Chambana Sun

At the May 16 Champaign City Council meeting, officials marked the promotion and addition of police and firefighters, and honored the work and legacies of both departments in the community.

The meeting was live-streamed.

Fire Chief Gary Ludwig introduced Andrew Trame and Matthew Milner as new firefighters, and Andy Pruitt as the new lieutenant in the department, while six new police officers were introduced: Justin Sanchez, an Army Reserve veteran, Nikolas Cook, Austin Hinchman, Billy Aten, Brandon Colbertson and Lucas Leib.

“We're very grateful as community members to have these fellow public servants to serve us,” Police Chief Timothy Tyler said.

Tyler also gave the oath to the six as new patrol officers.

The ceremony served as a kickoff to Police Appreciation Week in the community, with several events held to honor police officers past and present.

The Champaign Police Department also held an awards ceremony May 17 to recognize employees, including the Department Employee of the Year Gretchen Davis.

Officials presented Life Saving Awards to Officer Molly Hedrick, Officer Jeffrey Thomas, Sgt. Caleb Rice, and Officer John McAllister for their roles in actions that saved residents' lives.

The department also presented Officer Dillon Holloway with a Medal of Valor, and three supervisors were presented with leadership awards, according to the News-Gazette, with another 45 officers receiving commendations.

On May 19, the department held a memorial service for fallen officers, with ceremonies for the city and the county, according to a Facebook post. The city recognized fallen officers Thomas Dodsworth and Robert Tatman. The city also recognized the service of Christopher Oberheim, who was killed in the line of duty in 2021.