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Knights of Columbus honors first responders

Shown, from left, are Hendersonville Mayor Barbara Volk, Hendersonville Police Officer Elijah Bradley, Hendersonville Fire Engineer Grace Harrill, Henderson County Sheriff’s Lt. Kenneth Gaddy, Henderson County Emergency Medical Services Assistant EMS Supervisor Faith Williams, Henderson County Fire & Rescue Assistant Chief Katie Scheip and Henderson County Board of Commissioners Chair William Lapsley. Fletcher Fire & Rescue Chief Robert Griffin, also a Shield Award winner, was unable to attend. [CONTRIBUTED]

By Bill Moss, Published: May 1, 2026

The Hendersonville Knights of Columbus Immaculate Conception Council 7184 presented the 34th annual Shield Awards on April 23 to law officers, firefighters and other first responders in recognition of exemplary community service and dedication to their sworn duty to aid and protect the public.

In addition to the various service chiefs and other personnel, Hendersonville Mayor Barbara Volk and Henderson County Board of Commissioners Chair William Lapsley also attended. Recipients of the 2026 Shield Awards were:

● Officer Elijah Bradley, Hendersonville Police Department. Bradley exemplified professionalism, compassion and above all a determination to ensure that the most vulnerable, children, are protected from harm. His initial response to a disturbance and subsequent investigation exposed a woman with outstanding warrants who had illegally taken a child from legal guardians. After initially assisting the homeless woman and baby, using local resources to obtain shelter for both, including paying for their food from his own pocket, Bradley’s further investigations discovered the truth. He made sure that the woman was arrested and the baby reunited with legal guardians.

● Engineer Grace Harrill, Hendersonville Fire Department. Harrill exemplified outstanding dedication to both her professional growth and the success of her department. In addition to her own advancement, Harrill demonstrated leadership and commitment to others by actively training and mentoring new firefighters ensuring their success.

● Lt. Kenneth Gaddy, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. Employed with the sheriff’s office since 1999, Gaddy rose through the ranks as detention officer, patrol deputy, field training officer and patrol shift officer. As a patrol officer, Gaddy has faced numerous dangerous situations. It is this experience that served him well in supervising and training new generations of law officers. Gaddy now oversees the Civil Process Division and Courthouse Security as well as the Animal Enforcement Unit.

● Assistant EMS Supervisor Faith Wilson, Henderson County Emergency Medical Services. Wilson has been with EMS for more than six years, exemplifying extraordinary professionalism while serving her community and EMS. She volunteers with Gerton Fire & Rescue and serves as a training assistant with Bat Cave Fire & Rescue. During Hurricane Helene, Faith showed extreme dedication by reporting to her work assignments while enduring power outages at her home, which was damaged by fallen trees and flooding.

● Assistant Chief Katie Scheip, Henderson County Fire and Rescue (volunteer). A squad member for more than eight years, Scheip serves as team leader and personnel committee chair, along with her duties as assistant chief. She is also a mentor to all new members and continues to serve the community daily.

●  Fletcher Fire & Rescue Chief Robert Griffin. Chief Griffin has been serving the residents of Henderson County and beyond for more than 30 years. His assignments included Mills River Fire & Rescue, Edneyville Fire & Rescue and a tour with Wackenhut Services Inc., which provided fire and emergency services for the U.S. military bases in Iraq. Griffin, who currently serves on the board of the N.C. Association of Fire Chiefs, served as president of the WNC Fire Association in 2021 and was named WNC Fire Chief of the Year in 2018. His experience and leadership was exemplified during Hurricane Helene, when he was chief of Edneyville Fire & Rescue.