MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: David E. Molloy, Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police (248) 347-0504 Novi honors best of the best at annual police and fire awards ceremony NOVI, Mich., March 9, 2018 The Novi Police and Fire Departments hosted their Annual Awards Ceremony on Thursday, March 8, to recognize those who had a positive impact on the community and highlight their commitment to building public trust by being partners with the community. The Firefighter of the Year, Police Department Civilian Employee of the Year, Police Officer of the Year, and Volunteer of the Year were all honored, along with many others, for their commitment to enhancing the quality of life in Novi. Our men and women work tirelessly to build public trust and keep our community safe, said Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police David Molloy. One of the greatest honors I have is I am allowed to serve alongside them every day. This ceremony is just a small token of appreciation for their bravery and service. Firefighter of the Year Fire Protection Officer Scott Perry Fire Protection Officer Scott Perry is a 28-year veteran who has demonstrated a drive and determination that embodies what it takes to be a firefighter. Perry is always willing to help out when needed with special projects, including taking a leadership role to ensure all department apparatus were organized and color-coded. The uniformity of equipment on apparatus reduces the time spent acquiring equipment when time is of the essence. He has also spent time researching new, cordless battery-operated hydraulic tools to be on every apparatus. Perry is a member of the Western Wayne Urban Search & Rescue Team and his knowledge in technical rescue helps the training captain assure compliance to standards for special operations. Perry s knowledge as a military police officer in the U.S. Army also helped the fire department equip its members with adequate safety ballistic protection. When asked to describe Perry, the common responses are: prideful, honest, dedicated, courteous, helpful, and professional. Perry can be counted on to show new members the right way assuring team members are successful. Police Civilian of the Year Property Officer Joseph Hetu In his nearly four years of service to the Novi Police Department, Property Officer Joe Hetu has made quite the impact. Hetu helped restructure the property room with a state-of-theart electronic storage shelf system that quadrupled the storage capacity of the room without building out the room. While increasing the storage capacity, the shelving system also enhanced the efficiency of logging property in and out of the property room, 2
improving accountability while reducing liability. Hetu makes himself available to assist in returning property to their perspective owners by regularly flexing his schedule and is always willing to assist others above and beyond a typical property officer function. Volunteer of the Year Richard Schwaller A Novi resident since 1986, Richard Schwaller is an active volunteer within the Novi Public Safety Department. He is one of the original members of the Community Emergency Response Team, joining in 2009, started with the Handicap Patrol team in 2010 and became part of the Volunteers in Public Safety team in 2016. Recognizing team work, Schwaller worked with the police cadets, coming up with a home watch tracking system. In all he has served over 320 hours of VIPS patrols with an additional 40 hours of service as a CERT member. Still not satisfied, in 2017 he joined the Novi Police Department s school crossing guard detail. His dedication to our community is reflected in the countless hours of volunteer time he has given back to the City of Novi. He embodies the Novi Police Departments mission statement Partners with our Community. Police Officer of the Year Officer Jason Bergtold Since joining the Novi Police Department in 2013, officer Jason Bergtold has consistently demonstrated exceptional job knowledge, is sought out by others for guidance and proven to need very little supervision. He can be relied upon to give his best effort on a daily basis. His investigations are comprehensive and well organized, he shows initiative in all phases of his job requirements, and can be counted on to make correct decisions even in difficult situations. Bergtold is consistently a top performer in found on patrol arrests. In 2017, he was ranked number one in overall arrests with 146 and 855 Traffic Stops. Bergtold is also a three time recipient of the MADD award. He is a positive informal leader on his shift, and other officers on the shift seek him out for advice. He brings a positive attitude to his daily work, and his work product is excellent. He is the model of consistency. Novi Police Department: Officer of the Year: Civilian of the Year: Volunteer of the Year: Life Saving: Officer Jason Bergtold Property Officer Joe Hetu Richard Schwaller Officer Timothy Farrell Lieutenant John Nelson Sergeant Michael Warren (3) Officer Scott Woodley Officer Michael Daisley (2) Officer Matthew Chylaszek (2) Officer Alisa Harwell Officer Steve Snell Officer Rachel Meier Officer Joshua Russell Sergeant Robert Manar Officer Stacey Simon Officer Joshua Johnson Officer Alex Marchione Officer Timothy Hartland 3
Officer Paige McCarrey Officer Hailey Penzak Officer Samantha Grockau Officer Daniel Jenkinson Civilian Commendation Chaplain Michael Zerkich, Chaplain June Marshall-Smith, and Chaplain Michael Meyer Moe Leon Brandon McCullough for his sustained efforts and support of the Novi Police and Fire Benevolent Association. Civilian Citation Advanced Degree: Leadership Award: Staff and Command: Andreas Buchwald (Life Saving) Ryan Scully (Life Saving) Lisa Mattson (Life Saving) School Resource Officer Jon Zabick (2 nd Master s Degree) Sergeant Mark Boody (Master s Degree) Training and Standards Sergeant Kevin Rhea Sergeant Mark Boody Merit Citation: Sergeant Michael Warren (2) Officer Jason Meier Officer Erick Tapia Officer Paul Leslie Officer Hailey Penzak Detective Michael Wilson Detective Jeff Brown Detective Jim McGinty (Livingston County Sheriff s Department) Detective April Setla (Oakland County Sheriff s Department) Letter of Commendation: Officer Michael Walton Officer Joshua Chapman Officer Kevin Nutter Officer Brandon Bidus Officer Deanna Stevenson Unit Citation: Officer Andrew Hudechek Officer Timothy Hartland Officer Matthew Chylaszek Officer Paul Leslie Officer Erick Tapia (2) Officer Julie Warren Sergeant Amanda Kulikowski Sergeant Kristie Gruenwald (2) Detective Randy Mince Detective Steven Balog (2) Detective Michael Bender (3) Officer Sarah Moulik 4
Sergeant Michael Warren Detective Michael Wilson Detective Jeff Brown (2) Detective Michael Marchetti Officer James Brandon (2) Officer Jason Meier Officer Timothy Farrell Officer Alisa Harwell Officer Alex Marchione Officer Timothy Shea Officer Paige McCarrey Dispatcher Briann Salyers Dispatch Shift Leader Kelly Mesh Officer Scott Woodley MADD Award: Novi Fire Department: Firefighter of the Year: Police Officer Joshua Johnson Fire Protection Officer Scott Perry Life Saving: Captain John Martin (3) Fire Protection Officer Daniel Schulkey Fire Protection Officer Michael Jacobs (3) Fire Protection Officer Joe Carpenter (2) Lieutenant Paul Mullett (2) Auxiliary Fire Fighter Douglas Moebs Fire Protection Officer Andy Copeland (2) Fire Protection Officer Patrick Deneau (3) Lieutenant Matthew Blamy Paid-on-call Fire Fighter Matthew Green Paid-on-call Fire Fighter Justin Jacobs Auxiliary Fire Fighter Kim Giovannini Fire Protection Officer David Pieknik Fire Protection Officer Brian Luke (4) Lieutenant Mark Pehrson (2) Auxiliary Fire Fighter Daniel Eller Fire Protection Officer Peter Breuhan (2) Auxiliary Fire Fighter Scott Discher (2) Civilian Citation: Fire Fighter Eric Franceschi (Wayne County Airport Authority) Jeffrey Koppy RN Jennifer Nicole Davis Ronald Robert Godair Grant Gene Gardella Doctor Terri Ellis Ronda Gabbara Jayson Torres Robert Taylor Charles Williams Ethan Depuit Deborah Ross 5
Grace Garmo Clarice Whiteside Haley Rene Advanced Degree: Merit Citation: Department Citation: National Fire Academy: Unit Citation: Captain Mark Theisen (Master s Degree) Auxiliary Fire Fighter Scott Discher Captain Phillip Duczyminski Fire Inspector Greg Thomas (Livonia Fire Department) FPO Timothy Porter Director Jeffery Johnson Fire Protection Officer Bechara Takla Captain John Martin Fire Protection Officer Ryan Cannon Fire Protection Officer Scott Lewan Fire Protection Officer Peter Breuhan For more information on the Novi Police and Fire Departments, visit cityofnovi.org. ### 6