by John Dowd
Last Friday, the Hamilton Masons Ionic Lodge No. 38 recognized three first responders for their outstanding service to the surrounding community. The event was attended by over 60 people, friends and family of those being recognized. The event was opened by the Lodge Master, Fred Harbeck, who said, “This is, in my opinion, the most important event we put on all year.”
During his introduction of the event, Harbeck listed some of the sacrifices responders make, and said they rarely receive any recognition for those actions. “Grateful is an insufficient word,” said Harbeck, before handing the floor off to the event’s guest speaker, Timothy Allred, executive director of Public Safety Officers Standards and Training Bureau (POST).
POST is responsible for much of the training and standardization of first responder performance. They are also the ones that approve, or revoke, certifications for law enforcement officers. Allred spoke on his career with POST, and gave background on their influence on law enforcement in Montana.
Allred, from Helena, spoke on what law enforcement and other first responders face every day when they go to work. He spoke on the true meaning of character, and how it is something no one can take from a person, and something redefined every day by a person’s actions. According to Allred, Montana has a reputation for officers of great character, and officers from across the country are wanting to move to Montana. In his job as POST executive director, one of his duties is to oversee applications from out of state transfers. He said that in 2017, there were less than 10 officers wanting to transfer to Montana. in 2020, there were over 100. “We do have a reputation here,” said Allred.
The next to be introduced to speak was Hamilton Mayor Dominic Farrenkopf, who simply thanked everyone for coming out, and said we should all be thankful for the service of these and other responders. After the mayor, Ravalli County Commissioner Dan Huls stepped up to speak, asking that we all “recognize the sacrifices our first responders make, every single day.”
After opening speeches and comments concluded, the first to step up with their nomination for an award was Ravalli County Sheriff Stephen Holton. Holton called on Detective Lieutenant Zae Hudson to receive an award of recognition. Holton spoke on Hudson’s constant reliability and endless service to his community. Hudson served with the Sheriff’s Department for 25 years, and the award recipient said he was “honored and humbled” to receive the award.
Next to give out an award was William Torres, Director of EMS and Emergency Preparedness at Bitterroot Health. Torres, speaking on the first responders receiving these awards, said “They don’t do it for the recognition and they certainly don’t do it for the pay.” Torres nominated Grant Bierer, a critical care paramedic. Torres talked about Bierer’s varied service and extensive training and knowledge. Bierer has been with EMS for over 35 years, and said “I don’t think I deserve this award. I appreciate the family and support that I have.” He recalled, in a later interview, how he started with EMS as an accident. A close friend committed suicide and Bierer wanted to get some medical training after that experience. Soon, he was asked to ride along and volunteer with the ambulance, and the rest was history.
The last to step up to give out an award was the Chief of the Hamilton Police Department, Steve Snavely. Snavely nominated Chris Lueck, and said he “is the embodiment of community service, noting Lueck currently serves the community as a police officer, school resource officer for four schools in the area and a fire chief in the National Guard. Leuck has been with the Hamilton Police Department for five years, and with the Army National Guard for 18 years. After receiving the award, Lueck said, “I’m very humbled. I don’t think I did anything out of the ordinary.”
Harbeck said after the event that this was the seventh event of its kind the lodge has hosted. They started doing it because they felt no one else was. “They just deserve our recognition,” said Harbeck about the responders in the community.
The lodge has been in its current location since 1915, and the organization has been in the community since the 1800’s. The service organization hosts several other annual events, like Bikes for Books, which works with middle school students every year, rewarding them for reading with either a new bike or a Kindle. The organization also hosts a popular haunted house every Halloween, utilizing their special old building.