River Bend Times

The Bettendorf City Council celebrated the promotions of several local first responders during a meeting held on March 7.

Fire Chief Steve Knorrek was invited to bring three firefighters in front of the Council and attending community members. As the three took their oaths, Knorrek introduced them and their family members gave them their new badges to commemorate their promotions to the position of Lieutenant. Mayor Robert Gallagher and the rest of the Council thanked the promoted firefighters for their service to Bettendorf's citizens.

"It's really my privilege and honor to be here tonight and see these promotions take place. It has been a long time coming, as you'll hear from some of the time that these personnel have been in the department, But they are a select few of our department personnel who have prepared themselves for promotions, and they happen to be the ones that are the appointed ones at this time. I'm proud of each of you and your commitment to doing your best and serving the community, serving the department, and each of you now joins the department's leadership and plays a much larger role in developing the firefighters of our department and continuing to shape the future of the department. Leadership means having the self-confidence to believe that you can make a difference, having the passion to believe that it matters, and having the courage to make changes. Leaders are not defined by their popularity, but by their willingness to move forward, their willingness to share credit, their strength to admit errors, and their willingness to pick themselves up and keep leading and motivating others toward fulfilling the goals of the department and the city."

The first promoted firefighter, Mike Martin, has worked for the Bettendorf Fire Department for 16 years, starting as a volunteer firefighter in the community and working at all three of Bettendorf's fire stations. He's currently an instructor at the Fire Service Academy and was recognized in 2022 for his part in a rescue operation.

The second firefighter, Todd Akers, had been working with the BFD for 28 years, starting in 1995 after working for another department the year prior. Since joining the BFD, he has worked all three shifts, ran multiple programs, headed the public education program for several years and served as both the BFD's fire inspector and the Norfolk Police Department's emergency response unit's tactical medic within the last ten years.

The final firefighter, Shaun Logan, started with the BFD as a volunteer and was hired as a full-time employee in 2012. He holds multiple certifications, including hazardous materials technician, technical rescue technician, instructor one, rapid intervention team under fire, swift-water training and ground fire training. He's also a member of two different tactical response teams in the area.