Hoover chamber honors 2023 Public Safety Officers of the Year

Most people think about firefighters putting out fires and rendering medical aid to people, and sometimes rescuing a cat from a tree, but they don’t usually think about a firefighter wrestling a pit bull off another person.

That’s what Hoover firefighter Marcus Chambers did last July when a pit bull viciously attacked someone in a Bluff Park home, Hoover fire Chief Clay Bentley said.

Chambers, a burly man, wrestled the dog away from the victim and removed him from the house, allowing the wounded person to be treated, Bentley told the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce Thursday as he introduced Chambers as the 2023 Hoover Firefighter of the Year.

Chambers was one of five people named among the city’s 2023 Public Safety Workers of the Year during a luncheon at the Hoover Country Club.

Others honored included Paramedic of the Year Lee Kilgore, Police Officer of the Year TJ Denson, Detention Officer of the Year Chelsie Smith and 911 Operator of the Year Jessica Boyd.

Chambers, who has been with the Hoover Fire Department seven years, was selected as Firefighter of the Year not just for his response in the vicious dog incident but because of the overall job he does day in and day out as a firefighter, Bentley said.

“He mentors young firefighters. He teaches them about how to be firefighters and about other things in life,” Bentley said. “He works well with others. … Being able to work well with others is important, especially if you’re living with someone one-third of your life.”

Chambers, who works at Station No. 5 in Bluff Park, is a hard worker and has a great attitude every day, the chief said.

PARAMEDIC OF THE  YEAR

Kilgore, a 20-year veteran of the Hoover Fire Department who works at Station No. 11 in Trace Crossings, also is a hard worker who mentors younger firefighters and brings joy and excitement to the job, Bentley said.

“He’s an excellent firefighter and a very skilled paramedic, and he is an excellent public servant,” the chief said.

When Station No. 11 was being built a little over two years ago, Kilgore worked diligently on and off duty to make sure everything was done right, Bentley said.

Paramedics are trained to do many things, including leading women through childbirth, and Kilgore had the rare opportunity to help two women give birth last year, Bentley said. Both babies were delivered successfully, including one who faced life-threatening issues, he said. “He’s very skilled at what he does.”

POLICE OFFICER OF THE YEAR

Denson successfully gathered evidence from the impaired driver of a vehicle who was determined to be at fault in an accident that killed two people in a head-on crash on John Hawkins Parkway in October of last year, Derzis said.

After his duties on the scene on the crash, Denson immediately obtained a search warrant from Jefferson County Circuit Court, seeking blood evidence, the chief said. Denson went to UAB Hospital and was informed the at-fault driver was in a very long surgery, Derzis said. Because it was important to obtain blood evidence in a timely manner, he “scrubbed in,” was given surgical garments and led into the operating room to retrieve the blood evidence even though the person was still in surgery, the chief said.

The evidence determined the driver had multiple substances in his blood that would have caused impairment and led to two murder warrants being issued for the death of two innocent people, Derzis said.

Two other officers, Sgt. Tyler Watson and Detective Jennifer Stewart, also were finalists for Police Officer of the Year.

Watson was honored for work he did to help capture the suspect in a shooting in Pelham in October of last year, using technology to identify the suspect’s vehicle license plate, travel patterns and likely location.

Stewart was the lead person in an organized retail theft investigation that led to the arrest of two adult Hoover brothers whom police said employed people to shoplift from retailers across the Birmingham area and sell the stolen merchandise online, Derzis said. One account associated with the brothers processed more than $1 million worth of transactions, he said.

DETENTION OFFICER OF THE YEAR

Smith, a field training officer at the Hoover Jail, in July of last year played a pivotal role in saving the life of an inmate who tried to commit suicide in the jail, Derzis said.

About 30 minutes after the person was booked into the jail and put in a holding cell,, Smith responded to a loud thud from the jail cell and discovered the person on the floor actively engaged in self-injurious behavior, he said. She called for backup, and responding officers were able to stop the suicide attempt, and she began lifesaving measures, the chief said.

Upon regaining consciousness, the person was provided additional medical assistance by Hoover medics and taken to a hospital by ambulance, Derzis said.

“Chelsie Smith’s unwavering work ethic played a pivotal role in preserving the life of this inmate, later discovered to be a U.S. military veteran,” the chief said.

911 OPERATOR OF THE YEAR

Boyd, who has been with the Hoover E-911 Communications Department since 2016, is a training officer and shift supervisor who exhibits patience and professionalism with co-workers and callers, some of whom are hysterical from tense and difficult situations, Hoover 911 Director Linda Moore said.

“Jessica possesses compassion for callers, sensitivity to situations and empathy,” Moore said.One of those times was in July of last year, when Boyd took a call from a hysterical female reporting that Carlee Russell, who had concocted a story about being kidnapped from the side of Interstate 459 after stopping to help a wandering toddler, had returned home.

“Officer Boyd gathered needed information for responders, created a call for police and within 30 seconds, based on her training and experience, determined and created a medical call,” Moore said. “Officer Boyd continued to reassure and calm the caller until responders arrived on the scene.”

Boyd also in October answered a call from a caregiver reporting a fire in the basement of a residence that a bedridden patient in it. The caller was unable to get the patient out of the home.

“Officer Boyd’s tone and demeanor portrayed concern, authority and compassion for the caller and the situation at hand,” Moore said. “Officer Boyd remained on the line until help arrived. She continually told the caller help was on the way and gave instructions for the caller to place wet towels over the air vent in the room in an attempt to try and help keep the smoke out of the room. Officer Boyd determined the quickest entry point for responders to get to the patient and caregiver.”

Communications Officer David Sibley also was a finalist for 911 Operator of the Year. Sibley in October helped locate a suspect in a kidnapping and homicide case in Huntsville. He entered a “Be on the lookout” notice into Hoover’s alert system and two days later, after receiving an alert on the vehicle, relayed vital information to police officers on the suspect’s location, which led to his arrest on U.S. 280, Moore said.