Inaugural Hero Awards held

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GREENFIELD — The Rotary Club of Greenfield recently held its inaugural Walter Worland Hero Awards in honor of Worland, a veteran and lifelong Greenfield resident who died last year.

The Rotary club honored three first-responders who exemplify the traits of a hero and Walter Worland’s “Service Above Self” spirit. Worland, born Jan. 2, 1923, in Greenfield, died at age 94 on Aug. 10, 2017.

The first award was presented to Police Officer Jill Jenkins. On June 16, 2017, at 2:54 p.m., an accident occurred at State Street and Boyd Ave. involving a church van and two other vehicles. Responding officers were advised there were multiple injured victims. This created a multi-jurisdictional response from law enforcement and emergency medical services.

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Officer Jill Jenkins was one of the first to arrive to a very chaotic scene, where she observed a passenger bleeding severely from her head. Officer Jenkins quickly assessed the victims’ injuries, updated incoming EMS and began efforts to stop the severe bleeding. Due to the victim’s severe injuries, the victim was transported to an Indianapolis hospital. The hospital staff and paramedics ascertained that the victim had two cut arteries. They believe Officer Jenkins’s quick response and actions ended up saving this victim’s life.

The second honoree was Greg Shamblin, who has worked and served more than 8 years as a public safety dispatcher at Hancock County 911. Shamblin is both a shift supervisor and quality assurance manager. Shamblin sees the potential in everyone. He has attended multiple classes in order to improve himself. Shamblin has a constant thirst for knowledge, and when he finds something interesting he shares it with the rest of the team. He is not afraid to ask the tough questions when it comes to operational or training issues. As an advocate for progress, Shamblin has introduced Slack (a cloud-based set of team collaboration tools and services), which has had a dramatic impact on the operation of the 911 Center. It has allowed the Center to be more efficient in the way information is shared between shifts and management.

The final award went to Greenfield Fire Territory Captain Scott Hoagland. Hoagland is not only a leader in the fire department, but also in the community. He is well-respected for his character and his work ethic, which he displays day in and day out. Scott has recently received several awards for his efforts in the department. Scott received a unit commendation for taking the lead on a serious automobile accident involving a high school student. He received an individual commendation for spending the extra time and effort to help an elderly woman get into a healthcare facility. She was in a vicious cycle of going in and out of the hospital because she had no one to take care of her at her home. Hoagland was awarded the department’s Officer of the Year award for his leadership abilities on and off his shift. He has a “hands on, let’s get it done mentality.” Rather than contracting out work for the department, Hoagland has taken on numerous repairs that have saved the city thousands of dollars.

Keep reading to learn more about Walter Worland, the namesake of the awards event.

During high school, Walter was called to serve his country and enlist in the U.S. Air Force during WWII instead of graduating with his senior class in 1942. He received his high school diploma in March 2014 from Greenfield-Central High School. Walter married Virginia Griffey on February 16, 1943. He spent his career at both the Greenfield Daily Reporter serving as managing editor for 31 years and the Indiana Masonic Home in Franklin for 14 years, serving as their magazine editor.

Walter was a dedicated member of Trinity Park United Methodist Church, a 50-year member of the Hancock Masonic Lodge F&AM #101, Scottish Rite, Order of the Eastern Star, Red Cross of Constantine, Murat Shrine, was Grand Commander of Knights Templar Indiana. He was awarded the distinction of a 33rd Degree Mason. Walter was a long-time member of the Rotary Club of Greenfield, American Legion Post #119, served on the Greenfield City Council, the Planning Commission and the Board of Zoning.

He received the coveted Governors’ Award from Gov. Mitch Daniels and Greenfield Mayor Chuck Fewell proclaimed May 18, 2017, as Walter P. Worland Day. Walter made many friends and touched so many people throughout the years. Walter’s love, dedication and philanthropic spirit to the Greenfield community was recognized by all who knew him and became the basis for the Rotary Club of Greenfield memorializing him by creating the Walter Worland 1st Responders’ Hero Awards.