Murfreesboro's Noon Exchange Club honored top firefighters and police officers at an awards luncheon this week. Honorees pictured with their supervisors are, from left, Murfreesboro Police Detective Tommy Roberts, Murfreesboro Fire Chief Cumby Gains, Murfreesboro Firefighter Terry Smith, Steve Walker, County Fire and Rescue Driver John Harvill, Rutherford County Fire Chief Larry Farley, MPD Chief Glenn Chrisman, SheriffÕs Deputy Nathan Devers and Sherrif Robert Arnold. (submitted photo)

BY MARK BELL • MBELL@DNJ.COM • October 16, 2010

Two officers of the year and two firefighters of the year were honored by the Murfreesboro Noon Exchange Club Thursday during a luncheon and awards ceremony at the Stones River Country Club.

Murfreesboro Police Detective Tommy Roberts and Rutherford County Sheriff's Deputy Nathan Devers were both selected as officers of the year for their respective law enforcement agencies.

Murfreesboro Fire Department Firefighter Terry Smith and Rutherford County Fire and Rescue driver John Harvill were selected as firefighters of the year.

Roberts was nominated by Murfreesboro Police Sgt. Amy Dean, who noted Roberts has been assigned to the Domestic Violence Unit since being promoted to detective five years ago.

"During this time he has been an asset to the unit, always ready and willing to take on additional responsibilities and help out fellow officers," Dean said. "Roberts has been instrumental in the formation of the Sex Assault Response Team and has taken on an active role in teaching officers response to these types of incidents with sexual assault and child abuse type arrests, as well as numerous domestic assault arrests."

RCSO Deputy Chief Randy Garrett nominated Devers for his response to an armed subject on Bradyville Pike who carried various martial arts weapons and threw them at passing cars. Devers reacted by shooting the suspect when he (the suspect) approached another deputy with two large sharpened steel spikes in a threatening manner.

"Deputy Devers' action saved Deputy (Joe) Nunley from serious injury or death," Garrett said. "During the entire incident, Devers remained calm and professional. His actions were a reflection of his training and dedication as a deputy with the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office."

MFD's Terry Smith was honored for his dedication to the fire department and its employees.

Smith, who is currently a captain and shift training instructor for the MFD, assists with arranging classes for new recruit training and orientation and coordinates 40 hours of recurrent training mandated by the State of Tennessee Commission on Firefighting, according to the MFD. He is also the lead instructor for the department's Firefighter Survival and Rapid Intervention Team Operations courses, aimed at saving firefighters who become trapped in burning buildings while trying to save others.

Harvill, who has been a firefighter with the county since 2006, was honored for his dedication to training and driving. He was unable to attend the Thursday conference as he was attending smoke diver training at

BY MARK BELL • MBELL@DNJ.COM • October 16, 2010