(Riverton, WY) – Riverton first responders were invited to an appreciation dinner on Saturday evening on National First Responder Day at the Fremont Center organized by the Riverton Chamber of Commerce.
The evening was all about recognizing the men and women who selflessly give to the community on a daily basis.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you guys so much because you guys have made a huge difference in everybody’s life,” said James Bunker, Riverton Chamber President.
The evening included speeches from Eli Bebout, Tim Salazar, Rich Gard and Sara Lowe.
Former State Senator Bebout emphasized how safe he feels living in Fremont County and knows that if he needs help, help will come.
“I know that tomorrow night if I’m walking around if something happened, I can call the sheriff or the police to be there to help me, (and) if our house catches on fire. Volunteer firemen will be there. So thank you very much for what you do. God bless you, and God bless America for doing this.”
State Senator Salazar talked about legislation they are bringing to Cheyenne in February to help the Riverton Police Department to have a liveable wage.
“I want to give you a few words about a grateful state that wants to take care of you. You know, representative Ember Oakley and I have an idea that, first of all, we want to help our Riverton Police Department. And we want those of you on the Riverton Police Department to have a livable wage. So one of the things that we’re doing in February is we’re bringing legislation in February to provide a three-year grant program that will provide grants for police departments that are challenged with high crime rates. And what this grant program will do is provide a million dollars for those police departments with challenges for capital expenses, whether it be body armor, whether it be police cars, (or) weapons. And the purpose of this legislation is to relieve the municipalities of those particular communities so that they can then, with their budget, provide greater and higher salaries to our police officers in those communities. And that’s what we want to do. We want to give a livable wage to the police officers in Riverton to fill those slots for a full police force. And so we’re excited to do that.”
Former Mayor Rich Gard talked about his time as mayor doing ride-a-longs and spending time with law enforcement.
“I can’t say enough nice things about the police, what you guys do, how you treat people, and how you represent the city of Riverton. I was always so proud to be with you. … I just don’t think in today’s atmosphere, it’s not easy to be a policeman or first responder, any of these things. Show up and start to try to put things back together. I appreciate what you do. I know the people of Riverton appreciate you, and I just want to say, ‘thank you.'”
Sara Lowe works for the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and shared the following during the dinner:
“As an eyewitness that has worked for Fremont County for many years, I’ve been in Fremont County EMS, Fremont County Search and Rescue, Riverton Police Department and currently the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office. What I can tell you in our community, we are blessed. I work with folks in all of the different agencies. And I can tell you that everybody has their heart in the right place. The officers and deputies that work in our county truly believe in protecting and serving their community. We’ve got a great representation in all of the different agencies. I’m really proud to work alongside the officers and deputies in our county. For everyone that’s in here that is a first responder, never forget the reason why we signed up in the first place. We all signed up to protect and serve our community. I think we’re doing a great job. I think we work in difficult times right now. But never forget the reason we signed up in the first place. I’m proud to work alongside each and every one of you that’s in here right now. And I think we’ve all done a lot of good for our community over the years that we’ve protected and served, so thank you.”
The first responders, along with their families, enjoyed a dinner provided by Ichiban and drinks provided by Pepsi.