Jay Somerville, director of the Northwest Regional Emergency Communications Center based in Dublin, Ohio, told officers, dispatchers and employees of the Bellefontaine Police Department during the agency’s 10th annual Awards Banquet Thursday evening that he felt right at home among “great public servants.”
“I enjoy being with my people,” the featured speaker said at the event taking place at the Bellefontaine Municipal Airport, 3100 State Route 47.
The Northwest Regional Emergency Communications Center provides primary public safety dispatch center for the City of Dublin, City of Hilliard, City of Upper Arlington, City of Worthington, Washington Township (Dublin) and Norwich Township (Hilliard).
The 911 center director detailed for attendees a recent memorable experience he had on board a commercial flight. He said his seat mate on the plane asked him a question that at first gave him a little pause, “Why did you choose this as your way to serve?”
“Usually, I’m used to people asking how long I’ve worked at the 911 center, or how many calls we handle, or what were some of my most memorable calls or most difficult calls,” he said.
“However, this question from a very nice older lady caused me to stop to think for a little. I told her, in reality, I didn’t chose this line of work; service chose me.”
Somerville said he grew up in a law enforcement family, and as a youngster, he always knew he wanted to be a “street cop.”
At the age of 16, he began to pursue his interest in law enforcement by volunteering at the Lima Police Department. However, while working there, the now 52-year-old said his opinions about the future position he might hold began to shift.
The communications operators at the police department told him, “If you can’t make it in here, you’re not going to be a cop.”
While spending time in the Lima PD’s communications center over the next two weeks, Somerville said he was “hooked.”
“This is more than talking on a phone or a radio. This is a tremendous responsibility,” he said. “After those two weeks in the radio room, I’d found my niche.
“I learned what it means to take a call for help for the community; to be the link that caller needs, probably at the worst time in their life. I could get the help where the help needed to be.”
Before the 911 center director’s time on his flight ended, he finally learned the connection he had to his seat mate. He recognized her as the wife of a city council member in one of the cities his department served — and realized that actually, he had played a large role in helping to save her life when she had suffered a heart attack not long ago.
“I remembered the night that she had called in and she was experiencing terrible chest pain,” he said. “She said talking with me that night, she knew the person she was speaking with had chosen service as their career by the way I’d been able to help her and calmly ease her fears.”
The featured speaker congratulated the department’s award winners and fellow employees alike on a job well done, which he said is noticed in these personal and life-saving connections made with the public.
Police Chief Brandon Standley, Lt. Chris Marlow and Lt. Scott Marlow presented awards for the evening, including the Officer of the Year Award to Jerrod Hostetler and Dispatcher of the Year to Heather Simpson. These two awards are based upon staff nominations of their peers.
Fellow staff members said Hostetler has “proved himself again and again” and has worked tirelessly to “combat the drug problem in our city.” Nominators said he offers a “wealth of knowledge in drug trends.”
Similarly, staff said Simpson does an “outstanding job relaying information to officers” and has a consistently strong work ethic. They noted that her “upbeat attitude rubs off on the officers on her shift.”
Hostetler also received a Medal of Merit for a March incident in which he provided back-up after Officer Jake Siekierka was injured by a violent assailant.
Also related to this incident, two area residents, Susan Frazier and Roxanne Grimes, received Civilian Medals of Merit for their role in tending to Siekierka while he was down on the ground, “putting their safety on the line to check on a downed officer,” the police chief said.
In addition, Hostetler, Siekierka and Officer Tanner Peterson received Medals of Merit relating to their drug interdiction work spanning from December to May that resulted in 80 arrests, including 20 felony arrests, and the service of six search warrants.
“Their actions resulted in a significant amount of drugs being removed from our city,” Chief Standley said.
Officer Siekierka received the 2021 American Legion’s Officer Award as well.
Detectives Dwight Salyer and Blake Kenner also received Medals of Merit relating to apprehension of suspects after a 29-year-old gunshot wound victim was brought to Mary Rutan Hospital following an armed robbery in Hyland Hills Plaza.
Det. Kenner also was recognized for his work on a case involving a missing 14-year-old girl from Bellefontaine. He collaborated with the Hampton, Va., Police Department, to safely locate the girl and apprehend the child predator who had coaxed her to Virginia.
Officer Allen Huffman received a Medal of Merit for a case in February involving the attempted abduction of a local teenage girl by working with the FBI and the Connecticut State Police.
Officer Doug Walters was awarded the first ever BPD Volunteer of the Year award for his service and personal time volunteering for outreach events for the agency and with Bellefontaine High School.
Stan Shafer from Shafer’s Towing and Recovery received a Civilian Medal of Merit for his partnership with the department.
Jody Tom was recognized as the Bellefontaine Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni Volunteer of the Year.