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 Sunday is the big day –
Guns & Hoses Hockey Challenge ON ICE!
Baxter Arena March 19, at 3 PM

Come watch local police and firefighters compete in the Guns & Hoses Hockey Challenge for a good cause, to support the First Responders Foundation!

Bring the family out to cheer on our First Responders and enjoy an epic event with lots of fun scheduled on AND off the ice! There will be a Kid Zone, cool first responder vehicles, K9s, vendors, a Chuck-A-Puck break activity, awesome raffles, and more! 

Need Tickets?
The box office opens at 12:00 on Sunday
or click here to purchase now!

• Baxter Arena has a Clear Bag Policy & concessions are credit card ONLY.
• Bring cash! Raffle tickets and chuck-a-pucks will be available for purchase in the main concourse.
• Look for directional signage – fans are encouraged to sit behind the team they’re rooting for!
• Make signs to cheer on your favorite team or player!

MEET THE TEAMS – TEAM RED & TEAM BLUE!

Meet the 2023 FIRE TEAM – TEAM RED

Team Red includes firefighters from Omaha, Council Bluffs, Offutt, Lincoln, Waterloo, and Grand Island, and has a combined 269 years of service.

Meet the 2023 POLICE TEAM – TEAM BLUE

Team Blue includes law enforcement from 8 different metro-area agencies, and has a combined 188 of years of service.

The post Guns & Hoses Hockey Challenge – this Sunday! appeared first on First Responders Foundation.

Each year the Grand Matron and Grand Patron of the Order of the Eastern Star raise money for a non-profit organization of their choice. Dottie Arent, Grand Matron and David Wetrosky, Grand Patron of the 2021/2022 session selected JAVELAN for their yearly project. The organization has donated funds to JAVELAN for a few years but this year JAVELAN was the special focused project. Funds were raised throughout the year and the first $10,558.15 was raised!

Each year all the individual Chapters of the Order of the Eastern Star come together for a Grand Chapter Meeting. At the meeting this year Mike Kraus, Director of the JAVELAN program was presented with the $10,558.15. They held a silent auction at the meeting to raise additional funds for JAVELAN.

Recently, Mike Kraus and Patrice Monnier, First Responders Foundation’s Director of Social Media, meet with Dottie and David along with Jan Thomas, Grand Secretary of Eastern Star at the Grand Chapter Headquarters in Lincoln NE. At that time JAVELAN was surprised with the second check from the silent auction in the amount of $12,287. Dottie and David would like to thank the membership for being so generous and supportive of the JAVELAN program and for their assistance in helping those needing a service dog.

The NE Chapter has made service dog projects and organizations their focus for fundraising. We can’t thank them enough for the donation to JAVELAN and their continued support of the program. This donation will support more than four JAVELAN Teams! For more information on the JAVELAN Program or if you or someone you know needs a service dog click here.

The Order of the Eastern Star is an international fraternal order comprised of both women and men with religious convictions and high spiritual and moral values.

Click here to watch the video of Mike Kraus receiving the donation at the Grand Chapter meeting. 

The post NE Chapter of the Eastern Star supports JAVELAN appeared first on First Responders Foundation.

Jason Workman, Director of Behavioral Health shared, “Really enjoyed training with the First Responders and spouses in Spencer IA this week. It was a great time with Fire, police, and Sheriff’s Offices from surrounding communities attending resiliency training and Spouses benefited from their own workshop.”

Enjoy this article from The Spencer Reporter.

The post Teaching Mental & Physical Wellness in Spencer, IA appeared first on First Responders Foundation.

Jim Cahill has served in the armed forces and as a first responder and now spends much of his time honoring and respecting those groups and their families both on and off the job. The First Responders Foundation is proud to partner with Jim to fulfill the mission of the Foundation to serve and honor all our First Responders, Veterans and their families, build appreciation and respect for their work, and enhance public safety.

Jim served in the Air Force, as a Bellevue Police Office and is now Corporate Security Manager for NFM

Jim Cahill was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1980 he enlisted in the United States Air Force where he served during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Returning stateside Jim was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base.  After leaving the Air Force he joined the Bellevue, NE Police Department and served from 1994 – 1999.  Jim then began a career with Nebraska Furniture Mart where he is now NFM’s Corporate Security Manager overseeing security and loss prevention operations in all of their states.

Jim is the volunteer leader of the First Responders Foundation Race Team.

While not on the job Jim is the volunteer leader of the First Responders Foundation Race Team. This unique race team consists of four dirt track stock cars (two owned by Jim) that are all driven by first responders from Nebraska and Iowa. Jim puts in countless hours each year maintaining the fleet and spending time at the track supporting the Foundations mission to honor and respect first responders and veterans throughout the season. A very special detail is that each race car has a large First Responders Foundation logo on the hood and #SupportRed and #SupportBlue along with photos of local fallen first responders and veterans covering the cars.

The Reverse Tribute Lap Honors Veterans and First Responders Who Gave The Ultimate Sacrifice. This Year Honoring Cpl Daegan Page.

For the past 4 years, Jim has organized the First Responders and Military Appreciation Night at I-80 Speedway. The night starts with a reverse tribute lap honoring fallen first responders and veterans. Military vehicles and emergency vehicles representing departments from across the state circle the track backward to honor those first responders and veterans who have given the ultimate sacrifice. This year Jim invited Cpl Daegan Page’s family to participate in the event. Cpl Page gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the Marines on August 26th, in Afghanistan, at the Abbey Gate along with 12 others. His family participated by riding on the back of the race cars holding American Flags and flags with Deagan’s picture. 

The First Responders and Military Appreciation Night at I-80 Speedway also includes a Guns & Hoses Competition.

On the same night during intermission, the race team hosts a friendly Guns & Hoses competition where police officers and firefighters compete on the track to see who is the best race car driver and who will take home the gold – the Red or the Blue Team. There is also a 50/50 raffle, organized by Jim’s wife Beth, to raise money for the First Responders Foundation Behavioral Health Services. This family night and friendly competition has garnered national attention. 

Jim was the First Responders Foundation Volunteer of the Year 2021.

For all Jim has done for the foundation, last year he was honored as the 2021 First Responders Foundation Volunteer of the Year. This year we are again proud to honor Jim and thank him for the continuous ways he supports first responders, veterans and the Foundation by inducting him into the Ancient Order of the National Society of St. Florian and St. Michael.

Join us at the 6th Annual First Responders Foundation 9/11 Luncheon of Honor.

Tickets and Sponsorships are available for the luncheon. Join us as we celebrate and honor Jim Cahill, remember veterans and first responders and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice on 9//11/2001.

Click here for tickets/sponsorships and more information.

For more about the First Responders Foundation Race Team click here to visit the Facebook Page.

To learn more about the National Society of St. Florian and St. Michael and the Ancient Order click here.

To learn more about Cpl. Daegan Page click here for his Facebook Page.

The post Jim Cahill, is All About Serving and Protecting and Honoring Others Who Do The Same. appeared first on First Responders Foundation.

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Below you will find more information and the helping hands in Trucking Hand Sanitizer Across Nebraska.

(Update as of May 14th.  All requests for hand sanitizer are now going direct to Patriarch Distillers.  Please email David at dyoung@svspirits.com )

Jeff Hadden, Founder and President, and David M. Young, VP of Strategy and Spirits Evangelist, from Patriarch Distillers/Soldier Valley 6, in LaVista, NE, just wanted to help out during the pandemic and produce hand sanitizer for those who were working so hard to keep our community safe. They made the decision to stop producing spirits at their business and begin making hand sanitizer full time.

Things started out fine, but as the need grew, David and Jeff were inundated with phone calls, emails, and even in-person visits to their facility for hand sanitizer. They needed some help. “Our project for good had become overwhelming,” said Jeff.

Trucking Hand Sanitizer Across Nebraska

Diann Swigart, Coordinator of Community Engagement

Welcome to the scene, Diann Swigart, Coordinator of Community Engagement, of the First Responders Foundation. She agreed to the task of leading a new call/distribution center. Instead of calling Patriarch Distillers, the calls and emails now go to Diann at the First Responders Foundation. She categorizes the calls into most urgent needs, with first responders at the top of the list. She gives each organization a code that they use for pickup at Patriarch Distillers. When the requests for hand sanitizer from first responders have been satisfied, other urgent needs are fulfilled.

At first most of the calls came from the metro area, but quickly calls began to come in from all over the state of Nebraska and some in Iowa. Diann tells of a call that came from a homeless shelter and children’s home in Lincoln, where the woman became overjoyed when she was told she would be getting the hand sanitizer. Diann said, “It sounded like she started to cry when I gave her the distribution code. This project has been quite emotional for me and many others.”

Brent Falgione, President of the trucking company, Greater Omaha Express

A little surprise was in store when Diann received a call from Brent Falgione, president of the trucking company, Greater Omaha Express, about hand sanitizer for truckers. Rest areas have been closed, as well as many of the shower facilities at truck stops, making it difficult for drivers to follow their routine while transporting necessary food and supplies across the nation. In order to keep his employees safe, Brent needed hand sanitizer. Diann said they were happy to help and then Brent contributed to the project in a surprising and substantial way. Diann says “He offered to truck hand sanitizer across the state on his route to others in need!” Brent has been transporting products for the past couple of weeks meeting people along his path at predetermined locations.

Diann heard about the Care Center in Greeley, NE on the news where the residents, along with the staff, had been quarantined for several weeks in order to keep the residents healthy. Diann called the facility and offered hand sanitizer be delivered to them since we were already delivering to the Sheriff’s office across the street! Brent and his drivers made this delivery happen as well.

Diann called Brent about a retirement home in Adams, NE that had called for sanitizer. However, they were not on the Greater Omaha Express’ route. Diann said, “Brent picked up another line, and while I was listening, he called Travis, from Buhrs Trucking. He told Travis about the situation and asked if he would pick up the hand sanitizer and deliver it to the facility? Without hesitation Travis said “Yes!” and picked up the product from Patriarch and delivered it to the Gage County Sheriff and retirement home.

Drew Wimer, an EMT from the West Point Volunteer Fire Department

Drew Wimer, an EMT from the West Point Volunteer Fire Department, called in a request. When he heard many of the smaller towns surrounding West Point were also in need, he came to Omaha and picked up the sanitizer and delivered it to all the surrounding departments. Diann says it has been refreshing to see all the people willing to help each other. They are so appreciative of Patriarch Distillers for their generosity.

So far Diann has connected almost 200 organizations with hand sanitizer. The organizations vary in size, from small, to as large as Nebraska Medicine.

Just last week Patriarch agreed to assist The Nebraska Grocery Industry Association (NGIA), a state trade association which represents the grocery industry, with hand sanitizer. Most of the grocers are mom and pop stores. Patriarch has suggested a donation of $5 per gallon from the grocery stores to the First Responders Foundation.

Diann says, “The project has been super fun, really it has.” To request hand sanitizer call 402-218-1234 or email contact@firstrespondersomaha.org.

Patriarch Distillers is not charging a fee for any of the hand sanitizer given to first responders, rather directing donations be made in their honor to First Responders Foundation. The Foundation has received over $5500 in donations.  The First Responders Foundation is honored to collaborate with Patriarch Distillers/Soldier Valley Spirits and other local businesses helping the Foundation execute our mission to enhance public safety and to serve first responders.

Greater Omaha Express

Read about Patriarch Distillers donating 58 galloons of hand sanitizer to the Omaha Fire Department here.

The post Trucking Hand Sanitizer Across Nebraska appeared first on First Responders Foundation.

(As of Sun. April 5th the Bellevue Fire Department has transported one person who has tested positive for COVID-19.)

Shari Lentsch is proud of the way the personnel at the Bellevue Fire Department (BFD) are all working together during these unprecedented times. As first responders deal with COVID-19 in the Bellevue area, Shari who is the Supervisor of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for the BFD, knows that they are positively impacting public safety response, and utilizing containment and mitigation initiatives.

Bellevue Fire Department COVID-19 Has Changed Things

Shari tells us that procedures are changing almost daily based on the evolution of this pandemic. One of the latest procedures put into place is that of taking first responders temperatures upon their arrival at the fire stations. Each firefighter has their temperature taken and if the temperature is 100.4 or above they are sent home. This is for the protection of the first responders and the community.  Shari said, “We are really keeping an eye out for each other and for the public .”

Shari was a bit concerned at the start, that due to the variability of the virus, the department might have a hard time maintaining the same manpower schedule. She was not sure if COVID-19 would keep the medics and firefighters from helping out with open shifts and keeping the fire stations staffed. Shari explained that “So far we have been able to maintain the same schedule, and people (firefighters) have been exceptional at filling in for each other”. This gives testimony to the dedication of first responders to be there for all of us no matter what.

Bellevue Fire Department Procedures

BFD has new procedures in place to help keep everyone safe when responding to an emergency medical situation.  First, they limit the number of personnel who have contact with the patient. Prior to COVID-19 an engine and a rescue squad would arrive at the scene and all six first responders would proceed to the patient together.  Now, only one member enters the house/business or has contact with the patient, typically the paramedic from the medic unit. Prior to entering the scene, the paramedic puts on the necessary PPE (personal protective equipment), including a gown, mask, eye protection, and gloves.

The other five first responders remain at the scene and have radio contact with the paramedic. Once contact is made, the paramedic also puts a mask on the patient. The six-foot social distancing rule is followed even with patient care, when possible. If any additional equipment or medical assistance is needed, the paramedic lets the others on the team know and they assist as necessary.

Service Announcements

The BFD has created public service announcements to inform the public about the personal protective equipment necessities due to COVID-19, and other policy changes that have been implemented. Shari said this has been very helpful with the community understanding the new procedures and for lessening their fears. “The Bellevue residents have been very understanding of the new safety equipment and procedures. They understand that we are doing all of this for their safety as well as our own,” Shari said.

When arriving at the hospital the Fire Department has new protocols that are required.  One change is a specific process that must be followed on how the PPE is removed and disposed of in order to not contaminate anyone or anything else.  Also, there is a new procedure for the full decontamination of the medic unit. First, they start by allowing the unit to sit undisturbed for about 15 minutes.  While waiting they put on their PPE, including a respirator mask. Next, they use a disinfectant spray that kills COVID-19. The surfaces must remain wet for three minutes then allowed to air dry.  Once all surfaces are dry they proceed with routine cleaning practices. The full procedure takes 30-45 minutes now to complete. Shari anticipates the time will decrease as they get more experienced with the procedure. The staff meticulously follows the procedural steps. The decontamination process is completed for each squad every six hours, at a minimum, regardless of whether or not the squad has been out on a call. To slow the spread of the virus, access is restricted at the fire stations and staff is required to use the same door for entrance and exit.

COVID-19 Numbers

To date, one patient BFD has transported has tested positive for COVID-19.  Shari expects to see more now with the community spread of the virus. None of the staff at the Fire Department have tested positive for the virus or even had a fever. However, two City of Bellevue employees tested positive for COVID-19, and both are quarantined along with employees that had contact with them.

Shari Lentsch

Shari attends The City of Bellevue Emergency Operation Center (EOC) forum that currently meets every other day to make sure the city departments are briefed on the latest information related to COVID-19, and that all departments have the supplies they need. The forum is led by Mark Elbert, Emergency Operations Director; Rusty Hike, Mayor; Jim Ristow, City Administrator; Perry Guido, Fire Chief; and Tom Dargy, Acting Police Chief. Currently, Bellevue has enough PPE supplies for immediate needs but will need additional long term, since no one knows how long this will last and how many people will be affected.  As the community spread of the virus increases daily, the amount of PPE used each day increases as well.

Response

As Supervisor of EMS, Shari only responds to large scale incidents, or when called by one of the Fire Command officers that have responded to critical emergency situations.  Shari is finishing her first week working from home but remains available to respond to critical incidents. She has been a first responder for 19 years, starting with Bellevue as a volunteer firefighter.  She has been in her current position for ten years. Shari’s husband, D.J. Lentsch, is also a first responder who works the Road Patrol Division of the Omaha Police Department.

Shari and DJ have grown children and a fifteen-year-old son who is in high school.  When asked if her son is fearful of his parents, Shari said, “he is not fearful but empowered.”  She said, “We talk as a family and we share with him the information we receive from the health department and other experts. He knows of all the procedures that are put in place to keep us, and the public safe, this helps him to not be fearful, but to be empowered.”

Bellevue Fire Department

The Bellevue Fire Department has canceled all public education events and tours of the stations, however, they do have something special in place for kids in the community.  BFD Happy Birthday Drive-by’s, complete with lights and sirens. The drive-by includes a rescue squad and fire truck where the medics and firefighters wave, and hold signs wishing the birthday girl or boy a happy day. To schedule an April Lights and Sirens Happy Birthday Drive-by, please email at least one day in advance, your child’s name, birthday, the address, and date requested to ems.captain@bellevue.net.  Of course, emergency calls take precedence.

To stay up to date with COVID-19 in Bellevue click here

To visit the Bellevue Fire Department Facebook page click here

For a Bellevue Fire Department Public Service Announcement regarding COVID-19 click here

New Story and Video, from Channel 3 KMTV News Now Omaha, about the Happy Birthday Drive-by’s, click here

The post Bellevue Fire Department COVID-19 Has Changed Things appeared first on First Responders Foundation.

The following individuals have recognized at the ASIS Law Enforcement and Security Awards dinner on December 3, 2019 at the Scott Conference Center.

Outstanding Law Enforcement Award from the LaVista Police Department:  Officer Karl Meister, Officer Bryan Straw Officer Lucas Tiberi, Officer Mike Jarvis, & Officer Brad Wood. (A video of the event leading to these officer’s selection for this award will follow this post.)

Outstanding Firefighter Award, Captain Dave Kirchofer | Omaha Fire Department

Outstanding Security Technology Integrator Award, Nick Crawford | Sentrixx Security

Outstanding Security Officer Award, Adam Haakenson | Creighton University

Outstanding Security Leadership Award. Tim Herron | Creighton University

ASIS International is the world’s largest membership organization for security management professionals.

Below are the events that lead to the selection of these fine individuals.

Outstanding Law Enforcement Award

Our outstanding performance awards recognize those nominated by their peers in the law enforcement, fire and private security professions for being true role models in our community.

Our first recipient of the Outstanding Law Enforcement Award is actually a group of individuals being honored for the actions they took in the line of duty, to save the life of a 26-year-old man. On Saturday, September 28, 2019 at 5:38 am, La Vista police officers, Karl Meister, Brad Wood,  Bryan Straw, Lucas Tiberi, and Mike Jarvis, responded to the Brentwood Park Apartments at 107th/Brentwood in La Vista, to a report of a man-woman verbal domestic disturbance in the parking lot.

Upon arrival, they were advised by the female party that the male was upset and had gone in to garage unit 3J and shut and locked the garage door. The female said he was in the car in the garage and was going to kill himself. She did not know if he was armed. Officers were outside of the garage unit and attempted to start a dialogue with the suspect. After 3 minutes, one of the officers noticed a liquid seeping out under the garage door and suddenly the liquid ignited into flames. The male party had poured gasoline on to the floor of the closed and locked garage unit and lit it on fire in an attempt to kill himself.

Officers retrieved fire extinguishers from their police cars and attempted to put out the fire. They began kicking and punching the garage panels, desperately trying to get in while also extinguishing what fire they could. One officer was able to reach into the garage and recover four (4) five-gallon containers of high octane fuel that was in the corner near the front of the garage. All but one of the containers was full. The male party had poured the contents of one of the containers on the ground which started the initial fire. Thankfully none of the others ignited.

The officers were able to create a big enough space to enter. A quick plan was developed to enter the garage and three officers went in while a fourth provided cover for them as they didn’t know if the suspect was armed. They broke a window on the car thinking he was inside, then found he was tucked in front of the vehicle, unconscious. The officers carried. him out and began medical treatment. The male party had a pulse and was breathing. Fire units were now on scene and transported the male party to Midlands Hospital where he was treated and then taken to a mental health facility.

Two La Vista police officers were treated at the scene for minor smoke inhalation. As a result of the team of officer’s actions, their quick thinking and prompt decision to put themselves in harm’s way, their actions saved this man’s life.

To watch a video from a body cam worn by Officer Wood click here.

Outstanding Firefighter Award

Next, our Outstanding Firefighter Award winner is Captain Dave Kirchofer of the Omaha Fire  Department is recognized for the actions he took on March 4, 2019, in response to a building fire with persons trapped. At approximately 0516 hours, fire dispatch reported the building fire with at 3263 Arbor Street. Not sure if you remember last March, but on this day, in the wee hours of the morning, there were multiple inches of snow on the ground and there were about 10 people in the house. Challenging conditions to say the least. First arriving crews encountered smoke and flames on approach. On arrival, Capt. Kirchofer and a member of his crew entered the structure and began fire attack operations. While performing an initial search, he located and assisted with the removal of an unconscious occupant trapped in their second-floor apartment. The dangerous working conditions at this fire were hampered even further by the extreme weather conditions and his professionalism and quick actions during this event directly contributed to the rescue of the occupant, thereby saving his life and preventing further injury. Captain Kirchofer, was presented as a Lifesaving Medal for his actions. Please join me in recognizing.

Outstanding Security Technology Integrator Award

Our recipient of the Outstanding Security Technology Integrator Nick  Crawford has worked on many of the physical security technology projects as an Electronic Security Lead Technician. Actually, Nick is more than a technician, he’s a problem solver, teacher, outside the box thinker, inventor, and organizer. He demonstrates initiative, dedication, and professionalism in everything he does. Technology and challenges are two of the items Nick excels at most often.

Nick likes to utilize and take advantage of technology whenever possible. A recent parking lot camera project, which presents the challenge of wiring, natural elements and distance, Nick proposed using a wireless network and the company has used the design in multiple projects since.

Did we mention technology? During a recent software upgrade install, Nick discovered that after the software was installed, the customers would lose access to their old files, unless they were saved on a separate server, something the vendor was not aware of.

Nick has never met a challenge he hasn’t liked. A unique project utilizing Bispectral PTZ IP Cameras with IR Illuminators attached to tripods and deployed in the field offered an opportunity for Nick to design an attachment to connect a 40lb camera to a tripod that will not tip over in 50 MPH winds. After much research, nothing like this has ever been done before, and Nick may just be pioneering a new way of connecting cameras to tripods.

And finally, Nick takes pride in his work. He likes his work to look good as well as perform good and proposed that we install gutters, which are metal housing boxes above power and controller panels to contain and organize the wire. No more spaghetti wires! Please join me in recognizing Nick Crawford from Sentrixx Security.

Security Officer of the Year Award

Our Security Officer of the Year award goes to someone who has responded to dozens of medical and security calls across the Creighton University campus over the past three years. Adam  Haakenson is a Public Safety Officer for the Department of Public Safety at Creighton University. In his role, Adam protects and serves a 130-acre campus community with over 10,000 people who live, work, study, or play here. He always has a professional demeanor while on duty and treats everyone with the utmost respect while handling their issues. When Adam becomes aware of a problem on campus, he addresses it himself or brings it to the attention of a supervisor.

He has worked numerous calls to dorm rooms on campus, some of which have led to the discovery of felony-level narcotics charges. This year, Adam chased down a theft suspect. During the foot pursuit, the suspect threw a hammer at him! Fortunately, Adam was not injured, and he safely apprehended and detained the suspect, who was subsequently arrested by the Omaha Police on multiple charges. Adam has also responded to medical calls were provided basic first aid until medical professionals arrived on the scene.

Adam is also one of the top performers in the department in the area of parking enforcement. He has an outstanding memory of scofflaw vehicles—those persistent violators with multiple citations. He regularly assists other officers to research vehicles and citations to link scofflaw vehicles with the right driver. His work has positively impacted campus parking behaviors to ensure adequate parking remains available for authorized vehicles. Adam displays a tireless work ethic. He has an impressive attendance record, rarely utilizing sick time.

He is always willing to work any assignment, even if it requires work beyond his normal work hours. Adam has served on the University Staff Advisory Council and the University Disabilities Committee, providing the departmental perspective to these University-wide committees. He is also a Public Safety liaison to McGloin Hall, a residence hall housing over 270 students. This program improves relationships between Public Safety and students through positive social interactions. In this role, Adam hosted “Mocktails with Public Safety,” as well as an ice cream social, with the residents of his hall. He enjoys interacting with students in these types of social settings and represents the department in a positive light. Adam has also been selected to become a Field Training Officer for the day shift. In this role, he will train new Public Safety officers on their roles and responsibilities.

Adam also has full knowledge of the dispatcher job and the multiple computer systems involved, including our video surveillance and card access control system, our parking management system, and our incident report management software. He trains new employees on how to perform these critical job functions. He also volunteers to fill in as a dispatcher when there is a need for this to occur. He is knowledgeable in many areas of the day to day operations at Creighton Public Safety!

Security Leadership of the Year Award

Our Security Leadership of the Year award goes to someone who is the face of the Department of Public Safety through his active involvement in many campus events at Creighton University. In his role as the Community Outreach Officer, Tim Herron is responsible for educating hundreds of students, faculty, and staff through campus safety presentations, with an emphasis on active assailant response and self-defense classes. He led the department initiative to market, distribute, and configure Peace of Mind (POM) personal safety devices for over 1,350 students, faculty, and staff. The POM is a BlueTooth-enabled device paired with a smartphone app that allows users to immediately contact an emergency dispatcher. The device is activated with three clicks of a button and the speaker/microphone in the rechargeable fob allows the user to speak directly to an emergency dispatcher without handling their phone. The user’s exact geolocation is transmitted to the Public Safety dispatcher, along with personal profile info, enabling a rapid and informed emergency response.

This year, Tim initiated the Public Safety Liaison Officer program with the nine residence halls at Creighton. He recruited Public Safety officers to partner with specific living areas on campus. This innovative program allowed students to see Public Safety in a positive light as the officers conducted programs with the Residential Life professional staff and student leaders in each hall. For example, one officer grilled hotdogs and hamburgers at a large picnic for his residence hall, while another officer set up “Decompress with Dee,” where they played trivia games and distributed prizes. In his assigned residence hall, Tim presented “Tea Time with Tim,” where he served tea to his residents and discussed safety topics with the attendees. Tim also leveraged his digital marketing degree to launch their Twitter account. He delivers important safety messages with a blend of humor and graphics that draws the attention of a broad spectrum of students, faculty, and staff members. His online following has steadily grown since July. Tim also applied his social media savvy to assist with multiple misconduct investigations, finding and documenting digital evidence to support student disciplinary hearings and campus ban-and-bar actions.

Tim played a key role in the execution of the annual Project Homeless Connect Omaha, planning for parking and security for an event that brings about 700 persons experiencing homelessness and 500 volunteers to the Creighton campus for a variety of health and social services. He adeptly balances compassion for those in need with vigilance for misconduct, ensuring a successful event each year.

As a lifelong learner, Tim regularly seeks out opportunities for training to broaden his skills. This year, he attended Title IX investigator training, enabling him to assist the Office of Equity and inclusion in sensitive investigations involving sexual misconduct. He recently completed a highly-sensitive investigation involving serious allegations, requiring multiple interviews. To quote Dave Dibelka, who nominated Tim, “Community Outreach Officer Tim Herron is richly deserving of this award due to his innovative way of getting our officers more involved in campus life, enhancing positive relationships between students and our officers, and educating our community on important safety and security issues. We can’t wait to see what Tim will come up with next!”

For more information on ASIS visit their website

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