Hoover chamber honors 2021 top public safety workers

The Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce today honored six 2021 Public Safety Workers of the Year.

The honorees are:

• Jordan Berry and Trent Dotson — Police Officers of the Year
• Lt. Jeff Harris — Firefighter of the Year
• Josh Henson — Paramedic of the Year
• Brian Ashworth — Detention Officer of the Year
• Shea Hess — 911 Operator of the Year

POLICE OFFICERS OF THE YEAR

Hoover police Chief Nick Derzis said Berry and Dotson in January responded to a shooting at The Park at Wellington apartment complex in Bluff Park in which a man had been shot in the leg.

They arrived on the scene within two minutes of being dispatched, found the man lying behind an apartment building and quickly determined he likely had been shot in the femoral artery and had lost a lot of blood, Derzis said.

The officers applied a tourniquet to the victim’s upper thigh to slow the bleeding, and when the man went unconscious, they initiated CPR until medics arrived and took over, the chief said. The man underwent a massive transfusion and emergency surgery and was able to recover from his injuries and assist in the investigation, Derzis said.

“His statement provided the necessary information for investigators to identify and apprehend the responsible assailant by the United States marshals in the state of Georgia,” Derzis said. “Without the immediate life-saving measures taken by these two officers on the scene, this shooting survivor would likely not have survived that night, and the person responsible may never have been taken off the streets.”

Other finalists for Police Officer of the Year were Kyle Brohl and Chris Lopez.

FIREFIGHTER OF THE YEAR

Fire Chief Clay Bentley said the firefighter and paramedic awards are not based so much on a single heroic event, but more so on the character, integrity and daily behaviors of the recipients.

Harris, who has been with the Fire Department 13 years, is a medic who serves with the Police Department’s special response team and also serves on the Fire Department’s technical rescue team and dive team.

He has helped foster good relationships with police, been a good mentor for younger firefighters and helped with emergency operational plans for the Hoover school system, helping teach more than 600 school employees the proper use of a tourniquet.

While the Firefighter of the Year award is not based on a single incident, Harris in December 2020 and his crew were one of the first crews to arrive at an early morning apartment fire, and his decisions helped prevent a catastrophic fire from becoming much worse, Bentley said.

“His actions that night saved lives,” the chief said. “Lt. Harris is selfless and is a great leader and a good example.”

PARAMEDIC OF THE YEAR

Henson, who has been with the Fire Department five years, is a very hard worker who shows compassion to everyone and has a fantastic knowledge of state emergency medical protocols, Bentley said.

He is a highly skilled paramedic, and “if me or my family were sick or injured, I would want Josh to take care of me,” the chief said. “Josh always has a smile on his face and is eager to help with any project. He also helps manage our website and other computer-related issues.”

During this past year, Henson and his crew responded to an automobile accident with multiple patients, including two children who were in traumatic cardiac arrest, Bentley said.

“Josh and other crew members immediately began treating the patients under very chaotic and stressful conditions,” the chief said. “His leadership and paramedic skills were exceptional for this particular incident. The attending physician at UAB wrote a letter commending Josh for a professional job well done.”

DETENTION OFFICER OF THE YEAR

In February, Ashworth noticed an inmate in the city jail was thrashing around, coughing uncontrollably and in extreme physical distress, Derzis said. He entered the man’s cell, and by that time, the man had stopped breathing and had begun to turn blue, the chief said.

Ashworth performed the Heimlich maneuver on the inmate numerous times, eventually dislodging food from his airway so he could breathe again, Derzis said. Ashworth continued to perform first aid on the inmate, checking his pulse to ensure his airway was completely clear, he said.

Ashworth also on numerous occasions has discovered contraband and prevented dangerous substances from getting into the jail, Derzis said.

911 OPERATOR OF THE YEAR

Hess in April helped police officers make an arrest of a suspect who was the subject of an alert from the metro area crime unit, Hoover 911 Center Director Linda Moore said. The crime unit was looking for a suspect who had committed several felonies and thefts in numerous cities across Jefferson County, and Hoover officers spotted a vehicle matching the description and stopped it on Lorna Road, Moore said.

Hess located a Social Security Administration number in the numerous pages of information, ran a check in the National Crime Information Center database and located an active warrant for the suspect, which enabled officers to arrest the man, Moore said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers responded to the jail and discovered other outstanding warrants from numerous federal, state and local agencies, Moore said.

“If not for communications officer Hess’ attention to detail, this suspect may have evaded apprehension, as had occurred in the past,” Moore said. “Communications officer Hess is a seasoned professional who models the highest ethics, valued and integrity, which created a culture of genuine caring, compassion and empathy for coworkers and citizens.”