By Jalen Maki
Tomahawk Leader Editor
MADISON – Tomahawk Police Department Officer Ryan Picl was presented with the 35th Assembly District’s 2021 First Responder of the Year Award during the State Assembly’s floor session in Madison on Tuesday, Oct. 26.
The First Responder of the Year Award, created in 2019, aims to recognize men and women who serve in emergency services in Wisconsin communities. Nominations are sought from each Assembly district, and the representative of each district selects one individual to receive the award. The year’s nominees included police officers, sheriff’s deputies, firefighters and EMS personnel.
Picl was among the first responders from around the state who were honored at the State Capitol as part of First Responders Appreciation Month, a release from 35th Assembly District Representative Calvin Callahan (R-Tomahawk)’s office said.
Callahan began accepting nominations for the award in late September. An individual could be nominated for “a specific heroic action, a significant professional achievement, certain community involvement over the course of their work, his/her body of work over time, or his/her length of service,” Callahan’s office stated.
A Tuesday, Oct. 26 release from Callahan’s office described an event that led to Picl’s nomination.
“In May 2020, Officer Picl responded to a call at Trig’s grocery store in Tomahawk to find an elderly man who had a sudden cardiac arrest,” the release stated. “Officer Picl performed CPR and utilized an AED, and saved this man’s life. Had it not been for the officer’s quick-thinking and bravery, this man would likely not have survived.”
In the release, Callahan said Picl’s “impressive dedication to his job has made a tremendous, positive impact to the Tomahawk area.”
“As a resident of Tomahawk, myself, I am especially appreciative of his commitment and sense of duty he has shown the community over the years,” Callahan stated. “Our first responders represent the best qualities in us, and I’m proud to present this year’s award to Officer Ryan Picl.”