed by a local fire department or fire marshal’s office in the U.S. or Canada and consistently utilizes NFPA’s materials, demonstrating outstanding service and creativity in addressing the community’s evolving fire safety needs. As a passionate leader and tireless advocate for safety across Washington State for more than 20 years, Guzman has made a measurable difference at the state and local levels. Since joining South County Fire in 2017, she has successfully integrated numerous NFPA programs into her agency and community, including NFPA educational programs for school-aged children and Fire Prevention Week®, while using NFPA resources to broaden public education on smoke alarms, escape planning, cooking safety, older adult safety, and more. She also uses CRAIG 1300®, NFPA’s digital community risk assessment tool, to better understand community demographics and develop targeted outreach that helps change behaviors and increase safety. Guzman has embraced many other injury prevention programs that impact her community, including child passenger safety. In addition, she was involved in the passage of Gibby ACT, which helped ensure that homes have working smoke alarms when they are sold across the state of Washington. She has also been a champion for refugee populations.