Tennessee Valley Authority
TVA Police Honor Officers at Annual Awards Ceremony
June 18, 2010
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A veteran Tennessee Valley Authority police officer was named Officer of the Year for 2009 by the TVA Police for his involvement in a pair of water rescues.
Officer John P. Rickett received the honor at the TVA Police annual awards ceremony in Knoxville.
Rickett also received the Gallantry Star Award, along with Officer Charles H. Raper, for rescuing five small children and two adults stranded in stormy weather on a pontoon boat near Hiwassee Dam. The officers risked capsizing their own boat in the dangerous waters.
Rickett was involved in a second rescue near Fort Loudoun Dam when he used his boat to transport a person who was injured in a fall down a steep embankment and could not be treated on land. Another TVA Police officer, Ed Byron, received the Meritorious Award for his work with Rickett during the rescue.
“Officer Rickett consistently represents the TVA Police in a professional manner, always going the extra mile during patrol and on investigations,” his supervisor, Lt. Keith Mills, said.
Rickett has been with TVA Police for almost 11 years and has spent more than eight years as a marine patrol officer.
Other awards included three officers receiving a Life-saving Award for coming to the aid of a fellow employee and Unit Citations to two police sectors, Guntersville and Middle Tennessee, which went above and beyond the normal call of duty. This included TVA Police officers’ response to a tornado that struck Middle Tennessee in April 2009.
TVA Police also recognized all of the 2009 Officers of the Quarter as well as 10 officers who will be receiving written commendations in the mail.
“All of the honorees represent the excellent service our officers provide every day to employees and the public,” David Jolley, vice president and director of TVA Police and Physical Security, said.
A Director’s Award was presented to Nancy Mitchell with TVA Valley Relations for her efforts in working with Kentucky legislators on behalf of TVA Police last year. Amy Brown, TVA Environmental Program Administrator, will receive a written commendation for her assistance to the department.
The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for utility and business customers in most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia – an area of 80,000 square miles with a population of 9 million. TVA operates 29 hydroelectric dams, 11 coal-fired power plants, three nuclear plants and 11 natural gas-fired power facilities and supplies up to 36,000 megawatts of electricity, delivered over 16,000 miles of high-voltage power lines. TVA also provides flood control, navigation, land management and recreation for the Tennessee River system and works with local utilities and state and local governments to promote economic development across the region. TVA, which makes no profits and receives no taxpayer money, is funded by sales of electricity to its customers. Electricity prices in TVA’s service territory are below the national average.
Media Contact
Scott Brooks, Knoxville (865) 632-8031
Media Relations, Knoxville (865) 632-6000
