Officers And Citizen Receive Awards At Annual Awards Luncheon

Wednesday, February 1, 2023, law enforcement agencies from across Fond du Lac County gathered at the annual Law Enforcement Executive Association annual awards luncheon to recognize officers, deputies and citizens who went above and beyond the call of duty.

The President’s Award was presented by Fond du Lac Police Chief and outgoing president of the Association who selected Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Sergeant Brennan Wagner to receive this award for his steadfast and ongoing work on the county’s new Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management System that went live last year.

Sgt. Wagner has worked with every police agency, the communication’s center, and nearly every fire and EMS service in the county to ensure the system meets their needs, and he continues to find ways to enhance the system to be more effective and efficient for every user.

The Life Saving Award was presented by Waupun Deputy Chief Jeremy Rasch to Waupun police officers Trevor Kreitzman, AJ Halverson, Lt. Joe Pfalzgraf, and sheriff’s deputy Lucas Olson for their work together to save the life of a female in critical mental health crisis who was actively self-harming and armed with two knives.

The young lady they saved that day was present at this event and spoke from the heart, thanking these officers for saving her and giving her a second chance at life.

The Citizen of the Year award was presented by Waupun Deputy Chief Jeremy Rasch to Lanna Beloungy, who was fishing in Harris Mill Park in Waupun when she spotted a young autistic child in distress in the water.

She immediately called 911 and both Waupun police officers and a nearby sheriff’s deputy arrived and were able to safely rescue the small child before he drowned.

Had she not been there fishing to witness the event and summon help, this child would likely not have survived.

Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt said “These events are just a small sampling of the great work law enforcement across the county performs every day, and administrators from each agency are honored to be able to recognize their work each year.”