The Night Vision Awards received a record number of entries and gave out a record number of awards at the at the Edge Nightclub inside the Peppermill Resort in Reno, Nevada in conjunction with the Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA) Annual Convention.
Sponsors of the event included Aviation Specialties Unlimited (ASU), Night Flight Concepts, (NFC), Vertical Magazine and Rotorcraft Pro Magazine.
“There were so many compelling stories and exemplary police units at this year’s Night Vision Awards,” said award emcee Scott Emerine. “It was great to hear about so many stories of criminals caught and lives saved because of the use of NVGs. We had a great turn out for the award show and many past recipients attended to support the new recipients.”
The 5- Year Service Award, 10- Year Service Award, 15- Year Service Award, 20- Year Service Award, Community Awareness Award, Mark of Excellence and International Advancement Awards were given out.
The 5- Year Service award is presented to a Unit/Company that has successfully flown with Night Vision Goggles for a period of five years. The recipient of this award was the Baltimore County Police Department Aviation Team.
The 10- Year Service award is given to a Unit/Company that has successfully flown with Night Vision Goggles for a period of ten years. The recipients for this award include Redlands Police Department Air Support Unit, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Aviation Unit, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Langley Air Section.
The 15- Year Service award is given to a Unit/Company that has successfully flown with Night Vision Goggles for a period of fifteen years. This award went to Alachua County Joint Aviation Unit, Leon County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Section, Collier County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Bureau and Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.
The 20-Year Service Award is give to a Unit/Company that has successfully flown with Night Vision Goggles for a period of twenty years. The recipient for this award was Georgia State Patrol Aviation Division.
The Community Awareness Award is given to a Unit/Company that has demonstrated proven leadership and pioneering Night Vision Goggle flights in their community. This award is given to those who raise awareness about the need for Night Vision Goggles, help other organizations obtain Night Vision Goggles or work to bring goggles to their own fleet to enhance safety in their community. The recipient of the award this year is the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office
The Mark of Excellence Award recognizes a Unit/Company that signifies dedication to quality and excellence in their operation. This year’s recipient is the Baltimore County Police Department Aviation Team.
“The members of the Baltimore County Police Department Aviation Team are honored to be the recipient of the 2017 Night Flight Concept’s Mark of Excellence Award. The use of night vision goggles has greatly enhanced the safety of our nighttime operations and our effectiveness in crime fighting. Our pilots and Tactical Flight Officers (TFOs) are extremely dedicated; safety conscious and committed to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism while serving the citizens of the community. We thank the Night Vision Awards Committee for the special recognition of our accomplishments.” Sergeant David McVey, Baltimore County Police Aviation.
The International Advancement Service Award is given to a Unit/Company that champions the need for Night Vision Goggles and systems outside of North America. CHC Australia was honored with this award.
“For the past seven years, our team in APAC has focused on exploring how night vision technology can help keep our crews and customers safe in a variety of conditions,” said Vince D’Rozario, CHC Regional Director, Asia Pacific. “In fact, CHC has become the biggest non-military operator of night vision goggles in the southern hemisphere. We utilize the technology on a range of aircraft we operate in the region including the AW139, Bell 412, EC145 and S76.”
“This was our first award show since transitioning to a biennial format and we broke records for attendance and the number of awards handed out”, said Emcee Scott Emerine, “The sponsors were very enthusiastic and enjoyed meeting the recipients and honoring them in person. On behalf of our sponsors we would like to congratulate all the winners on their awards and to thank them for their service to their communities.”
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About The Night Vision Awards:
Nominations are accepted year round. Any flight operation using any Night Vision systems is eligible for consideration. Award nomination packets can be downloaded or filled out at http://www.nightvisionawards.com. A full list of previous winners and award description can be found on the website also.
