Rick Ashleman honored by Shoreline Fire at Station 63 opening

Shoreline Fire Chief Matt Cowan, right, in uniform, presents Chief's Coin #20
to Rick Ashleman, left, for his work as project manager for Station 63 construction
Photo by Mike Remarcke

At the soft opening of Shoreline Fire's rebuilt Station 63 in North City, Fire Chief Matt Cowan awarded the Chief's Coin to retired firefighter and station project manager, Shoreline resident Rick Ashleman.

Chief's Coin front
Rick's coin is #20

In a tradition originating from World War I, the Shoreline Fire Department has designed and commissioned the striking of challenge coins. These challenge coins, while small in stature, are a significant symbol of pride.

It is a token that reflects pride in not only being part of the fire service, but a member of the Shoreline Fire Department. It is a reminder of what we do, who we are, and that we are part of a larger, extended family.

Chief's Coin, back
Each coin is individual to the department

There are standard challenge coins, but they also have a special challenge coin called the “Chief’s coin.” The Chief’s coin is not given out automatically to personnel, but rather it is a coin that is earned.

It can be earned through many different manners such as, but not limited to, taking on extra responsibilities, extraordinary events, exemplary performance, and commendable professionalism or representation of the organization. These coins are numbered so that the Department can identify those individuals that have gone above and beyond in one way or another.

Because of the pandemic, it was a soft opening, not advertised to the public. When
gathering are allowed, the department will hold a public celebration. Those assembled
are fire crew and staff. Photo by Mike Remarcke.

Chief Cowan:

Today, I am privileged to recognize Rick Ashleman with the issuing of a Chief’s coin. Rick not only served the Shoreline community for decades, finishing his career as a Battalion Chief in 2015 after nearly 34 years of service, but selflessly continued to serve by staying on as the project manager for the new Station 63 project. 

Over the past four years Rick has put in an enormous amount of effort to ensure that this project was a success. Even though this was a part-time position he strived to always be available and adjusted his personal schedule, whenever possible, so that he could be on site. He even attended some specialized classes to be better prepared for this role. 

His previous history and experience from working on our station construction projects 20 years ago made him a great choice and we were very fortunate to have him agree to be the project manager. Rick has shown true dedication and commitment to this organization and our success in building a fire station that will serve our citizens for the next 50 years. 

On this day, August 17, 2020, I hereby recognize Rick Ashleman for his extra effort in the performance of his duties and award him the Chief’s coin, issuance number 20.

Fire crews began moving into North City Station 63 on Sunday.
Photo by Mike Remarcke

The push-in ceremony where everyone helped push a fire truck into a bay, was held on Monday, August 17, 2020 (see previous article). Crews had already started moving in on Sunday.

The station serves east Shoreline.