Employees from Fire, EMS, and Police Departments recognized in city meeting
Five public safety employees were honored during Santaquin’s city council meeting on Wednesday night for their exceptional service in 2011.
The awards were presented by Police Chief and Public Safety Director Dennis Howard and Mayor James DeGraffenried to recognize the five men for going above and beyond the call of duty in their respective departments.
Honors awarded:
EMS Member of the Year: Taylor Sutherland
Sutherland was nominated by Santaquin Ambulance Director Paul Terry for his dedication to the EMS team. A member of the Santaquin EMS since 2008, Sutherland was thanked for his willingness to serve and for the extra hours of work he puts in for the ambulance crews.
“Taylor spends many hours meticulously checking the supplies and equipment making sure both rigs are ready for any emergency,” said Terry of Sutherland. “Not any day goes by, on call or not, that he does not make sure that both rigs have fuel just in case the last one driving forgot to check.”
Sutherland was also recognized for his enthusiasm towards his work. “There are two kinds of people in this world,” said Terry. “Those who procrastinate and those who jump in at every opportunity. Taylor always takes the initiative.”
Firefighter of the Year: Jason Calloway
Selected by the Santaquin Fire Department, the Firefighter of the Year honors went to long-time member Jason Calloway. With 18 years of service as a volunteer firefighter under his belt, Calloway has a long history of service with Santaquin City.
Calloway wears different hats when it comes to serving the town. By day Calloway works in the public works department as an operations manager, by night (and by day sometimes) he is a dedicated volunteer firefighter.
Presenting the honor was Assistant Fire Chief Jessie Smith, who thanked Calloway for his work and expertise. “His understanding of fire behavior and the valuable knowledge he has acquired through working with Santaquin City has provided our community with not only a valuable volunteer with firefighting experience, but someone with intricate city structure knowledge,” said Smith.
Officer of the Year: Matt Drussel
A newer face to the Santaquin Police Department, Matt Drussel has only been a full-time officer in town for a year, but he made that year count. Presenting the award for police officer of the year were Sergeants Chris Johnson and Rodney Hurst. Johnson spoke of Drussel’s quick improvements as a new officer in the department.
“Officer Drussel has made great strides in his patrol performance and in his responsibilities,” said Johnson.
Drussel also serves as a volunteer EMS and firefighter in his hometown of Payson. He was recognized for using that expertise in his law enforcement duties in Santaquin.
Honorary Member of the Santaquin Police Department: Martin Green
An honor not given often, Chief Dennis Howard presented former councilman Martin Green with the title of honorary member of the Santaquin Police Department for his dedication to public safety during his years serving as an elected official.
Howard commended Green for his ensuring the Public Safety Department had what they needed to do their jobs. As a councilman Green was thanked for pushing public safety issues and needs in the council agenda. Several instances were cited when Green was personally involved in public safety matters, including his assistance in the arrest of a violent felon during a ride-along with Sergeant Johnson.
“When you asked Sergeant Johnson where his backup was, you were told that ‘you were it’,” said Howard while presenting the honor.
Green was given an honorary call number along with his award – 14-J2 Hotel.
Two more awards were given:
Life Saving Award – Officer Jake Stika
Position of the Month Award – The Davis Family
- inSantaquin News is currently working on separate articles for the Life Saving Award and the Davis family. Stay tuned to www.insantaquin.com for those stories
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