Representative Loren Oldenburg honored Jim Hackett as the first responder of the year for the 96th assembly district. This award is given out once every two years. Jim was invited to the State Capital on October 17th to be presented with the award. Representative Oldenburg received numerous letters nominating Jim. The citation reads:
“Know you by these Presents:
Whereas, Jim Hackett serves Crawford County with honor and distinction as Crawford County’s Emergency Management Director, and
Whereas, Jim Hackett has been nominated by citizens of the 96th assembly District for the honor of the First Responder of the Year for our Assembly District, and
WHEREAS. Jim Hackett acts not only as Crawford County’s Emergency Management Director, he is also a full-time deputy working in traffic, jail, and dispatch; and
WHEREAS, Jim Hackett helped the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department acquire new ballistic vests, updated portable radios, and other equipment through his grant-writing efforts; and
WHEREAS, Jim Hackett created a Peer Support Team for Crawford County, which has now become a regional team, as part of his mission to bring mental wellness to all first responders; and
WHEREAS, Jim Hackett oversees the “Safe Ride”. “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”, and the “Click it or Ticket” initiative in the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Jim Secured grant funding for each of these programs so it costs nothing for local taxpayers, and
WHEREAS, Jim Hackett assumed the role of Incident Commander during the covid-19 pandemic and organized daily virtual meetings to discuss response plans with County, Township, and City Officials; and
WHEREAS, Jim Hackett took the lead in coordinating a safe response to historic flooding in Crawford County in the Sprint of 2023, during this time a train derailment occurred in De Soto, Jim worked with volunteers and other officials to address both of these disasters; and
WHEREAS, first responders from across Wisconsin are being recognized in the State Capital with a First Responder of the Year Award for their service and sacrifice; now, therefore,
Representative Loren Oldenburg, on behalf of the Wisconsin State Assembly, hereby recognizes Jim Hackett as the First Responder of the Year for the 96th Assembly District in recognition of his selfless dedication and service to our community. “
Loren states, “ Jim is Crawford County’s Emergency Management Director as well as a full-time Deputy. Jim took the lead in organizing a safe response to historic flooding in Crawford County and the train derailment in De Soto this past Spring. Thank you Jim for your dedication to public service, this award is well deserved.”
Jim Hackett would like to say, “This experience has been nothing short of amazing. I was so blown away when I found out. To those who nominated me, thank you! You will never know how much this truly means to me. To the folks of Crawford County, thank you for always supporting my vision. I am truly proud to work for Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and to be able to serve a community I love.”