This week marks the 20th celebration of the Cobb Chamber’s Public Safety Breakfast and Public Safety Appreciation Week. On Monday 575 business and public safety professionals gathered to kick off our appreciation week festivities and honor the Public Safety Award nominees and winners. During the breakfast, Deputy Chief Tim Cox of the Cobb County Police Department discussed the team response to the active shooter incident at FedEx in April. Attendees were encouraged to reach out to their local law enforcement agencies and to devise their own emergency response plans.
Ross Cavitt, Cobb Bureau Chief for WSB TV Channel 2 Action News, served as the awards emcee, honoring each of the nominees and presented the 2014 Public Safety Awards. Nominations were received from public safety agencies throughout Cobb County, including police, fire, sheriff’s office, campus police, EMS, the National Park Service and the Georgia National Guard.
Congratulations to our 2014 Public Safety Award winners:
2014 Public Safety Employee of the Year
Agent Kyle Arnold, Acworth Police Department
The Public Safety Employee of the Year Award recognizes an individual who has performed their job with exceptional skill, exhibited leadership and critical incident management. Agent Kyle Arnold of the Acworth Police Department has served in public safety for 12 years.
The Acworth Police Department has a reputation as a leader in community involvement. This is entirely due to the dedication of their officers, and while Agent Arnold stands out in many areas, his work in the community is one of his strongest attributes.
Law enforcement officers can be expected to follow the orders of their supervisors, but the test of a great officer is initiative. Agent Arnold owns his job and has taken the initiative to improve the delivery of public safety in every position he has been in with the Acworth Police Department.
Agent Arnold is currently assigned to MCS Narcotics, and he is one of the first entry officers when serving high-risk warrants. The nature of his position puts him in constant risk and it has been noted that he embraces it with the enthusiasm of a rookie, but with the presence of mind and professionalism of a seasoned veteran.
Award of Merit
The Award of Merit recognizes an individual for an act of courage, demonstrating genuine care and concern for the citizens of the community and going above and beyond the call of duty, often resulting in a life being saved. There were two deserving recipients this year.
Congratulations to the following:
- Officer Paul Reynolds of Marietta Police Department
- Officer Tom Rooney of Smyrna Police Department
Distinguished Achievement Award
The Distinguished Achievement Award recognizes an individual whose service and performance has exceeded the demands of the job. Congratulations to the 2014 award recipient Detective Tom Bastis of Cobb County Police Department.
Medal of Valor
The Medal of Valor is the highest award recognizing an individual for an act of bravery in a life-threatening situation. The award is only presented when a deserving candidate is found. This year, the Medal of Valor was presented to Police Officer Charles Vill of the Cobb County Police Department.
Join us at Chamber INK throughout the week to read profiles on each of our Public Safety Award nominees! And, if you get a moment, find a way to show your appreciate for our local public safety agencies! #Cobbappreciates
