Cloud Hosting

Police and firefighters make hard decisions every day. Among the most challenging but perhaps the most enjoyable is the selection of nominees for the annual Women in Blue Woman of the Year and Detroit Fire Department Woman of the Year awards.

Every nominee epitomizes the values of their department.

The finalists chosen for their professionalism, respect, integrity and dedication this year will be honored during the 9th annual Women in Blue Celebration at the MGM Grand Detroit on May 25, hosted by the Detroit Public Safety Foundation.

Among the nominees being celebrated for their work are three women from Macomb County including Lt. Shannon Moran of Clinton Township, a senior firefighter with the Detroit Fire Department.

This is a very nice honor for one of our residents, said Clinton Township Supervisor Bob Cannon. We in Clinton Township have several women in nontraditional female jobs that head up departments.

Only 7% of women are firefighters nationally, according to the National Fire Protection Association and Moran is among those trying to boost the numbers by example and by talking to young women about her career.

It was her grandfather who sparked her passion for firefighting. As a youngster she was captivated by his stories about the glory days as a firefighter and chief for the DFD. Some of them had to do with fighting fires and saving peoples lives but ask any firefighter and theyll tell you the most beloved stories have to do with the camaraderies that they enjoy among the men and women with whom they serve.

Moran is a member of the Regina High School Class of 1989. It was after high school she followed in her grandfathers boots.

It took me four years, Moran said, in a previous report. Then I finally got it.

Once she was hired, Moran blazed a trail for herself as a firefighter for Detroit Engine 50 and Ladder 23. It is one of the busiest fire stations in the nation and on one occasion Moran and her fellow firefighters battled 17 fires.

Now shes at Engine 41 where she has not only served as a firefighter for 24 years but is the first female elected as a trustee to the Detroit Firemens Fund Association in its 150-year history.

Also nominated for her work as a DFD is Lt. Mary Moates of Roseville, a member of the DFD since 2004 and an Emergency Medical Technician since 1996.

Her first priority as a firefighter was answering the calls for help and then dispatching her department to their location.

Her skills as a communicator eventually led to her promotions as a sergeant and then lieutenant in the communications division.

Lt. Moates takes pride in doing her job to the highest standard possible, sending out accurate information and crews in lightning-fast time and getting the additional resources on the scene when necessary, said one of her superiors in a release. Throughout her time with the department, she has maintained her EMT license and is always advancing her training and knowledge.

That includes becoming a new member of the Womens Inspiring Network Employee Resource Group.

Her support system includes her husband, who is also an EMT for the DFD EMS Division and her brother, also a firefighter and paramedic with DFD.

In addition to serving her community she stands as a role model to other young women including three daughters, one of whom attended Macomb Community College the same year she decided to return to school for her associates degree in applied science and in information technology. She also has a daughter with Aspergers Syndrome and works to raise awareness about this and other Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Lt. Mary Moates is a selfless leader who works tirelessly to support those around her, said her superior at the DPD. We are proud to recognize hre as a nominee for the DFD Woman of the Year award.

While the population of women firefighters is still growing Lt. Wendy Collier of New Haven is one of more than a dozen police officers competing for this years Women in Blue award.

Collier currently serves as the officer in charge of secondary employment, which is a partnership program in which local businesses hire off duty police officers.

While overseeing her department, Collier has worked to improve conditions for her fellow officers. Program improvements credited to Collier include implementing a more comprehensive management system with improved onboarding and invoicing processes, better transparency, accountability and job selection processes.

She also hosted an advisory board to help better understand the needs of business partners and officers in the secondary employment program.

She is expected to graduate in May with her masters degree in strategic leadership.

During her 22-year career she has worked in a variety of areas including a patrol sergeant for the 10th and 11th precincts as well as a community relations and compliance liaison sergeant at the 9th precinct. She worked in the Real Time Crime Center, helping to manage Project Green Light and oversee investigations and data mining. While serving in these positions Collier was instrumental in developing several departmental and community projects including the Neighborhood Police Officer Program, Project Green Light Crime Prevention Program and management of the Children in Trauma Intervention (CITI) camp. To top it off she had a hand in developing the DPDs 150th anniversary ball.

Among her earned accolades is the DPDs Community Outreach Leadership Award and the Detroit City Councils Spirit of Detroit Award presented to her in 2004. And while her duties are anchored in Detroit she has also served her community as executive director of the New HAven Community Enrichment Committee and chairperson of the New Haven Parks and Recreation Committee (2016-2019).

Lt. Collier has worked hard her entire career to better the Detroit Police Department for the citizens of Detroit, said her commanding officer. For her service, we are proud to recognize her as a Women in Blue Officer of the Year nominee.

The winners of the awards for the DFD and DPD will be announced during the celebratory breakfast hosted by the Detroit Public Safety Foundation on May 25.

For a full list of nominees and final results visit detroitpublicsafety.org/.

Visit link:

Macomb County first responders among the nominees for Woman of the Year - The Macomb Daily