Solon Police and Fire Awards 2013 Announced

Editor's Note: This post was provided by the Rotary Club of Solon.

Patrolman Roy Cunningham of the Solon Police Department and Inspector Joe Eisenhuth of the Solon Fire Department have been named the recipients of the 2013 Solon Police and Fire Awards, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Solon and awarded at a ceremony at Signature of Solon on January 9, 2013.

Fire Department Chief William Shaw announced that Inspector Joe Eisenhuth was selected as this year's Fire Officer of the Year.  Inspector Eisenhuth, who has served with the Solon Fire Department since 2002 and as a fire inspector since 2007, is a certified class 4 building inspector.  According to Inspector Eisenhuth’s supervisor, “Joe is the easiest employee in the world to doeal with.  He is tenacious and has a great attention to detail but is reasonable and far when dealing with the contractors.”  Chief Shaw noted that Inspector Eisenhuth puts for “extra effort when we need that extra boost” and highlighted Inspector Eisenhuth’s participation in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and in the Fire Department’s annual open house.

Police Department Chief Christopher Viland named Patrolman Roy Cunningham as Police Officer of the Year.  Patrolman Cunningham came late to a law enforcement career after a prior career as a computer programmer, and joined the Solon Police Department in 2011.  2012 began with a literal “bang” when he was hit by another car while on patrol.  Despite being injured in the accident, Patrolman Cunningham demonstrated his consistent pattern of putting other’s needs above his own; his first act was to check if the other driver was injured.  Patrolman Cunningham led the Police Department in numerous categories of enforcement, including traffic citations and criminal arrests, but more importantly has displayed leadership and a willingness to share his experiences to improve the operation of the department.