Ozaukee deputy receives state first responder award

Corp. Michael Schmidt of the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office was named the District 22 First Responder of the Year by State Rep. Paul Melotik during an Oct. 14 ceremony at the State Capitol in Madison.

Schmidt, who was honored for outstanding service and unwavering commitment to public safety, began working for the Sheriff’s Office as a deputy sheriff in the jail in 2007. He also was a member of the department’s correctional emergency response team.

In 2009 he became a patrol deputy, and in March 2022 was promoted to corporal, where he serves on first shift.

He is also the team leader for the Ozaukee County crash reconstruction unit, is a key member of the peer support and critical incident debrief teams and a certified Taser instructor as well as a field training office.

Schmidt has received multiple commendations for lifesaving actions.

His service goes beyond the Sheriff’s Office. Schmidt is a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician with the Belgium Fire Department, and in 2018 he was named EMT of the Year by the American Legion Melvin Wester Belgium Post 412.

Schmidt is a lifelong resident of Belgium, where he lives with his wife Amanda and two sons.