Novi Police and Fire departments hold annual awards ceremony

NOVI — Novi police officers, firefighters and some civilians were honored for their bravery and commitment to the Novi community during the annual Novi Police and Fire Awards Ceremony, held May 4 at the Novi Civic Center.

Police Chief Erick Zinser said the awards symbolize the “great achievements” of officers, firefighters and civilian employees.

“(The awards) are merely a token of the collective enthusiasm for the dedicated self-sacrifice and desire you have shown to make our community a better place,” Zinser said. “Please do not view this evening’s recognitions (as) too trivial. Please understand that we acknowledge that what you do means so much more than what we can convey with a simple certificate or ribbon.”

The ceremony began with a performance of “Scotland the Brave” on the bagpipes by Officer Eric Carlomusto, who donned a kilt for the occasion. Zinser then gave a welcoming address, which was followed by an invocation by Mario Dewberry, of Impact Church Metro Detroit. Fire Chief Jeff Johnson then led his men and women in reciting the Fire Oath of Honor, which was followed by Zinser leading his police officers in the reciting of their Oath of Honor.

The awards were then handed out, as the 45 honorees began to be called to the stage. Each award was handed out with a brief background story about the event that earned the recipient the award. Awards were given for lifesaving acts by members of the police, fire and ambulance crews, as well as to some civilian employees and volunteers.

During the ceremony, Officer Andrew Toth was recognized with a Mothers Against Drunk Driving award for apprehending the most drunken drivers, and Fire Capt. Todd Seog was acknowledged for advancing his education with multiple degrees. Zinser also honored Volunteer of the Year Lori Karlow for her work on the Community Emergency Response Team.

The Civilian of the Year Award went to dispatch shift leader Jenea Sharma; the Firefighter of the Year is Sean Krabach; the Police Officer of the Year is Detective Shawn Penzak; and Assistant Police Chief Scott Baetens was surprised with the Leadership Award.

“This is quite the honor,” Krabach said. “My career outside of the Fire Department has provided me with some wonderful experiences — my company. I have worked on Super Bowls, Final Fours and a variety of other events, but none of them give me the honor to serve as a paid-on-call firefighter in Novi. To know that I can go in and change someone’s life and make someone’s life better is a wonderful thing.”

“I do think of this as a team award,” Penzak said. “I see how hard my co-workers work every day, and it pushes me to work just as hard.”

The ceremony concluded with a benediction by police and fire Chaplain Mike Zerkich. Zerkich prayed not just for the first responders’ physical safety, but also for their mental health. He said the stress of the job and the things they witness put a huge strain on the mental health of police and fire personnel, and many suffer from post-traumatic stress.