ONTARIO, Ohio — The Ontario Lions Club held their annual Police and Fire Appreciation night during the club’s monthly meeting at the Ontario Senior Center on Tuesday. The club donated the meal to the officers and firefighters and donated plaques for the honorary awards.
“I really deeply appreciate everything you guys do, let alone the meal and the plaques,” Ontario Police Department Chief Rodney Smith said. “I have a couple of these on my wall. They mean a lot. They mean a lot coming from a group like this.”
All of the award recipients were first nominated and then voted on by other personnel within each department.
Receiving awards from the police department were Casey Bly and Mike Right. Bly was voted Officer of the Year; Bright received Dispatcher of the Year.
Bly joined the police force in 2012 and was accepted into the Allied Special Operation Response Team (ASORT) for Richland County in 2014.
“I really wanted to get him on board and we were lucky enough to have him,” said Lieutenant Tom Hill.
Hill commended the work of Dispatcher Mike Right. Right was also nominated fo the award in 2006 and 2012. He joined the Ontario Police Department in 2005.
“You don’t get there if you don’t know what you’re doing, if you’re not competent, or you’re not a team player. He encompasses all of those qualities,” said Hill.
The Springfield Township Firefighter’s Association recognized Erik Shull, Adam Spellman and John Gray.
Shull, a full-time firefighter for Springfield Township since 2002, received the Firefighter of the Year award.
“He got Firefighter of the Year in 2009, so it’s a trend that he continues to be highly thought of by his peers. He’s incredibly intelligent, IQ-wise, but he also has common sense. Those don’t coexist oftentimes,” said Fire Chief Ronald Henry.
Spellman received EMT of the Year. He joined the department in 2004 as a part-time EMT. He works full-time job as a flight medic.
Lieutenant John Gray received the association’s Officer of the Year award. He was hired on as one of the association’s first full-time individuals hired in 1995. Since 2005 Gray has been the Training Officer.
