The awardees pictured here are:
Front Row: Reserve Officer Kevin Cross, Officer Michael Marcotte, Firefighter Kye Richter, Lieutenant Austin Lechtenberg, Lieutenant Martin Beckner.
Middle Row: Officer Casey O’Hern, Firefighter Ethan Schultzen, Firefighter Kyle Manternach, Officer Brooke Helgeson, Dikaio Tate, Bailey Miller, Officer Cedric Danilson, Captain Kelli Yates.
Back Row: Firefighter Chris Copp, Firefighter Zachary Andersen, Firefighter Tryston Adelmund, Officer Jovan Creighton, Officer Christian Baumgartner, Lieutenant Mike Haislet, Lieutenant Kari Rea. Photo by Cedar Falls News Hub Staff,
By Cedar Falls News Hub Staff
Every day, every shift, literally around the clock, for 365 days a year, Cedar Falls police officers and firefighters go about their duties, serving the community with dedication.
And only once a year, the community gathers to show their gratitude for their service and recognize them for the commitment they embody.
Friday, March 7, happened to be that day of appreciation with a public ceremony for the police officers and firefighters at the Cedar Falls Public Safety building.
With family and friends seated in the open area of the fire station, Mayor Danny Laudick handed out 12 awards of excellence, five officer/firefighter of the year awards, two citizen awards and two life saving awards.
Capt. Shea McNamara officiated the ceremony, which started shortly after 10 a.m. with a posting of the colors by members of the Cedar Falls Public Safety Honor Guard and the Pledge of Allegiance.
The mayor shook hands with the recipients, expressing gratitude for the good they had done.
Every award and every line in the reasons for it shed light on the life and work of the public safety team and civilians who were called upon in moments of dire need to go beyond the call of duty.
Dedication, professionalism and service were often mentioned as the qualities the officers and the firefighters had shown in their line of work. And then, there were two civilians, both young adults, who rose to the challenge in ways not expected of them.
They were honored with civilian life-saving awards for their courage and actions during emergency situations.
Bailey Miller, a 16-year-old Cedar Falls High School student, helped save a driver who had crashed in a lake in the 1000 block of Lakeshore Drive. Her act of service happened on July 24, 2024, when she used a kayak to get to the vehicle and a baton to break the window to get to the driver. “Bailey’s quick thinking and actions contributed to the successful outcome of this incident,” the emcee said.
Dikaio Tate, a 14-year-old, was honored for having the presence of mind to call 911 when he found a family member in distress on the floor. Fire crews arrived in a timely manner and started CPR, saving the person.
At the end of the ceremony, also attended by several council members and city officials, the recipients gathered for a joint picture.
But the sweetest moment happened when many of the photographers had already put their cameras away. A little boy ran right up to his dad who was standing on the edge of the group picture to give him a hug.
That unscripted spontaneity underscored one unsaid theme in the awards ceremony – the sacrifice that family members go through when their loved one wears a uniform.
HONORED FOR SERVICE
Capt. Kelli Yates and Capt. Brooke Heuer, who was unable to attend the ceremony, were recognized for graduating from the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command, where they learned law enforcement leadership skills.
LIFE SAVING AWARD
Officers Ethan Schultzen and Casey O’Hern were each awarded a Life Saving Award for their actions while responding to a seizure call. They started CPR and applied an AED, effectively restoring the patient’s heart to normal rhythm.
POLICE OFFICER OF THE YEAR
Officer Michael Marcotte received the 2024 Police Officer of the Year award for his “exemplary service, excellence in police work, and an outstanding performance over a prolonged period.”
Marcotte became a mentor to others on third shift, where he was assigned to in 2024. A team player, and a member of the SWAT team, he has been highly involved with he development of the K-9 program, after a 20-year hiatus. His teaching skills benefit the Field Training Program.
FIREFIGHTER OF THE YEAR
Firefighter Kye Richter was honored with Firefighter of the Year Award for his “notable record of service and accomplishments.” He is taking classes to become a paramedic and is the medical officer for the department.
RJ VOSS POLICE SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
Lt. Marty Beckner is the recipient of the RJ Voss Police Supervisor of the Year Award. A 30-year veteran of law enforcement, in the past, he has been involved with SWAT, Bike Patrol, Defensive Tactics, Supervisor of the Reserve Unit, and as a Field Training Officer. Beckner goes above and beyond to ensure officers are successful.
2024 FIRE OFFICER OF THE YEAR
Lt. Austin Lechtenberg is the recipient of this award. Lechtenberg is a SWAT Team Leader and a Less Lethal instructor, among other duties. He supervised an incident in 2024 where his crew rescued a fisherman who had fallen through the ice. His quick actions and skills made the incident successful.
SCOTT STERRETT RESERVE OFFICER OF THE YEAR
Officer Kevin Cross is the recipient of this award. A 15-year veteran in the department, Cross helps coordinate various activities and often volunteers to assist with community events, such as Holiday Hoopla or Halloween Trick or Treat. He is also the park supervisor for the city. He retired from the reserve unit in 2024.
AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
Falls News Hub.
Lt. Kari Rea is the recipient of this award. She has been instrumental in the success of the department’s field training program of new officers as a field training supervisor. She invests her time off dedicating herself to tasks such as working with Operation Threshold. She brings her fresh ideas to the team and “always looks for ways to grow in her position.”
Lt. Mike Haislet is the recipient of this award. He has been the department training coordinator for the past three years. He organized a leadership training series called FBI Leeda which educates leaders in law enforcement in the course of three classes. He arranged for the ag agency to be the host site for the training and worked closely with the instructors to accomplish this. As a result, 30 officers attended each of the training sessions.
Officer Kendall Schwan was recognized for his professionalism and dedication to the agency. He is involved in firearms and other training in 2024. Recently, he earned his bachelor’s degree, and also attended the leadership series through FBI Leeda. He is a firearms instructor and a member of the SWAT team.
Investigator Brooke Helgeson worked on high profile cases. Her dedication to her work is well known among her colleagues. She also received a leadership award through FBI Leeda.
Officer Christian Baumgartner is in charge of the radar trailers and spends time moving the units around the city to curb speeding. He works as a Crime Scene Investigator for the department.
Officer Cedric Danilson is recognized for his work with new team members as a field training officer and also being a leader on third shift. He takes pride in building relationships with community members and this has allowed him to de-escalate situations on third shift
Officer Jovan Creighton prides himself on taking extra effort to ensure citizens are protected. His calm demeanor allows him to de-escalate high stress situations.
Kyle Janikowski, who was not present at the ceremony, is very active on his shift and has taken on several other roles as a trainer within the police division. He was awarded the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Hero Award in 2024 for his work with OWI arrests in 2023.
Firefighter Kyle Manternach coordinates inspections on his shift and is also a great engineer. He is known for his positive attitude and willingness to help out.
Firefighter Chris Copp leads the inspection process on red shift and often brings innovative ideas and solutions to benefit public safety.
Firefighter Zachary Andersen assisted with career fairs for the agency and is a part of the recruiting team. He provides valuable CPR training to peers and and teaches classes for the public. Andersen was involved in saving a fisherman who had fallen through the ice in 2024.
Firefighter Tryston Adelmund is involved in CPR training, teaching 21 classes to both public safety and the community. He is also a Taser instructor for the department.
In concluding the ceremony, Mayor Laudick thanked the public safety officers for their dedication.
“But also thank you to the family members, to friends, family and parents, children, spouses for supporting our public safety officers,” he said.