2015 Firefighter of the Year and 2015 Police Officer of the Year
On February 9, 2016, Firefighter Jim Ruiz, a 29 year veteran of the Department was named the 2015 Firefighter of the Year and K-9 Officer, Joe Slenk, a 14 year veteran of the Department was named 2015 Police Officer of the Year, both announced by Chief Messer. They were nominated by their peers & selected by the Command Staff to receive theses honors.
In 1987, Jim Ruiz started his career as a paid on-call firefighter with the Holland Fire Department. In 1997, he was selected as a full time Firefighter/EMT. His duty now is with the Waverly Road Fire Station, along with continuing to serve as a role model.
He is recognized by his peers for his ethical responsibilities & pride for the Department & the community.
