Sheriff’s Deputies Grant, Zude honored with Lifesaving Award

Kitsap County Sheriff’s Deputies Michael Grant and Ron Zude were the recipients of the Sheriff’s Lifesaving Award during the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office Awards Ceremony on May 22 in the main auditorium of the Christian Life Center in South Kitsap.

Zude was unable to attend the ceremony and will receive his award at a later date.

The deputies were recognized for their immediate actions during a suicide attempt in Central Kitsap.

On Dec. 13, 2006, deputies were notified of an apparent suicide situation involving an adult female at a home just north of Silverdale.

Grant and Zude arrived within moments of each other and found a vehicle running inside a locked garage. Grant forced entry into the home and both deputies entered the garage to find an unconscious woman sitting in the vehicle’s driver seat. The garage was full of exhaust fumes from the running engine.

The vehicle was shut off and both deputies found the woman had weak vital signs. She was carried out of the garage and both deputies continued to administer first aid until Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue medic crews arrived. The woman was transported to Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton.

It is estimated that the woman was exposed to high concentrations of carbon monoxide for about 10 minutes. She showed signs of acute hypoxic symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. If it were not for the immediate actions of Grant and Zude, the suicide attempt may have been successful.

Other recipients at the awards ceremony were Christie Christman, of South Kitsap, who received the Sheriff’s Support Services Specialist of the Year award for 2006; KaeCee Coates, South Kitsap, was named Corrections Officer of the Year and Deputy Andrew Aman, Mason County, was the Sheriff’s Deputy of the Year.

Deputy Tiffany Dobbins was given a Divisional Commendation for her leadership and management effort in coordinating the 2006 “Tip a Cop” fund-raising program, within Kitsap County, for Washington Special Olympics.

Forty employees received length of service awards, recognizing five to 20 years in the department.

“These awards mean more than just turning the pages of a calendar,” said Undersheriff Dennis Bonneville. “Incremental service awards reflect an employee’s experience, maturity and their long-term knowledge of local operations.”

During the ceremony, 28 new employees took the oath of office.

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