First Responders Awards luncheon

Posted by Lisa Walter on Feb 07, 2017

In a change from its normal meeting format, the Rotary Club of Kerrville hosted its sixth annual First Responders Awards luncheon Feb. 1 at the Inn of the Hills Conference Center.

A large crowd attended for the ceremony, which capped what law enforcement officials called a "trying year." Local peace officers dealt with six murder cases, on top of a high number of calls.

Recognized were public service members in various departments in the Kerr County area, including members of the Kerrville Police Department, Kerrville Fire and EMS Department, Ingram Police Department, Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

First Responder Award honorees

Jeremy Hughes — Kerrville Fire Department Officer of the Year	Micah Booth — Kerrville Fire Department Firefighter of the Year	Arnie Segura — Kerrville EMS Person of the Year

Kerrville Police Department

"We really appreciate the efforts of the Rotary Club to recognize the officers in our community. It makes a big difference to us." — KPD Chief David Knight

Honorees

Jason Beard — Kerrville Police Department Officer of the Year	Brady Rosinbaum — Kerr County Corrections Officer of the Year
Tim Huchton — Kerr County Volunteer First Responder of the Year	Cody Buckaloo — TPWD Game Warden of the Year

Frank Zamora — Texas DPS Trooper of the Year	E. Bruce Curry, retired 216th District Attorney Lifetime Achievement Award
Christopher "Mike" Slaughter, left, is named Ingram Police Department Officer of the Year (Presenting the award are IPD Chief Byron Griffin, center,and Rotary President Jeff Talarico.)

Tony Lenard, left, Kerrville Fire Department Division Chief

is honored by KFD Chief Dannie Smith, center, and Rotary President Jeff Talarico

with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Kerr County Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer

Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer said Kerr County had "an unprecedented" six murders in the course of this last year, which all led to arrests. In addition, his patrol division fielded 14,000 calls, of which 677 were assigned to his investigators,

who then cleared 86 percent of those cases. "This department has been through a lot in 2016 — more than I've ever seen it go through. That's why I asked the Rotary Club to allow us to recognize more than one person," Hierholzer said.

His award went to the entire Kerr County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division,

comprised of (below, from left)

Rusty Hierholzer, Carl Arredondo, Capt. Carol L. Twiss, Mark Fields, Jeff McCoy and Eric Piper.