Hoover chamber honors 2015 public safety officers of the year
Shortly after 1 a.m. on Dec. 18, Hoover police officer Cyle Cutcliff was dispatched as a secondary unit to a fire call at an apartment complex in Riverchase.
He was the first to arrive on the scene and immediately notified the dispatch office that the 700 building at Garden Brook Trail was fully involved with fire and flames visible from the roof.
With little regard for his own safety, Cutcliff went into a smoke-engulfed corridor and began to bang on doors to wake residents and evacuate the building, Hoover police Chief Nick Derzis told the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce today. Cutcliff kicked in the door to an apartment directly below the burning apartment and woke an elderly woman who had not heard the banging, Derzis said.
“His actions surely saved her from injury or possible death from smoke inhalation,” Derzis said. “He continued to clear apartments and remove several pets and personal belongings of residents.”
Because of that bravery and service to the public, Cutcliff today was named the city of Hoover’s 2015 Police Officer of the Year at the Hoover chamber luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel.
The chamber also recognized David Sibley as Hoover’s Telecommunicator of the Year, Sr. Cpl. Tyrone McCall as the Detention Officer of the Year, Ricky Linn as the Firefighter of the Year and Capt. Tim Lawson as the Paramedic of the Year.
Cutcliff, 44, of Riverchase first came to work for the Hoover Police Department as a detention officer in 1992. Then in 1995, he was hired as a patrol officer and has continued in that role the past 21 years.
Other finalists for 2015 Hoover Police Officer of the Year were Officer Kyle Brohl and Sgt. Jim Thornton.
Brohl in October found the gun believed to be used in a homicide at the Home Depot on U.S. 280 in September during an unrelated investigation into an incident at the Sam’s Club on John Hawkins Parkway, Derzis said. His thoroughness resulted in the arrest of the man police say is responsible for killing a 25-year-old employee of the Home Depot.
Thornton was commended for his guidance to officers in the case of a 7-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted while she was playing outside her condominium in July. Because of his persistence, diligence and guidance, officers were able to identify a 15-year-old suspect and take the suspect into custody within two hours of the incident, Derzis said.
Telecommunicator of the Year
Sibley on Oct. 3 was on duty in the communications center when he received a frantic call from a man whose wife was in labor, with contractions just three minutes apart, Derzis said. Sibley immediately dispatched paramedics to the scene and began giving the man instructions on what to do, Derzis said.
Within about three minutes and prior to the medics’ arrival, the baby was delivered at the caller’s home, but the father reported the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck, Derzis said. Sibley calmly and quickly instructed the man on how to remove the cord from around the baby’s neck and to clean the baby’s nose and mouth to ensure the baby could breathe, Derzis said.
Fire Department paramedics arrived quickly after the birth, and the father was allowed to cut the umbilical cord of his newborn baby, and then the baby and mother were swiftly taken to the hospital with no apparent complications, Derzis said.
“If not for the experience and quick actions of telecommunicator Sibley, this joyous occasion might have ended up different,” Derzis said.
Sibley, who lives in Irondale, has been in the public safety field since 1982, including many years as a paramedic for an ambulance company and the past six years as a telecommunicator for the Hoover Police Department.
Detention Officer of the Year
McCall on Feb. 25 of last year was routinely checking inmates’ incoming mail for illicit material or contraband and discovered a book that had a minor discrepancy around its spine, Derzis said. Through further investigation, he determined the spine of the book contained a foil-wrapped package of marijuana, the chief said.
McCall then went back and listened to the inmate’s phone calls and found a conversation that incriminated the inmate and an outside party in promoting prison contraband, Derzis said.
“This single act of diligence and attention to detail prevented a controlled substance from entering the jail, which otherwise could have been the catalyst for an array of problems inside the jail facility among the inmate population,” the chief said.
McCall, a 44-year-old resident of Hoover, spent four years working as a corrections officer for the Birmingham Police Department before joining Hoover as a detention officer 12 years ago. He was promoted to corporal in 2014 and senior corporal this past fall. His duties include supervision of the unit that transports inmates to the jail after their arrest and to state and federal court for hearings.
Firefighter of the Year
Linn was chosen as Firefighter of the Year because of his 22 years of dedicated service and many contributions to the Fire Department, fire Chief Chuck Wingate said.
He joined the Hoover Fire Department in December 1993 after a 20-year career with the Birmingham Fire Department. He was promoted to apparatus operator in 2006, fire inspector in 2007 and senior fire inspector in March 2015.
During his career, he has been involved in many special projects above and beyond normal duty, Wingate said. He helped start the technical rescue team at Station No. 4 and has trained both Hoover firefighters and firefighters from other departments through the Alabama Fire College.
When Linn transferred to the fire prevention bureau in 2007, everyone knew it was a good fit, Wingate said. He has a special talent for relating to the public, especially children, the importance of fire prevention, Wingate said.
His enthusiasm and passion for investigations and inspections have resulted in some complaints against him, but that comes with the territory, Wingate said. “No one likes to see code enforcers,” he said.
Linn also works tirelessly each year to assist in preparation for Camp Conquest, a summer camp in Alexander City for children with burn injuries, Wingate said. He takes children to the camp and handles many other behind-the-scene duties, such as coordinating the Fire Department’s Honor Guard and helping coworkers with difficult projects.
“He is always willing to help his fellow man,” Wingate said. “He’s a go-to guy.”
The fire prevention bureau often is overlooked when it comes to recognitions and awards, but “you can’t place a number on lives saved through prevention and enforcement,” the chief said.
Linn, 63, also is a former member of the Hoover City Council. He lives in Bluff Park.
Paramedic of the Year
Lawson was selected as Hoover’s Paramedic of the Year because of his reputation as an outstanding paramedic and work with tactical medicine, Wingate said.
As a member of the joint police and fire special response team and tactical medic program, he has helped procure equipment and regular training for that group, Wingate said.
“His abilities to work with others and his personality are an asset in this rapidly evolving specialty for paramedics,” the chief said.
Recently, Lawson worked with the Police Department to standardize bleeding control equipment, namely tourniquets, so that all procedures and equipment for the two departments are uniform and easier to deploy in a tactical or hazardous situation, Wingate said.
“This will save valuable time and effort in making split-second decisions by our police officers and EMS personnel,” the chief said.
Lawson also has been involved in many aspects of technical rescue and training. He worked with the technical rescue team at Station No. 4, helped develop and implement training for the department’s rapid intervention team, and has been a member of the special response team (tactical medic) program.
Lawson, 39, lives in Bluff Park. He joined the Hoover Fire Department in March 1999 after working for the Rocky Ridge Fire District. He was promoted to lieutenant in February 2010 and to captain in January of this year.