Andover honors police and fire personnel at annual awards

The Andover City Council recognized members of the police and fire departments during its Feb. 25 meeting, honoring front‑line staff and a business partner for work over the past year.

Police Captain Ben presented two department awards. Lieutenant Mike Hampton nominated Officer Tyler Cornell as 2025 Officer of the Year, citing performance statistics including 1,850 calls for service, 573 traffic stops (resulting in 296 notices to appear and 262 warnings), 145 incident reports, 19 arrests and 18 vehicle collisions in 2025; the department noted no complaints or disciplinary actions against Cornell during the year. Communications Officer Dallas Brennan was named 2025 Civilian of the Year for her work as a dispatcher, including rapid adaptation to a new records management system and organizing the unit’s page to improve reliability for officers.

Fire Chief Chad Russell presented multiple firefighter honors. The department named Spaulding's Food and Drink its 2025 Community Service Partner of the Year, saying the business’s annual charity events have raised more than $50,000 for equipment and programs that benefit public safety, including funding that helped purchase six thermal imaging cameras. The department presented leadership awards recognizing steady operational leadership and training contributions, and announced Levi Stark as the 2025 Chief Walt Hook Eisenhower Firefighter of the Year, an honor chosen by his peers for sustained dedication, mentoring and operational contributions.

Council members applauded the award recipients and community partners. No formal council action was required for the recognitions beyond the proclamations and presentations at the meeting.

The council proceeded to the meeting’s business agenda after the presentations.