American Legion Dyer-Gunnell Post 180 on April 4 honored members of Vienna’s police and volunteer fire departments for their dedication and service.
During a ceremony at the post, located at 330 Center St., N., the organization’s leaders gave the 2023 Vienna Police Department Police Officer of the Year award to dispatcher Morgan Johnson.
Throughout her tenure, Johnson consistently has “demonstrated her exceptional dedication to both the department and the community she serves,” Vienna police said.
Johnson also fosters a collaborative and supportive environment among her colleagues and is committed to personal and professional growth, as evidenced by her proactive approach to learning and development, police said.
Sgt. Andrew Slebonick, who nominated Johnson for the award, said she eagerly takes on additional responsibilities and projects beyond her regular duties, excelling in the tasks she undertakes.
Johnson is adept at handling challenging situations and serves with integrity and sound judgment, department officials said.
Post 180 officials also named firefighter Donald Rohr as the 2023 Vienna Volunteer Fire Department Firefighter/EMT of the Year.
Rohr, a Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department firefighter assigned to the station’s A Shift, “is a tremendous asset to the Vienna fire station and serves with distinction each day,” John Morrison, the department’s chief, wrote in his nominating letter. “He is continuously looking for ways to improve and upkeep the station.”
The fire station is owned and maintained by the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department, which pays for maintenance costs out of its fund-raising efforts. Rohr takes on many projects to minimize those costs, including painting, maintaining storage facilities and recommending low-cost improvements to the station, the chief wrote.
“Coming from a long line of Fairfax County firefighters, Don not only serves the Vienna community, he is also a resident,” Morrison wrote. “He has been a paid firefighter for 25 years and has been assigned to the Vienna station since 2017. He represents the best of the fire department, serving with empathy, kindness and professionalism.”
