Hoover's 2018 Public Safety Workers Of The Year Honored

HOOVER, AL - Working in public safety is often a thankless job, but this week, the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce took the opportunity to honor the city's Public Safety Workers of the Year for 2018. The award presentations were held March 21.

The recipients of the awards were :

Police Officer of the Year

Brandon Harris was named the 2018 Hoover Police Officer of the Year, because of his handling of a sexual abuse case involving a Hoover teenage boy and youth evangelist Acton Bowen.

“Harris exhibited an extraordinary amount of compassion, patience and determination as he went through the difficult process of investigating this case,” Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said in a Hoover Sun report. “While the victims will have a lengthy recovery ahead, they can begin the healing process thanks to the work of Detective Brandon Harris and the team of investigators who sought justice for them.”

Firefighter of the Year

Stephen Finlen was named the Firefighter of the Year for having good moral character, a strong work ethic and being a good role model, fire Chief Clay Bentley said. Finlen has been with the Hoover Fire Department since February 2014 and currently works at Station No. 8 in Greystone.

“He does that with extreme confidence and professionalism,” Bentley said. “Our people wear this equipment every day, knowing it is kept in top order, and they wear it with confidence.”

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Paramedic of the Year

Rusty Lowe was named Paramedic of the Year after he was instrumental in helping save the life Hoover police Sgt. Brian Foreman, who went into cardiac arrest while working at the SEC Baseball Tournament in May.

Lowe spent 30 years with the Hoover Fire Department and 37 years total as a firefighter before retiring on Sept. 1 as the department’s public information officer and emergency medical services officer.

Detention Officer of the Year

Willie Young was honored as the 2018 Detention Officer of the Year for helping prevent a possible suicide attempt in the Hoover Jail in June. Inmates are given razors twice a week for a brief time so they can shave, and when Young and another officer were collecting the razors, one inmate said he accidentally flushed his razor blade down the toilet, Derzis said.

Young was suspicious of that claim and pulled two inmates aside to search them. As another officer was searching one inmate, Young noticed the other inmate pull a razor blade from his sock and place it on the floor, Derzis said. The inmate later indicated he planned to cut himself because he had just learned his mother had been diagnosed with cancer and was told she did not have much time to live.

911 Operator of the Year

Amy Appleton was chosen as the 911 Operator of the Year for her handling of the shootings at the Riverchase Galleria on Thanksgiving night that ended with the death of Emantic "EJ" Bradford.

“Supervisor Appleton was a vital link in the public safety chain that ensured the safety of our police officer and firefighters and citizens of Hoover,” said Linda Moore, who oversees the Hoover 911 Center. “She is a great example of an extraordinary emergency communications officer who rose to the challenge under the intense, stressful circumstances of the incident to get the job done and to ensure the safety of our police officers and fire personnel and as well, again, our citizens.”