Members of Weyburn’s emergency services were recognized for their exceptional service in their respective positions with the City of Weyburn, with commendations and exemplary service awards presented at the council meeting on Monday evening.
These awards are truly a positive and excellent way to pay tribute to the men and women who serve this community, day in and day out, and literally put their lives and safety on the line as they protect and serve the people of Weyburn and area.
From the Weyburn Police Service, Const. Melinda Mintenko and Const. Jeff Bartsch were each commended for their efforts in going above and beyond to raise awareness of important issues.
In Const. Mintenko’s case, she spearheaded the amazing “Ride’s On Us” initiative that has attracted attention from media and police forces around Saskatchewan for its innovative way of addressing the issue of impaired driving in Weyburn.
As deputy chief Rod Stafford read in making the presentation to her, the statistics for 2017 and this year showed that, without this program, there would have been the same number of impaired drivers being charged as before — but with this program, the numbers were cut in half, which is a significant impact.
Const. Bartsch distinguished himself by sharing his story of mental health issues and raising awareness of the issue by running in full marathons, 26.2 miles, in full uniform, one of a very few number of police officers who have done this. He will be continuing that initiative this year with a run coming up in April in California.
From the Fire Department, retiree Wayne Satre was recognized for his over 40 years of service as a volunteer, while platoon leader Mike Kaip and fire fighter Wade Oberg were recognized for exemplary service of over 20 years.
As Fire Chief Simon Almond explained to council, “exemplary service is characterized by good conduct, industry and efficiency.”
(It is worth noting that Oberg was recognized for over 20 years of exemplary service with the Fire Department, but he was not so recognized by the board of trustees of the Cornerstone School Division for his 25-plus years of exemplary service as an educator and administrator.)
For serving the community, all of the men and women recognized are worthy recipients of their awards, and should all be thanked for their service.
