Ryan McConnachie, left, listens as Sheriff Virgil Strickler describes the officer's diligence to duty that prevented a jail break. (Photo by Eric Levine)

Ryan McConnahie was among four individuals honored at the Sanilac County Policemen's-Firemen's Field Day Awards Dinner Saturday in Sandusky.

The honorees also included: Brown City Fire Chief Jim Groat Jr. for his bravery at an apartment fire; emergency medical personnel David Tracy and William Nugent for saving a mom and baby following a premature birth; Tammy Studaker for rescuing two people from a burning building; and teenager Katie Leen whose quick actions saved two children from a house fire.

Officer of Year

Officer Ryan McConnachie's attention to his job on March 26 "averted a potential disas

ter," said Sheriff Virgil Strickler in announcing the award. During the early morning hours, when there's "a lot of down time" for corrections workers, McConnachie noticed irregularities while checking an inmate's account who had been released from custody.

He discovered that another inmate, Anthony Dorothy, was using the account to make phone calls to his girlfriend in a plot to escape from jail.

McConnahie reported the information his supervisors, and the plan that called for Dorothy, who has a history of violence, to retrieve weapons hidden in a bathroom ceiling at McKenzie Hospital was foiled. For "just doing his job", McConnachie "avoided possible serious injury, or even death, to follow officers and innocent bystanders," the sheriff has stated.

Dorothy has since been sentenced to prison for the escape attempt, and girlfriend Sarah Bauer of Deckerville has plead guilty and is awaiting sentence.

Firefighter of Year

Jim Groat has followed in his father's footsteps. Thirty-seven years ago Jim Groat Sr. was honored as Sanilac County Firemen of the Year. On Saturday evening, Jim Jr. walked to the podium to receive the same honor.

Last Aug. 13, the Brown City fire chief had just arrived at the fire hall to do paperwork, when he discovered the apartment house behind the hall was on fire.

Groat reported the fire to Central Dispatch, then "bravely went into the building without any protective equipment to ensure that everyone was out. He did an apartment by apartment search and aided all the residents out of the structure and to safely, all this before any help had arrived," stated the person who nominated Groat for the award.

The 46-year-old fire chief has also been honored as the Lapeer County Firemen of the Year.

EMTs of Year

David Tracy will have to make room on the shelf for another award.

Last year, Tracy, an EMT-Specialist was honored as EMT of the Year. On Saturday night, he shared the spotlight with another emergency medical worker Ð paramedic William Nugent - for their live-saving efforts on Feb. 11.

Tracy and paramedic William Nugent, of Sanilac EMS, were conducting a "basic transfer" of a pregnant mother from the obstetrics ward at McKenzie Hospital to Covenant Cooper in Saginaw.

"It was to be an easy, uneventful transfer, however two things changed Ð mom delivered a premature boy and these two men saved both mom and baby. They did about 25 minutes of CPR in the back of an ambulance," reported emergency room staff at Covenant, in a letter to McKenzie Hospital. "The patient arrived, critical but alive to the ER...This baby left the ER pink, and with a heart rate of 100. Mom went straight to the OB in stable condition."

Citizen of Year

If Tammy Studaker had been on time last Dec. 22, the owners of the Shady Shores tavern might have died.

Studaker was named Citizen of the Year for her early morning heroics, when she spotted flames inside the bar at the corner of M-25 and Applegate Road. Studaker knew bar owners Jim and Nancy Davenport lived upstairs, and heard Nancy screaming. She kicked in the back door that led to the apartment, but was driven back by smoke. She got someone to call 911and returned to the bar, where she found Jim in the garage where he had crawled to safety, and heard Nancy screaming from the roof. Studaker put up a ladder and rescued the bar owner. The Davenports were treated for smoke inhalation. Studaker was unharmed.

Jim Davenport commented at the awards dinner, that it was because Studaker was late going home from work that he and his wife survived the fire.

"If she had been on time, we'd have been dead," said Davenport "Three to five minutes, we wouldn't have made it."

Meritorious Service Award

Katie Leen, 15, was babysitting for a family the morning of Aug. 14, 2006, when quick

thinking save the lives of two children. For her actions, she received the Special Outstanding Citizen Award for Meritorious Service.

Leen, then 14, smelled smoke in a bedroom area and discovered the room in flames. Katie, daughter of John and Christina Leen of Carsonville, slammed the bedroom door, yelled for the two children she was babysitting, ages 8 and 10, and got them safely outside. She called 911 for the fire department.

Applegate firemen, assisted by Carsonville, and the homeowners responded to the scene.

"Due to the actions that Katie took, according to the fire department, homeowners and neighbors, there was no loss of life and only a small amount of damage to the residence," stated the nomination form for Katie's award."For a young girl to think as quickly and act was calmly as Katie did in the face of what could have been such a dangerous situation...she deserves to be recognized. Many teenagers as well as adults may not have acted in such a responsible and heroic manner and Katie's actions are some that we should all look up to."