POLAND TOWNSHIP — Nearly the entire police roster was honored Wednesday by the board of trustees and police chief for courageous actions in the line of duty and throughout the pandemic.

Officers Julie Henderson and Dan Supera were presented with life-saving awards by Chief Greg Wilson. On March 28, the officers responded to a call regarding an elderly woman choking on food. Upon arrival, they found the woman slumped over in her chair and not breathing.

“Officers Henderson and Supera worked in concert and began life-saving measures, which enabled the victim’s airways to be opened,” Wilson said.

Wilson said based on the facts surrounding the incident, he and the board of trustees believed the officers to be deserving of the award. Wilson said he strongly believes it’s important to award officers when certain situations arise, which is why both officers, and several others, also were honored for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wilson said the past few years have put people in panic mode and forced them to change their daily activities and routines due to “fear that was forced upon them” as governments worldwide grappled with how to handle the coronavirus.

“Our officers have been steadfast in their commitment to the community to provide services through it all. These officers themselves have been sick and their family members have been sick,” Wilson said. “This department was still able to provide the same standard of service to the community by healthy officers filling in for those officers and their families who were less fortunate.”

Henderson, Supera, Sgt. Rick Hanley, Sgt. James Jackson, and officers Brian McCrea, Jeff Lewis, Marc Peluso, Joseph Patton, Dan Superak, Matthew Martinez, William Aaron, Nick Argeras, Frank DeMain, Robert Smith and Lou Rossi all were awarded.

In other business, trustees:

• Approved a 50-cent-per-hour raise for all seasonal and part-time employees;

• Decided not to restrict fireworks use to certain hours for residents per recommendation of the police department;

• Approved the hiring of Zy’Quan Robinson and Ross Dedo as road department employees at $12 per hour.