Thursday, March 28, 2024

ABOVE AND BEYOND Several Sheriff’s deputies honored with lifesaving awards

“It gives us an opportunity to show our appreciation to our entire staff who do such an amazing job each year serving our county.” - Dodge County Sheriff Scott Rose

Even within a public safety agency it sometimes takes a while for the real facts to surface.

The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office found that out recently when it discovered only one of two deputies involved in saving a man’s life back in 2010 had been recognized.

Deputy Scott Prins had previously been honored with a lifesaving award, but not another deputy who also played a crucial role in the incident. That’s until now.

On Sunday night, Ben Bohle, the other deputy involved with the lifesaving heroics, was given the award. Sheriff Scott Rose said Bohle’s actions during the medical incident slipped under the radar for several years within his office before it caught up to him. 

“We finally outed him and gave him due recognition,” Rose said. 

Bohle responded to a man lying in the middle of a gravel road on June 13, 2010. When deputies arrived, they took over CPR and administered the Automatic External Defibrillator, which shocked the man and allowed his heart to pump again. The man has since made a full recovery. 

Bohle’s lifesaving award was one of several that were given out during the third annual awards banquet at Daniel’s Restaurant in Kasson. More than 80 sheriff’s office personnel and their spouses attended the event. 

Deputy Matt Wohlenhaus received a pair of lifesaving awards. His first award involved providing lifesaving measures to a premature baby that was not breathing last January. Wohlenhaus’ second award involved two other deputies, Anna Peterson and Sgt. Shannon Boerner. The three saved a man who had fainted and was unresponsive last January. They performed CPR and administered the AED to bring him back again.

The last life-saving award went to deputy Dave Skadson. He assisted Hayfield Ambulance with a heroin overdose last September. They administered Narcan, which is used to temporarily relieve the effects of the overdose. 

In addition to the lifesaving awards, Rose gave out seven letters of recognition. Jim Lee and Shannon Johnson received praise for their involvement with the explosion at McNelius Trucking in Dodge Center last January. 

Other letters of recognition went to deputies Dave Crable and Justin Thurmes and posse members Gideon Prudoehl, Paul Johnson, Karl Malisheske and Jesse Durland. 

Rose gave out certificates of appointment to eight employees who either joined the sheriff’s office or were promoted in 2017. They included: dispatchers - Kristen McCaskey (March 20) and Jordyn Peterson (May 15); transport officer—Jose Franco (June 5); part-time deputies - Tyler Breuer and Zachary Plein (July 17); deputy - Justin Classon (Nov. 1); field training officer - Stephanie French (Aug. 25) and sergeant/courthouse security—Scott Prins (Nov. 1).

Bars were presented to deputies Justin Thurmes and Matthew Stradtmann for five years of service to the county.

Retired Sgt. Rich Allee was recognized for the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association Service Award he received after his retirement last fall.

Melissa Bublitz in records was honored for an excellence in service award she received in 2017.

Rose recognized and thanked Dennis Nawrocki for all his efforts over the years in maintaining and servicing the patrol vehicles by keeping them “roadworthy and safe.” 

The sheriff’s office honored several VIP guests during the banquet. They were Kathy Claassen, Sue Lange, Muriel Weber, Deb Guenther, Mark Lamphere, Roger Berge and the Lubahn family.

The purpose for the awards banquet, Rose said, is to recognize and honor those within the sheriff’s office who go above and beyond the call of duty. 

“It also gives us an opportunity to show our appreciation to our entire staff who do such an amazing job each year serving our county,” he said.

Rose complimented his staff for involvement with various programs, including Toward Zero Deaths, Safe and Sober, crime prevention, warrants, DARE, school resource, court security, chaplain program and training. 

There are 50 full and part-time employees in the sheriff’s office. 

 

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Dodge County Independent

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