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Lawrence City Council honors paramedic, firefighters and officers with Exchange Club awards
Summary
Councilors adopted multiple resolutions recognizing emergency personnel from Lawrence General EMS, the Fire Department and Police Department for 2024 awards and community outreach initiatives.
The Lawrence City Council on March 4 voted to adopt a slate of resolutions honoring local emergency-service personnel for 2024 awards and community service, celebrating a paramedic, four firefighter honorees and two police officers recognized by local organizations.
The council unanimously approved a block of resolutions (items 57-63 on the agenda) honoring EMT/paramedic Ryan Mueller of Lawrence General Hospital EMS as the Exchange Club 2024 Paramedic of the Year for leading the initiative to carry prehospital whole blood; Lieutenant John Jimenez, Ignacio Rodriguez, Felix Reyes and Jean Jimenez (Station 8) as Exchange Club 2024 Firefighters of the Year for developing Station 8 community fire-safety outreach; and Officers Louis Santiago and Angelo Cogagos as Exchange Club 2024 Police Officers of the Year for heroic actions during a April 24, 2024 North Andover incident that included rescuing a disabled elderly man under gunfire.
In brief remarks, Ryan Mueller underlined that the whole-blood program was a team effort at Lawrence General and thanked Paul Brennan, his director. Lieutenant John Jimenez and Station 8 members described Station 8’s outreach project, which uses digital media, songs and school visits to teach fire safety to children; the council packet cited the Station 8 initiative as having more than 18,000 subscribers and more than 1,000,000 views across platforms.
Police honorees Louis Santiago and Angelo Cogagos spoke about teamwork and credited their department and community support. Police Chief (present at the meeting) praised the department’s workload and commended the officers’ conduct; he noted the department logged roughly 54,000 calls for service last year during his remarks.
Councilors recessed to allow honorees to gather for photos after the recognitions. Each resolution was submitted by all nine councilors and attested by the city clerk; the meeting record shows the council approved the package of resolutions by voice vote.
The resolutions are ceremonial expressions of the city’s appreciation and do not create new municipal obligations.
