High 5 To Heroes salutes Hermitage Police Chief

HERMITAGE, Pa. (WKBN) – The Shenango Valley Chamber of Commerce selected a local police chief to be honored as a well-deserving first responder.

The High Five To Heroes Award is presented monthly to a local first responder on behalf of JCL Development. It was presented to Adam Piccirillo, who is the Chief of Police in Hermitage.

“We at the Shenango Valley Chamber of Commerce realize what these folks do for us every day and every night. Quite frankly, you think about how they protect and serve, how courageous they are, and how they keep this community safe. And we think it’s an important time for us to say thank you for what they do and who they are,” said Jim Bombeck, Executive Director of the Shenango Valley Chamber of Commerce. “None of these folks get enough recognition, to be fair, and so that’s one of the reasons why we wanted to do this. We wanted to say thank you. We want to recognize that this community is so special in many ways, and one of the ways is that we are so safe, and that is great for economic growth. You think about when you’re thinking about coming here to live here, or you’re moving here.”

High 5 to Heroes recognizes frontline first responders who keep the area safe. You may see them at parades, events, businesses, and on patrol.

“My everyday job, duty as a county commissioner, is to basically promote the growth and welfare of Mercer County and make sure that it’s a safe community for our residents to live in and enjoy,” said Mercer County Commissioner Bill Finley. “As a commissioner, it means a lot to be able to use the office I was elected to, to be able to give thanks to those that are doing this job. But it’s twofold. I volunteer as a firefighter in Mercer, and I recognize the importance of being able to say thank you to these folks because it truly is one of those situations where they’re not doing it for the thanks, but to be able to stand here and say that.”

Finley said he believes community support is the keystone to having good public safety services, whether it’s police, fire, or EMS.

“I’m only one person. At the end of the day, it’s a huge responsibility and it’s an honor to have that responsibility. But our greatest resources are our people,” said Chief Piccirillo. “There’s 29 of them, and there’s one of me, so if I’m not here, for whatever reason, this place continues to run, and it continues to function.”

Chief Piccirillo expressed thanks to the Shenango Valley Area Chamber of Commerce for presenting them with the award.

“Our officers, our entire department, sworn and unsworn, and our civilian staff and records department,” he said. “Without them, the day-to-day functions of this department would just be impossible.”