The Storm Lake Police Department was presented with a 2022 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award this (Thur) afternoon at City Hall.
The award is the highest U.S. Government honor to employers for support of National Guard and Reserve employees. Iowa ESGR State Chair Becky Coady said there are several reasons why Chief Chris Cole and the department earned the award…(audio clip below :23 )
The Freedom Award is presented to only 15 employers across the country each year, and has been awarded since 1996. ESGR received nearly 28-hundred nominations this year. The Storm Lake Police Department is just the 6th award recipient ever from Iowa, and is the state’s first ever winner in the public sector category.
Governor Kim Reynolds was on hand for the presentation, and said the Storm Lake PD has set an example for everyone to follow…(audio clip below :27 )
The Storm Lake PD was nominated by Gerardo Bravo, who joined the department in 2016, and has been in the National Guard and Reserve for the last 12 years. Bravo said the department has been supportive of everything that the officer/guard members do…(audio clip below :31 )
Another Storm Lake officer and National Guard member, Tyler Munden, nominated the department for the award last year, and they were a top 30 finalist.
Earlier this year, the Storm Lake Police Department was given an ESGR Department of Defense Pro Patria Award.
