Uniform Awards

 

SHERIFF BRAD COLE

“As the Sheriff of our county, it is truly an honor to witness this office’s daily dedication to duty and unwavering commitment to the betterment of our community. At times, members of this office are deserving of special recognition. This recognition could be for a selfless act of bravery, implementing a new program which improves our community, a demonstration of excellence in their professional area of expertise, or actions which directly lead to saving a human life. These are only a few of the examples of the awards which may be presented to recognize members of this office. It is my hope that you will take the time to review this page, learn the significance of the medals and awards, and be able to identify the award ribbons worn by our peacemakers, the professional men, and women, of the Christian County Sheriff’s Office.”

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

Matthew 5:9

AWARD MEDALS

Distinguished Medal of Valor: Actions above and beyond the call of duty; and exhibiting exceptional courage, extraordinary decisiveness, and the presence of mind; or an unusual swiftness of action, regardless of his or her personal safety, in an attempt to save or protect human life.

Medal of Valor: Awarded to departmental members for conspicuous gallantry while acting in the line of duty, not falling within the guidelines for the Distinguished Medal of Valor.

AWARD RIBBONS

Meritorious Service Award: Awarded to sworn or civilian personnel for an outstanding job accomplishment that has contributed to a more effective and efficient Sheriff’s Office.

Exceptional Service Award: Awarded to sworn or civilian personnel who have demonstrated sustained outstanding skill, and having exhibited diligence, productivity, judgment, and responsibility. The act or acts must be representative of performance beyond the requirements of the standard work assignment.

Purple Heart Award: This award recognizes an employee who is seriously injured or killed in the performance of their duties under honorable conditions due to assaults, fire, explosions or other overt actions, excluding at-fault traffic accidents.

Lifesaving Award: This award recognizes an employee for an act resulting in saving or substantially prolonging (days or weeks) a human life.

Hazardous Service Award: This award recognizes members who, during any single incident, performed an extremely hazardous duty, performed work duties involving extreme physical hardship, causes extreme physical discomfort or distress. This award may also be presented to members who actively participated in a major incident, consisting of multiple operational periods, in which the member was exposed to a hazardous environment or hazardous conditions.

“Sergeant Steve Maples” Community/Volunteer Service Award: is appropriately named in honor, and with the deepest appreciation of the volunteer service of Christian County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Steve Maples.

  • Sergeant Steve Maples started his volunteer service with the Sheriff’s Office in June of 2001. Sergeant Maples worked in the Christian County Jail volunteering numerous hours to the Sheriff’s Office as a Reserve Corrections Officer. In May of 2006, Sergeant Maples earned his commission and began volunteering as a reserve patrol deputy.
  • Sergeant Steve Maples currently serves in Patrol as a Sergeant in the Reserve Division of the Sheriff’s Office.
  • The hour requirement for a Reserve Deputy is sixteen (16) hours per month, One hundred ninety-two (192) hours per year. During Sergeant Maples’s volunteer career with the Sheriff’s Office, Sergeant Maples has donated an average of twenty-seven (27) hours of volunteer service per week, a yearly average of one thousand four hundred thirty-six (1,436) hours of service per
  • In his volunteer career, Sergeant Maples has been active in many local veterans organizations and community organizations, such as the Shriners, the local Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association (CVMA), the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and the local Masons Lodge.
  • Sergeant Maples’s years of community service has improved the quality of life for many veterans, citizens, and children in the local community. His recorded hours of volunteer service as a Patrol Deputy is a record that will remain unchallenged for the foreseeable future.
  • Sergeant Maples’s years of volunteer service as a Patrol Deputy have been for the betterment of the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, and without question, have made Christian County a safer community in which to live and work.

The award is presented by the Sheriff for those situations in which a deputy or a group of deputies makes a significant difference in improving the quality of life for the citizens of the community, the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, or the neighborhoods they serve. The Volunteer Community/Service Award may be awarded for:

  • An exceptional contribution of volunteer hours to the betterment of the Sheriff’s Office.
  • The development, organization, and management of a unique program specifically designed to provide the community with a service that was not previously available. Such a program will have made a significant impact on the community or its residents by further enhancing their quality of life.
  • The consistent resolution of community conflict or problems by an individual officer. Such an officer would consistently demonstrate the ability to identify problems and seek appropriate solutions through his or her own creativity or the use of other resources. The actions of this officer will have made a significant impact on the community or its residents by enhancing their quality of life.
  • The active participation of an individual member in community events or services not directly associated with his or her employment of the Sheriff’s Office. The actions of this member will have made a significant impact on the community or its residents by enhancing their quality of life.

Military Service Award: Awarded to any sworn or non-sworn member of the Sheriff’s Office who has been honorably discharged from any branch of the United States Armed Forces.

  • Sworn members who are currently active in the United States Armed Forces but have not completed their initial term of active duty will be eligible for the award after the end of their active duty period and only if under honorable conditions.
  • This award is presented to sworn personnel in the form of an award ribbon and an award certificate from the Sheriff.

Top Cop Award: This award recognizes the overall winner of the annual “Christian County Sheriff’s Office Top Cop” skills competition.