Manitowoc Noon Rotary honors Police Officer, Firefighter, and Citizens of the Year

The Manitowoc Noon Rotary Club has announced their 2021 Police Officer and Citizen of the Year, and 2021 Firefighter and Citizen of the Year. The following was submitted by the Noon Rotary.

Officer Cooper Schmidt has been selected as the Manitowoc Police Department’s 2021 Manitowoc Noon Rotary Officer of the Year. Officer Schmidt has been with the Department since October of 2016. In 2015, he was a Community Service Worker Intern within the Department.

Officer Schmidt was recognized in his nomination for his positive attitude, excellent work ethic, composure, and professionalism. He is a member of the Manitowoc County Peer Support Team and County SWAT Team. He is also a member of the Department’s Search Warrant Entry Team, Bike Patrol, and is an Explorer/Cadet Advisor. Additionally, Officer Schmidt is a Drug Recognition Expert and a Field Training Officer.

Officer Schmidt has participated in Shop with a Cop, Stuff the Squad, Lighthouse Recovery Event, Coffee for Champions at Dunkin Donuts benefitting Special Olympics, and was a Lighthouse Recovery Dose of Hope Ally Award Recipient. He has coordinated many of the aforementioned and encouraged others to volunteer their time as well.

As an exceptionally proactive officer excelling at drug interdiction, Officer Schmidt has gained much knowledge of drug abuse that he serves as a resource to other officers and supervisors. He realizes that disrupting the illicit drug trade helps reduce crime and helps keep Manitowoc a safe place to live, work, and play. However, he also has compassion towards substance users and strives to get them back on the right track.

The Manitowoc Police Department Citizen of the Year award is presented to Lia Haile.

Haile, a senior at Lincoln High School, was nominated by the Office Manager and Support Staff of the Manitowoc Police Department. Haile has accomplished a phenomenal amount of community service over the past several years, helping to improve her community.

One of her many good deeds was teaming up with the Department’s Support Staff to donate food items during the “10 Most Wanted” Food Drive. The annual drive runs from January through April. Having founded the Hopeful Hearts Club in 2012, Haile remains president of the club, coordinating additional food drives with area schools and church groups. The combined effort of the “drive-thru” food drive has resulted in donations of 1,424 non-perishable food items to Peter’s Pantry.

Thanks in large part to Haile, there are many members of our community who can meet their hunger needs. She is truly a selfless individual, deserving of this award to be added to her long list of accomplishments.

Lieutenant Jeremy Wagner is the 2021 Manitowoc Noon Rotary Firefighter of the Year. Lt. Wagner is a second-generation firefighter with the City of Manitowoc, following in his father Retired Captain Scott Wagner’s footsteps. Wagner started his career with a brief stay at the City of Ashland. Shortly after he began his career officially with the Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department in April of 2003. Wagner was promoted to Motor Pump Operator in June of 2010 and achieved the rank of Lieutenant on May 21, 2018.

For many years Wagner was an informal leader of the Department, holding leadership positions within the Manitowoc Fire Department International Association of Firefighters Local 368. He was also a member of the bargaining team. Wagner has a long history of community service—from coaching youth sports to helping those in need he looks for ways to offer his time or talent to the community. He is a true example of the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self.” Wagner participated in the Young Adult Leadership program through the Chamber of Manitowoc County and has remained a program mentor. In addition, he received the Chamber’s Future 15 award—presented to 15 young professionals in Manitowoc County who have given back to the community, shown leadership, and helped to make the area a great place to live and work.

Lt. Wagner, with the assistance of the Manitowoc Police Department, is responsible for the PAUSE Project. This program is delivered during the spring to have the greatest impact on students who may be attending prom. Lt. Wagner visits all the local high schools presenting the program via PowerPoint, a video, and displaying a vehicle that was involved in a fatal accident that had involved drinking and driving. The program informs students of how bad choices can negatively affect them and those around them. Lt. Wagner’s personal touch to this program reflects onto our youth the message to pause and reflect on what could be life-changing choices.

Empathy is the ability to see the world through another person’s eyes, to walk in their shoes, to feel their hurt. Compassionate empathy is taking action to help however you are able; this sums up Lt. Wagner and what he not only provides to the Manitowoc Fire Department but the community as well.

Also recognized by the Manitowoc Fire Department is Barb Schmidt as the 2021 Citizen of the Year. Schmidt is the Aquatics and Program Enrichment Director for the Manitowoc Two Rivers YMCA. Her actions demonstrate how important the chain of survival is in saving someone’s life.

CPR is a critical step in the American Heart Association’s Chain of Survival. The term Chain of Survival provides a useful metaphor for the foundations of the Emergency Cardiac Care system concept. A strong Chain of Survival can improve chances of survival and recovery for victims of cardiac arrest. Like any chain, the chain of survival is only as strong as its weakest link. The links in the chain of survival are early recognition of sudden cardiac arrest and access to emergency medical care, early CPR, early defibrillation, and early advanced cardiac life support.

The Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department was dispatched to the YMCA for an unresponsive male with ineffective breathing. Upon arrival, the crew began CPR when they were approached by Schmidt who asked if she could be of assistance. Her offer of help was much appreciated as many things need to occur quickly to provide the best chance of survival for the individual.

Schmidt performed CPR while the firefighter/paramedics were able to place the defibrillator on the individual and provide an electrical shock to the chaotic activity of his heart. The electrical shock assisted with a return of spontaneous pulse for the individual and he was transported to a local hospital for further care.

Learning about Schmidt’s actions and willingness to help, Manitowoc Fire Chief Todd Blazer reached out to discuss the events. In discussion with Schmidt, she stated “To hear from professionals that I helped is just kind of crazy. You don’t learn CPR with the hopes of ever using it. I think we all sit and complain when our certification is about to expire and have to go through the recertification process. To know that I had the knowledge and determination to get in there and help and feel confident enough to take over for an EMT so he could do other lifesaving skills was crazy. Although I won’t say it felt natural… it felt natural to help. If that makes any sense.” Schmidt’s willingness to help went above and beyond expectation, helping to keep the Department’s chain of survival strong.

Manitowoc Noon Rotary extends congratulations to all award recipients who will be honored at noon, Thursday, Feb. 17 at the Capitol Civic Centre. Manitowoc Noon Rotary invites the public to attend the award ceremony.