PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Members of the Panama City Police Department were honored on Thursday for going beyond the call of duty in an award ceremony.

Chief Scott Ervin addressed a room full of officers, highlighting over 30 people. The awards signified different acts made after Hurricane Michael, life-saving measures as well as officer and employee of the year.

Ervin says they were a bit behind in the awards that needed to be given but happy to finally recognize the hardworking men and women on his team.

He says seeing the way his team responded in the storm not only made him proud but even happier to be the lead of the team.

“We weren’t immune to that just because we were first responders and so we not only had to be over there to respond but we had to deal with our own personal tragedies but seeing them persevere under that kind of stress just lets me know we’ve got the right people for the job,” said Chief Ervin.

Employee of the Year Award Winner, Casey Osborne said, “It makes you proud to be part of an organization where everybody just kind of came together instead of falling apart. A lot of times in chaotic situations like this, people forget what they’re supposed to do in that scenario. It feels good to be recognized by the people that you work with and see every day.”

Chief Ervin also awarded members of the Panama City Fire Department for life-saving, emergency response during Hurricane Michael at Gulf Coast Medical Center.

Chief Ervin provided a picture of the full award list and is published above.