PANAMA CITY BEACH — Matthew Lopez likened the room full of first responders at the Bay Point Wyndham Ballroom on Thursday to the television superheroes idolized by his young son.
“TV often shows us that superheroes wear capes,” Lopez said during the Bay County Chamber of Commerce’s First Responders Appreciation Luncheon. “I’m going to tell you something: The men and women sitting in here today don’t wear capes; they wear green, they wear blue, they wear white, they wear navy. Those are superheroes. ... They never hesitate to put our lives ahead of self.”
Lopez, chairman of the chamber’s First Responder Appreciation Task Force, joined hundreds of members of the business community in honoring local law enforcement, firefighters, emergency management and dispatchers during the fourth annual event.
The chamber honored three community first responders for going above and beyond to meet the needs of the community, with nominations coming from both first responder agencies and chamber members.
Jamey Wright of the Panama City Beach Police Department received the Community Service Award for his work with the Holiday Helpers program, Cops and Kids program, Panama City Beach Optimist Club, CrimeStoppers and many more service-oriented organizations.
The chamber’s Multidisciplinary Award went to Kevin French, who was honored for his many years of serving the community as an emergency medical technician, law enforcement officer and firefighter. French now serves as a shift manager for the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport Fire Department and also works for Bay County Emergency Services.
Panama City Police Department Officer Christopher Taylor received the Line of Duty Award for consistently weighing the needs and safety of those in crisis as well as his fellow officers above his own.
Also during the event, The Eye Center of North Florida presented its annual LASIK for Local Heroes, which provides free LASIK eye surgery to first responders, to Panama City firefighter Cole Suggs and Bay County firefighter Brent Gibson.
Chief Mark Giuliano, Emergency Services Flight, 96th Civil Engineer Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, served as the keynote speaker at the luncheon and praised Bay County first responders for their capabilities.
“Dedication, loyalty, commitment, sacrifice — those are the adjectives that describe the people in this room,” Giuliano said. “They will not turn around. They won’t go back to the station. They are here to protect you. When you need help, they’re going to be there.”
Award recipients
- Community Service Award: Jamey Wright, Panama City Beach Police Department
- Multidisciplinary Award: Kevin French, Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport Fire Department
- Line of Duty Award: Christopher Taylor, Panama City Police Department
- LASIK for Local Heroes: Cole Suggs, Panama City Fire Department; Brent Gibson, Bay County Fire Services