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OXFORD, MA - At the January 12, 2010 meeting of the Oxford Board of Selectmen, the Oxford Fire Department and Assistant Fire Chief Sheri Bemis were presented with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Patriot Award. Chief Bemis and the Department were nominated by Joel Daoust, an EMT for the Oxford Fire Department and a member of the United States Marine Corps Reserves who previously served active duty. EMT Daoust was on hand to present the award.

According to EMT Daoust, Chief Bemis and the department were nominated for the Patriot award based on several criteria. Among them were posting a welcome home message on the department's roadside bulletin board upon his return from boot camp and active duty, the fact that many members of the department remained in touch with him during his tour of duty, and that the department allowed him to remain an active member of the department by filling in on shifts and emergency calls while home on leave.

EMT Daoust specifically recognized Chief Bemis, the department's EMS coordinator for assisting him with keeping his training and certifications up-to-date and current.

By receiving the Patriot Award, the Oxford Fire Department is eligible for receiving additional awards from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. Among future level awards are the Pro Patria Award (awarded to one Patriot Award winner per state) and the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the highest recognition given by the US Government to employers for support of their employees who are involved in the Reserves.

Criteria taken into consideration for awarding a Patriot award includes demonstration of support for service in the National Guard and Reserve, public acknowledgment of the contributions of Reserve component employees, and support of Guard and Reserve employee families.

More information about the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve as well as the Patriot Award can be found at www.esgr.org.