Prince William First Responder
HEROES By Rena Malai and Erin Pittman
A
ctor Christoper Reeves — who originally played Superman — said that a hero is someone who, in spite of…doubt or not always knowing the answers, goes ahead and overcomes anyway. This has struck a chord of truth in the past year, as the pandemic turned life upside down. Local law enforcement and fire and rescue teams within the community have had to forge into the unknown realms of COVID-19, putting themselves and their families at higher-than-usual risk, while keeping up with unprecedented changes daily as the shutdown unfolded. Prince William Living shines a light on our local first responders. They have taken their already heroic professions and added an even deeper dimension in the past year to their hard work and commitment to keeping the community safe.
Prince William Area Law Enforcement Everything changed when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, according to Prince William County Police Department Public Information Office Supervisor and First Sergeant Jonathan Perok. “We — and everyone else — needed to change and reassess how we operated,” Perok said. One of the first things he noted was to make sure first responders and the community stayed safe by ensuring plenty of personal
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protective equipment, like hand sanitizer and masks, was on hand. “These are typically things we have in stock. We needed to ensure more abundance of these items and had to make sure we had the protective equipment that we needed in place,” Perok said. Law enforcement typically risk their lives everyday as part of the job, and Perok said sometimes heroic acts can lie in those thoughtful nods that truly support the community, like bringing positivity to front line health care workers with supportive visits or celebrating a birthday pandemic style. “Our officers really engage in efforts to support members of the community,” Perok said. “A parent gave us a call about their child’s birthday party that got cancelled because of the pandemic and asked if some (patrol) cars could maybe drive by with the sirens and lights on to celebrate his day.” He says while these kinds of requests can’t always be accommodated, Prince William law enforcement really enjoy doing it when they can. “Those moments offer us and the community a lot of joy, especially during such a challenging time,” Perok said. “We want the community and our front line health care workers to know, we stand with you. We’re here for you.”
