Distinguished Service Recipient 2006.
Ken Carpenter served as a firefighter, captain, director, vice president, president, training officer, assistant chief, and chief of the Pleasant Valley Volunteer Fire Department, retiring after 40 years of service in the department, including 21 years as chief.
He was a 40-year member of the Nevada State Firefighters Association, participating in NSFA workshops, and he worked through the chairs ultimately serving as NSFA president.
He was responsible for legislation to change the deemed wage for volunteers from $600 a month to $1,334 a month working with senator Ernie Adler to move the bill through the 1991 legislature. He testified before the legislature seeking funds for training volunteer fire departments and represented Nevada State Firefighters Association in meeting with various Legislative representatives during several sessions.
Ken was a charter member of the state Fire Standards Committee and in 1998 he was among the first recipients in the Northern Nevada of the Liberty Mutual Firemark Award.