The government of Saskatchewan announced earlier this week a handful of Swift Current residents will be receiving an illustrious medal for their long-time service in the near future.

Four emergency service workers from the city were chosen on Tuesday for the Saskatchewan Protective Services Medal for 2020 that recognizes individuals with at least 25 years of exemplary service.

Louis Cherpin, the fire chief of the Swift Current Rural Fire Department, is one of the recipients and becomes the first member of the R.M.'s fire crew to be honoured with the designation.

"It's exciting," he said Tuesday night. "I grew up with this fire department so it's exciting. There are a couple of guys that have been on there, not quite as long as me, but they've been on there for a while and it's exciting to share this kind of opportunity with them as well."

Cherpin who started with the fire department in 1994 (its inaugural year) spent the next decade-plus climbing the ranks and becoming the fire chief in 2006.

"We've grown the fire department from a small little department to what it is today," he said. "Being one of the fire departments that we get looked upon highly in Saskatchewan as a volunteer fire department, so I'm pretty excited about that."

Two other individuals receiving the medal include Duane Doane a paramedic with the Swift Current and District Ambulance Services Ltd. and Gordon Frank a firefighter with the Swift Current Fire Department.

"We've grown up with each other being in the service as well," he said. "We've known each other for many years too. It's good that we have other peers that are getting the medal as well and congratulations to those guys as well, well deserved."

The fourth person from Swift Current that will receive a medal is Gary Hodges the staff sergeant with the Swift Current City RCMP.

According to the Saskatchewan government due to COVID-19, they won't be presenting the medals in Regina and Saskatoon this year. They will instead send them out to each nominating agency for presentation for their own internal ceremony.