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The honorees included Trooper Timothy Durham of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Sgt. James Hall of the Springfield Police Division, Deputy Ryan Weaver of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and Capt. Jeremy Linn of the Springfield Fire/Rescue Division.
The four individuals have a combined 59 years of service, Springfield Police Chief Steve Moody said.
“Each are leaders in their profession who demonstrate high ethical standards and a true commitment to their organization and our community,” he said. “It’s extremely clear that their vocation chose them.”
Durham has served with state patrol for the past 15 years, winning the Springfield Post trooper of the year four times. He thanked Rotary for the award, which he won for the fourth time.
“I’ve been honored to win a lot of awards in my career, and I don’t hold too many things dear, but these I do,” Durham said. “The Lord put me on this Earth to serve. It’s all I want to do and it’s all I know how to do.”
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Hall has served with the Springfield Police Division since 1992 and was later promoted to Sergeant in 2003. He has organized basketball games between members of the police and fire divisions against local youth to build relationships within the community and held discussions about respect with students at the Perrin Promise Learning Center, Moody said.
Hall thanked Moody and Rotary for the award.
“It’s easy to provide service when you have a chief that’s such a great role model,” Hall said.
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Linn, a Pennsylvania native, began his career with the fire division in 1996 and was promoted to captain in 2011. He’s also received the Ohio Fire Instructor of the Year award. Linn’s original plan was to eventually move back to Pittsburgh to be closer to his family, but he decided to stay in Springfield.
“The organization took a chance on me,” Linn said. “I was very fortunate to get stationed with a crew that welcomed me in. They taught me the craft and what it meant to be a Springfield firefighter, and that’s why I stayed. Twenty-one years later, it was the best decision I ever made.”
Weaver in a Greenon High School graduate and was hired as a deputy in 2013. He currently works as a trainer in the Clark County Jail, where Moody said he’s found drugs on people being booked into the jail on multiple occasions due to his attention to detail. He also serves on the sheriff’s Honor Guard.
“Like others have said, the career has chosen me,” Weaver said. “It wouldn’t be possible without faith, God and family.”
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