Officer Jarrett Bridges

An annual recognition of local first responders took place Thursday night at FOS Furniture in Cape Coral, as their Business After Hours event paid homage to those who protect and serve.

Members of the Cape Coral Police Department, Cape Coral Fire Department, and Lee County Sheriff’s Office were honored and presented with awards based on their service that were selected by their individual departments.

The night featured food, drink, door prizes, all put on by FOS Furniture and the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral.

“This is one of our favorite Business After Hours of the year,” said Donna Germain, Chamber CEO and president. “It’s easy to overlook the daily challenges our first responders face and the risks they take every time they go to work. Our deepest gratitude goes out to these heroes and their families. Their sacrifices to keep our community safe are immeasurable, and we are truly honored to recognize them each year.”

FOS owner Pat Corlew, who has long hosted the event, said, “As our city continues to grow, we are very fortunate and blessed for our outstanding, well-trained and professional first responders. They are special people that protect and serve the rest of us twenty-four hours-a-day. This night is to let them know we do appreciate all they do, and the hard work it takes to keep our community safe. It’s a ‘thank you’ from all of us with the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral and our families.”

Firefighter Logen Moore

The Cape Coral Police Department’s 2023 Officer of the year was Officer Jarrett Bridges.

Bridges was bestowed the honor after receiving two back-to-back Lifesaving Awards. One Lifesaving Award resulted from an incident on Oct. 30, 2023. Bridges and Officer Steven Klakowicz were called to help a man who was trapped under his car after his carjack failed. The officers lifted the car off the man, saving his life. The second Lifesaving Award was from a traffic crash on Oct. 16, 2023. Bridges quickly noticed the driver of one vehicle was unconscious and unresponsive. Bridges and Officer Martinez performed CPR and were able to save his life.

“Bridges has worked for the Cape Coral Police Department for three-and-a-half years, and continually shows poise and a high level of awareness on the job,” said CCPD officials. “He prioritizes his physical fitness — to the point where he can lift a car. He acts without hesitation to save lives and serve his community. Officer Bridges embodies what it means to be a Cape Coral Police Officer every day and was selected this last year to be a member of the K9 Unit.”

The Cape Coral Fire Department’s 2023 Firefighter of the Year went to firefighter Logan Moore.

“A true test of character is the ability to overcome and then succeed when faced by a challenge,” said CCFD officials. “Though Firefighter Moore was faced with challenges when he first arrived at his new station, he soon thrived and became a leader amongst the crew. He demonstrates his role as a leader through his daily actions and habits. He is the first person to begin daily duties, the first to welcome and give assistance to newer members, and the first person to check over the work being done to make sure it is up to standards. He does all of this every day because he wants to, not because he feels he has to. In addition, he has been pursuing his career goals through education. He is an acting engineer and is preparing for the engineer exam. He gained his Florida Fire Instructor 1 and plans to become a Boat Operator FTO.”

Sgt. Robert Patton

On a recent call for a boat fire in a canal, while en route, he had the foresight to request putting Marine 9 into service for water access as the engine accessed the property from the street, resulting in a positive impact in response to the call. CCFD officials said this is just one example of Moore’s situational awareness and leadership. “He is a positive role model and can always be counted on to perform at or above expectation and can handle difficult tasks without concern for follow up,” officials added.

The LCSO 2023 Officer of the Year was Sgt. Robert Patton.

Patton helped solve two cold cases dating back to 2015, the first being a home invasion robbery with a death, and a vehicle fire where an individual was found dead with a gunshot wound.

Patton was assigned as the lead detective on both of these cases, which took place six months apart.

“During the course of these investigations, all leads at the time were exhausted and they became cold, but Detective Patton was resilient,” stated Sheriff Carmine Marceno. “He continued to look outside the box, served search warrants to obtain new data as technology made advancements, interviewed multiple witnesses, and followed up on possible leads.”

Patton worked closely with the State Attorney’s Office and even linked one of the incidents to another homicide being investigated by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. He was able to identify a suspect involved in their case, which led to an arrest/conviction.

“Over the past month or so, Detective (now Sergeant) Patton’s persistence paid off,” Marceno continued. “Both these ‘cold cases’ have been closed with multiple arrests for homicide and human trafficking. Detective Patton was able to bring closure to family members seven years after the murder of their loved ones, and they commended him for his diligent and tenacious efforts.”