Merrillville first responders honored by vet group
It was a night of support and recognition at Tuesday’s Merrillville Town Council meeting.
Jason Zaideman, founder and CEO of Cedar Lake-based Operation Combat Bikesaver, a nonprofit that provides therapy for veterans with PTSD and depression, presented awards to the Merrillville Police Department and five of its officers for their quick response to a request for help in finding a missing veteran who Zaideman worried might hurt himself.
“The award is in recognition of their outstanding response in a time of crisis and recognition of the mental health of a struggling veteran,” Zaideman said.
He said the veteran was found and was safe.
Zaideman presented the awards to Police Chief Wiley Luther Cuttino, on behalf of the department, Officers Kwata Osborne, Andrew Germonprez and Sean Leto, Cpl. Matt Reynolds and Cpl. Curtis Minchuk.
Zaideman also expressed thanks to two dispatchers and two with EMS who assisted.
“I appreciate the recognition of the officers. It’s something they do every day,” Cuttino said.
Wearing matching royal blue shirts, council members, town officials, police, firefighters and others proclaimed their support and recognition of Autism Awareness month and Ben’s Blue Bags, a program that teaches first responders on how to handle a person with Autism Spectrum Disorder and provides them with a Ben’s Blue Bags sensory bag.
Fire Chief Ed Yerga said the fire department has chosen a cause to support and raise funds for each year since the fire territory was formed about 10 years ago. This year it’s supporting Ben’s Blue Bags, which was founded by Crown Point firefighter Matt Kodicek. Kodicek’s son Ben is autistic.
Kodicek said first responders are given a bag filled with dry-erase boards and markers to communicate with a nonverbal person, several fidget spinners, earmuffs to take away loud noises and other items to help calm the person down.