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West Bend proclaims Police and EMS Week and presents life‑saving awards

Common Council of the City of West Bend · May 5, 2026
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Summary

Mayor Joel Longert read proclamations recognizing Police Week, EMS Week and Professional Municipal Clerks Week and the council spotlighted four life‑saving awards for police and dispatch staff. The West Bend Fire Rescue chief highlighted EMS call volumes and new equipment.

Mayor Joel Longert opened the May 4 council meeting by reading a Police Week proclamation recognizing May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and urging residents to honor law enforcement service. The mayor said the proclamation honors officers "who put themselves in harm's way to keep us safe" and encouraged citizens to fly the American flag at half staff in remembrance of fallen officers.

The meeting included a presentation of four life‑saving medals. Captain Rolinger described one case in October 2025 in which Officer Riley (the transcript records the officer's name as both "Riley DeBork" and "Riley Devore") arrived at a Planet Fitness before paramedics, performed chest compressions and coordinated use of an AED; the patient regained consciousness and later made a full recovery. A second award recognized Dispatch Supervisor Karen Elliott and Officers Dave Brehm and Chris Brooke for directing and delivering CPR and AED use after a November 2025 call on Greentree Road; staff said the combined efforts of a caller, dispatchers, officers and West Bend Fire Rescue paramedics provided a textbook "chain of survival."

Mayor Longert also read an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week proclamation and credited the West Bend Fire Rescue Department with a leading role in the local EMS system. Fire Rescue leadership reported that the department handled 5,324 calls in 2026 to date and that the department responded to 4,718 EMS calls in 2025 (about 88–89% of total call volume). The chief described mutual‑aid relationships with neighboring municipalities and said the city deployed new Lifepak 35 monitor‑defibrillators this year.

Finally, Longert read a Clerk's Week proclamation recognizing professional municipal clerks and named Jolene Dobrats, deputy clerk Brianna Kramer and assistant deputy clerk Ginny Velasco for the city.

The council voiced appreciation for first responders and clerks; no formal votes were required for the proclamations and presentations.