Black Hawk College recently honored two area first responders, an emergency agency and a private citizen with appreciation awards for exemplifying courage, compassion and commitment to public safety.
The 2026 awards and recipients are:
- First Responder Hero Award – Officer Riley McIntyre, Davenport Police Department. He was recognized for his exceptional awareness and quick action on Nov. 9, 2025, when a fan experienced a medical emergency during a Chicago Bears game at Soldier Field. The off-duty officer provided assistance at a critical moment, ensuring the individual received the necessary aid.
- Civilian First Responder Hero Award – Rose Smith, Sherrard school bus driver, showed remarkable courage during a dangerous storm in Coyne Center, Illinois. While transporting students, she remained calm under pressure and evacuated them to safety, ensuring no injuries.
- First Responder Agency of the Year Award – Scott Emergency Communications Center. The SECC was recognized for its outstanding professionalism, excellence in emergency communications, rapid response coordination and dedication to protecting the community.
- Lifetime Service Award – John Swan, retired fire chief for Colona Fire Department. Mr. Swan was recognized for his more than 50 years of dedicated service, exemplary leadership and lasting contributions to the fire service.
The community college invites students, community members and practitioners to nominate individuals and agencies for the First Responder Appreciation Awards. This year, the winners were selected from a pool of 90 nominations.
The awards were presented Thursday, April 30, at the 6th Annual First Responders Appreciation & Criminal Justice Career Exploration Day held on Black Hawk College’s Quad-Cities Campus in Moline. More than 140 high school and college students attended the event and were able to talk to local and regional first-responder agency representatives about career opportunities.
The event also included workshops related to safety and security for everyday life, online/internet safety, artificial intelligence in criminal justice and first aid.
