Beltrami County Sheriff's Office to honor citizens, sheriff's office employees and a MN State Patrol Trooper with Life Saving Awards and Medal of Valor

BEMIDJI, BELTRAMI, COUNTY, MN: On Friday, November 22, 2019 at 6:00 PM, the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office will be hosting a public event to honor citizens, Beltrami County Sheriff's Office employees, and a Minnesota State Patrol Trooper with lifesaving awards, Awards of Valor, and as well other career achievements. The event will be held the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office Emergency Operations and Training Center located at 613 Minnesota Ave NW. For those wishing to attend the EOC/Training room is located at the northwest corner of the building.

• The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office will be honoring Mr. James Harbaugh, Bemidji, MN, Mr. Nicholas Harbaugh of Mantorville, MN and Mr. Shawn Schreiber of Theilman, MN with Awards of Valor for their efforts on June 25, 2019, while fishing on Blackduck Lake they heard calls for help and observed a boat circling out of control and three people in the water. They immediately responded and were able to rescue two females, a male, and a dog from the water. Due to their quick response, calm demeanor during a chaotic situation we present them with the Beltrami County Sheriff's Award of Valor.

• Mr. Jacob Endres, Cass Lake, MN and Mr. Gerald "Gerry" Wizner, Cass Lake, MN and Beltrami County Deputies Nicholas Bender and Brandon Newhouse are presented the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office Life Saving Awards for their efforts in saving the life of person suffering a cardiac event on June 8, 2019. Mr. Wizner and Mr. Endres recognized the declination of another restaurant patron and immediately responded as the patient went unconscious. They quickly assessed the female patient's condition and immediately began CPR. Eight minutes after the 911 call was made Deputies Bender and Newhouse arrived on scene at the rural Beltrami County restaurant and equipped with an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) and oxygen began to assist Endres and Wizner in their life saving efforts. The AED called for the patient to be shocked without an immediate response. CPR efforts continued and a second assessment was conducted by the AED and second shock to the patient was given. The victim immediately responded to the second shock and began breathing on her own and regained consciousness. The immediate response of the citizens and the deputies were crucial to the victim's survival of the cardiac event. For these efforts we present Jacob Endres, Gerry Wizner, Deputy Bender and Deputy Newhouse with the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office Life Saving Award.

• Investigator Jade Hayft and Investigator Thomas Mishler will be presented with the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office Lifesaving Award for their efforts on October 9, 2019 when they responded to a female subject suffering a cardiac event. They arrived on scene and immediately assisted with a citizen doing CPR and applied an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED). After three shocks and continued CPR the victim regained a pulse and began to breath. The immediate response of the citizen and investigators were crucial to the victim's survival of the cardiac event. For these efforts we present Investigators Mishler and Hayft with the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office Lifesaving Award.

• Beltrami County Sheriff Ernie Beitel nominated Deputies Anthony Hanson, Deputy Brian Birt and State Patrol Trooper Jesse Herding for the Minnesota Sheriff's Association Medal of Valor and Deputy Joshua Arhart for the Minnesota Sheriff's Association Meritorious Service Award for their actions taken on May 27, 2019 when they responded to horrific car crash on US Highway 2 that had one of the vehicles engulfed in flames and the passengers trapped inside. Hanson, Birt and Herding fought back the flames and extricated the victims and Arhart attempted lifesaving efforts. Unfortunately the passengers did not survive this crash despite their heroic efforts. Hanson, Birt, Herding, and Arhart are recognized for their heroic efforts by recognizing them with certificates of achievement for their nominations to the Sheriff's Association.

• Sheriff Ernie Beitel nominated Deputy Lee Anderson for the Minnesota Sheriff's Association Lifesaving Award, along with Bemidji Police Officer's Justin Erickson and former Bemidji Police Officer Sergeant Jaeger Bellows for their actions taken on August 27, 2018 when they rescued a juvenile female that was suffering a mental health crisis on a US Highway 2 overpass. Anderson is being recognized with a certificate of achievement for his nomination to the Sheriff's Association.

• Communications Officer Matthew Blake is being recognized by the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota Sheriff's Association for his successful completion of Phase II, Theories and Practices of Leadership, from the Institute for Credible Leadership Development.

• Deputy Alison Critchfield is being recognized by the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota Sheriff's Association for her successful completion of Phase I, Foundations and Principals of Leadership and Phase II, Theories and Practices of Leadership, from the Institute for Credible Leadership Development.

• Corrections Officer Melissa Bohlmann is being recognized by the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota Sheriff's Association for her successful completion of all the requirements of Institute of Credible Leadership Development, Phase I, Foundations and Principals of Leadership, Phase II, Theories and Practices of Leadership, Phase III, Application and Advancement of Leadership, and Phase IV, Leadership Competency and Mastery from the Institute for Credible Leadership Development.