A clean sweep for North Idaho
<p>SHAWN GUST/Press From left, Scott Dietrich, with Coeur d'Alene Fire Department, Crystal Miller, with the Coeur d'Alene Police Department, and Troy Speziale, with Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, each received high awards for their service in the state of Idaho.</p>
When it comes to emergency response, Kootenai County shines at the state level.
Locals swept the category during the recent Idaho American Legion Convention in Twin Falls.
Coeur d'Alene Fire's Scott Dietrich was named Paramedic of the Year, Kootenai County Fire and Rescue's Troy Speziale earned Firefighter of the Year and Coeur d'Alene Police Detective Crystal Miller was named Officer of the Year.
"Our training and customer service must be right on par," Speziale said. "We all went down to the convention, but we didn't realize until we got there that all the winners are from up here."
Speziale, a 33-year-old Rathdrum resident, has been with KCFR since May 2009.
"Anybody in our department could have gotten the award, so it's humbling," he said. "I treat the fire house like family."
His uncle is in the fire service in Spokane and his dad served in the Air Force, so Speziale said a positive attitude and hard work ethic was instilled in him at a young age and helped him earn the award.
"It also doesn't hurt that I'm a pretty good cook," he said with a smile. "If you want to win a firefighter's heart, cook a good meal."
Miller, a 29-year-old Post Falls resident, has been with Coeur d'Alene Police for the past seven years, including the past three as a detective.
Her specialty is child crimes, including Internet crimes against youth.
"It can be emotionally draining," Miller said of her job. "But it's also rewarding. You never know how a case is going to go, but when it's prosecuted, that's when it feels good."
Dietrich, 36, of Coeur d'Alene, has worked at Coeur d'Alene Fire since January 2009. He teaches paramedics and continuing education classes.
Dietrich previously was an emergency room nurse at Kootenai Medical Center.
"The biggest difference is that you have to be more independent with the fire service because it doesn't have the equipment (of a hospital)," he said "You have to figure things out on your own more, and I like the challenge of that. I also like being out and about and not in the same building."