All of the men and women who work hard to keep Oxford safe and secure on a daily basis were recognized for their efforts Sunday afternoon during a special awards ceremony hosted by Oxford American Legion Ladies Auxiliary Unit 108.
Following a delicious buffet dinner, 86 certificates of appreciation were handed out to all the members of the Oxford Fire Department, Oxford Village Police Department and the Oxford Township Oakland County Sheriff’s substation.
‘I know police officers are not appreciated as much as they deserve,? said Jim Wallace, the American Legion’s 2014-15 state commander, who was a guest at the awards ceremony. ‘They work hard everyday. They do what a lot of us can’t or won’t or don’t want to do.?
With regard to the courage and dedication exhibited by firefighters, Wallace said, ‘They’re running into buildings when the rats are running out.?
A member of each public safety agency was singled out to receive special honors for their commitment to their jobs, service to the community and repeated willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty.
Assistant Fire Chief Dave Creech was honored as ‘Most Outstanding Firefighter of the Year,? while sheriff’s Deputy Charles J. Farley and village Police Officer Dave Churchill were both named ‘Most Outstanding Police Officer of the Year.?
Fire Chief Pete Scholz called Creech ‘a key officer? in the department and ‘a great example? of what this award is all about.
A paid-on-call firefighter since 1986, Creech puts in countless hours attending ‘every single? agency meeting and training session, and responding to more than his fair share of emergency calls, according to Scholz.
Between 2000 and 2015, Creech responded to 5,385 calls.
In 2014, he responded to 503 calls, an average of 42 per month. Scholz noted many of those calls occurred on nights and weekends.
No matter how much time the job requires, Scholz said Creech never complains. He’s ‘always a leader? and ‘always an example? to the other firefighters.
Although Creech appreciates being selected for this honor, he doesn’t believe he’s anything special.
‘I think all the guys on the department deserve a big hand from the community,? he said. ‘All the guys there spend as much time as they can. I am privileged (because) my kids are grown and I can spend more time than most. I’m no more deserving than anyone else. I just have more personal time to give.?
After all these years, Creech still enjoys helping people in the community and still gets ‘an adrenaline rush? when he’s racing to the scene of a fire.
‘I’ve been having fun for 28 years now,? he said.
When he was asked to select a deputy to receive this award, sheriff’s Lt. Scott Patterson, commander of the Oxford Township substation, ‘didn’t hesitate? to choose Farley.
‘In 2014, Deputy Farley performed his duties admirably,? he said. ‘There’s been nothing that I have asked him to do that he hasn’t stepped up and taken care of. He leads by example and is a team-player.?
When the detective bureau needed extra help last year, Farley volunteered his assistance for several months.
‘As all the commanders in this room know, having someone like this that you can count on every single day is invaluable,? Patterson said. ‘Chuck, thank you for who you are and for all the hard work that you do on a daily basis. I’m very proud of your accomplishments. Congratulations.?
‘I didn’t expect my bosses to put me in for (this award),? Farley said. ‘To know that my bosses think that highly of me is really an honor.?
Farley’s been with the sheriff’s office for 24 years. He joined straight out of high school when he was 18. He had his career choices narrowed down to either law enforcement or the military.
‘I got the phone call from the sheriff’s office 24 hours prior to signing on the line to become an airman in the Air Force,? Farley said.
Farley spent 10 years working in the county jail, followed by 14 years working in patrol services and detective bureaus. He’s worked at the Oxford substation for about a year-and-a-half.
His favorite part of the job is building relationships, be it developing friendships with his fellow officers or simply taking the time to get to know the people in the community in which he’s working.
‘We get to educate each other,? he said. ‘I get to educate them about what I do and they can educate me on different aspects of their community.?
‘Just because I give you a ticket doesn’t mean that we can’t have a civilized conversation at a later date or time,? Farley noted.
Village Police Chief Mike Neymanowski had nothing but praise for Churchill, who joined the department as a part-time officer in 2007 and was promoted to full-time in 2012.
‘He is a team-player,? he said. ‘He regularly goes beyond his normal duties and sets a positive example for all.?
Churchill voluntarily took on the responsibility of becoming the department’s commercial vehicle enforcement officer.
‘In addition, he has been trained as a Taser instructor for our agency and teaches concealed weapons classes for our citizens on his own time,? Neymanowski said. ‘Without hesitation, he has provided police department tours (and) stranger danger presentations for our elementary school students.?
Neymanowski noted how last year, Churchill took on a ‘major investigation? that concerned the embezzlement of more than $250,000 from a local business (please see story on Page 1).
The chief said he devoted many hours to this investigation ‘without neglecting his patrol duties or even asking for any overtime.?
‘This is a beautiful plaque and it really is a great honor to have people recognize you for the work that you do,? Churchill said. ‘But to be honest with you, I couldn’t do it without the chief and all the guys that support me. Our dispatch center, the fire department, they’re always out there. Everybody supports us. They make the job easy.?
‘It’s great to get this (award), but it belongs just as much to all of them as it does to me,? Churchill added.
Prior to being hired by Oxford, Churchill spent about 15 years as a reserve officer with the Lake Orion Police Department. He had to switch departments when he was elected to the Lake Orion Village Council in 2007.
When asked what motivated him to get into law enforcement, Churchill replied, ‘I can’t put my finger on any one incident. It’s just something I always wanted to do.?
‘When we were kids, we were always out playing cops and robbers, and for some odd reason, I always wanted to be the cop,? he continued. ‘Maybe it was just a natural progression.?
All of the local firefighters and police officers were extremely grateful to the Ladies Auxiliary and the other veterans groups at Post 108 who pitched in to once again honor them.
‘It’s nice of them to do it,? Creech said. ‘We don’t expect a lot of praise, but we do appreciate it.?
Farley appreciated the fact these awards were from veterans and their families who made difficult sacrifices for the good of the nation.
He wished to thank them for ‘their dedication and their service to the country,? which has ultimately provided both him and his family with the ‘freedoms and opportunities? they enjoy each and every day.