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Muskegon County honors deputies and partners with lifesaving awards and service recognitions
Summary
The Muskegon County Sheriff's Office recognized more than a dozen deputies, contracted medical staff, and support personnel for life‑saving interventions and service at the county commission meeting.
The Muskegon County Sheriff's Office presented certificates and letters of appreciation on Feb. 18, recognizing deputies and contracted staff for multiple life‑saving incidents and service contributions.
Officials read incident accounts into the county record and presented awards to deputies who performed emergency rescues and medical interventions during 2024 and early 2025. Two marine deputies responded to a May 14, 2024, water rescue near the south break wall on Muskegon Lake; deputies maneuvered a boat within 10 feet of a pier, pulled a subject on board and provided first aid until fire and EMS arrived. The record credits the deputies’ actions with saving the subject’s life.
Other incidents described in the presentation included deputies forcing entry to a residence to render aid to a person who had taken insulin and was unresponsive, immediate CPR and AED use for an injured hunter who had no pulse, and multiple jail staff and deputies who intervened to prevent inmate suicides on separate dates. The sheriff’s remarks also recognized contracted medical and food-service partners: a registered nurse with the county’s contracted medical provider, Vital Corps, was commended for rapid care during a jail emergency; and the TIGS canteen kitchen manager was recognized for maintaining food safety and preparing a high volume of meals for the jail.
Deputies and staff named in the reading include (as recorded in the meeting): Deputy Jason Cerca (marine unit), Deputy Shane Nesbitt, Deputy Brett Boomers, Deputy Brad Perry, Deputy Scott Van Der Veen (three-time lifesaving award noted), Deputy Jeffrey Holmstrom (Narcan administration and CPR), Deputy Mosley (suicide prevention), Deputies Nicholas Armson, Janiyah Poole and Kendrick Foster (joint lifesaving action), and deputies Owen Rooks, Juan Cooper and Alan Powers. The county also presented letters to Vital Corps staff and TIGS Canteen kitchen manager LaMonica Dixon, who the record says oversees production of approximately 350,000 meals annually for the jail and holds ServSafe certifications.
Sheriff’s office presenters emphasized that these incidents illustrate the deputies’ training, interagency cooperation and the addition of AEDs to patrol vehicles. County leaders acknowledged the awards and thanked staff for their service.
The presentations were read into the record and certificates will be delivered to personnel unable to attend the meeting.
