Cody Whaley Named 2015 Rotary Officer of the Year

Heath Department of Public Safety Officer Cody Whaley was recently named the 2015 Officer of the Year for the City of Heath by the Rockwall Rotary Club of Texas.

A member of the Heath DPS since 2012, Officer Whaley quickly rose as a leader among his shift and as a trainer for new recruits. Like all members of the Heath DPS, he is triple certified as a police officer, firefighter and EMT. That means he is able to provide the appropriate service in any emergency situation as a first responder.

“Cody is the type of officer who is both a natural leader and a professional who fits in well as a member of a team” said Chief Terry Garrett, director of the Heath DPS. “He is always looking out for what would be the best for his shift, the department and the City while at the same time being very competent at making tough decisions in tough situations.”

Officer Whaley was inspired to become a Public Safety Officer because he enjoys interacting with the public and helping people. “I’m also a big believer in following rules,” he adds. “Plus, my kids think it’s really cool that daddy gets to drive a fire truck and a police car.”

While every day in public safety is different, Office Whaley always enjoys the opportunity to engage the children of Heath. “I love it when kids smile and wave at me when I’m on patrol or when they come running up to the fire engine and just want to say ‘hi’ and see the big red fire
truck,” he says.

“All I have to do is give them a sticker badge and let them turn on the lights in my patrol car, or give them a toy fire helmet and let them crawl through the fire engine for just a minute. It seems to just make their day, which in turn makes mine. It really is an awesome feeling.”

Congratulations and thank you to Officer Whaley and his colleagues for serving and caring for the Heath community!