2024 Highway Safety Awards: Congratulations to our recipients!
The video of the awards ceremony can be found here. The script from the award ceremony can be found here, and photos can be found here.
The Safe Systems Emergency Medical Services Award
This award recognizes an individual or group who demonstrates dedication to and advocacy for highway safety, to improve statewide Emergency Medical Services that foster and advance Vermont's highway safety priorities.
Recipient: Richmond Rescue and its Director, Michael Chiarella
The Safe Systems Engineering Award
This award recognizes an individual or team that has contributed to the community in an exceptional way by improving infrastructure or engineering as it related to highway safety in Vermont.
Recipient: Ian Degutis, Vermont Agency of Transportation
The Drug Recognition Expert Award
This award is presented to an individual member of the DRE Program who has demonstrated a commitment to Education, Enforcement and Community Engagement to help decrease the incidence of Impaired Driving.
Recipient: Officer Robert Gerrish, Lyndonville Police Department
The Fletcher Brush Educational Outreach Award
This award is presented to an individual or organization for outstanding educational outreach in the promotion of highway safety priorities for Vermont citizens. This annual award honors Fletcher “Buster” Brush, who exemplified the notion of “service above self.”
Recipient: Richard Kearney, Vermont Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association
The Rising Star Award
This award is presented to an officer in the first five years of their career who has shown exemplary work and passion for traffic law enforcement, while demonstrating teamwork and strong support for fellow officers and the community.
Recipient: Trooper Taylor Demick, Vermont State Police
The Ruby Rainault Occupant Protection Award
This award is presented to an individual or organization that has demonstrated commitment to education, enforcement, and community engagement in helping to increase occupant protection use. Late Deputy Sheriff Ruby Rainault was killed in the line of duty in 2003 while on patrol conducting Occupant Protection safety checks. This award is given in her name to a law enforcement officer who best emulates Ruby’s willingness to “do what it takes to help.”
Recipient: Lindsay Johnson, Chittenden County Sheriff's Office
The Sergeant Michael Johnson Life Saver Award
Sgt. Michael Johnson was a 16 year veteran of the Vermont State Police when he tragically lost his life in the line of duty on June 15, 2003. Sgt. Johnson was deploying spike strips in an attempt to stop a suspect fleeing Troopers in a motor vehicle when the suspect struck Sgt. Johnson with the vehicle and killed him. This award will be presented to an individual who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to highway safety.
Recipient: Retired Captain Paul H. White, Vermont State Police, and VT State Highway Safety Office Law Enforcement Liaison