Breakfast was on the house Monday morning in Central Middle School’s library — yet even if it was not, it would have been unlikely that anyone would have tried to steal anything with the number of police and first responders present.

Nederland Central Middle School held its 16^th Annual First Responders Day Breakfast to honor Fire and Police Departments and other first responders of Nederland. The event was held in the school’s library and was hosted by the faculty, staff and student body.

“We started it after September 11. It was an opportunity for Canines to honor Police, Firefighters, and EMS,” Charlie Jehlen, principal of Central Middle School, said.

“We not only feed the [first responders] who come to these events; we also send goodie baskets to the ones on the job who can’t be here.”

While all emergency response teams were remembered for their contributions, Jehlen remembered the ones who were there in New York in 2001.

“The first responders who were there at the Twin Towers and who entered the building were brave men and women who put their lives on the line for their community. They risked their lives for others.”

That same selflessness for others was something that the Central Middle School principal saw reflected in Nederland’s first responders.

“We’re in the middle of hurricane season,” Jehlen said. “While the rest of us evacuate, they’re the ones who stay behind.”

When speaking of the breakfast and the unique opportunity it provides for the community and its responders, Jehlen said,

“It’s an opportunity to gather the men and women here to honor them and their bravery… [It’s also] an opportunity to personalize the people behind the badge.”

In his speech to the gathered attendees, Jehlen stressed the importance of emergency crews and the respect given to them.

“Time and again, they prove all lives matter… the first responders keep us secure as we go about our lives,” Jehlen said. “This breakfast is a small token of the high esteem in which we hold these women and men.”

Among the police and fire departments present, the Nederland Chief of Police, Darrell Bush, was one of the many responders who felt grateful for such a turnout.

“It’s just a great thing,” Bush said. “It’s something he [Jehlen] worked on to honor police and first responders… It’s held annually and everyone is so good to go to the trouble of holding it for us.”

In articulating the sentiment that he felt, Bush added, “It touches your heart to know some people think of us this way.”

Gary Collins, Fire Chief for the City of Nederland, was also present and expressed similar views as his brothers in blue. In addition, he saw his office as a service to others.

“It validates what we do everyday,” Collins said. “All the first responders — the fire department, the police, the EMS — they come in here to serve the citizens. The job they do is for service.”

Collins also stressed the aspect of community that is present for local firefighters.

“The majority of our people come from Nederland,” Collins said. “That makes it great for them, for our community to come together and to give us recognition.

“It’s something that we look forward to and it’s a somber thing [9-11], but it’s good to celebrate camaraderie and recognition.”

The other various first responders who participated in the breakfast expressed likewise gratitude.

“It’s just great to see the support from the community,” Joseph Troquille, a captain for the Nederland Fire Department, said. “It’s something we enjoy and look forward to.”

Trouquille also echoed the importance of community that Collins did regarding first responders in the Mid-County area.

“A lot of us live in the same community. It’s as much a part of us as it is for everyone else,” Trouquille said.

For Nederland police officers like Matt Dixon and Chad Bradberry, the sense of community and support demonstrated by the school and the breakfast was appreciated.

“It’s great to have the support from the school and the community,” Dixon, patrol sergeant for the NPD, said. “It makes our job exponentially easier when we have [the community’s] support.”

“We definitely appreciate everyone’s support,” Bradberry, a patrol officer, agreed.

In discussing the past year’s events in the media, specifically those that portrayed police in an unflattering light, Bush felt that this kind of event was something that helped counteract that.

“The upside to all the coverage is that it gets to show that people in the community have sworn their support [for us]. It reassures you that the vast majority is here for us.”

Dixon would agree.

“It shows that the vocal minority on TV is not truly the majority of the country.”