Lieutenant John Walcek of the Wareham Police Department was recognized Tuesday night by the Board of Selectmen for  receiving the Emergency Manager of the year award from the Northeast States Emergency Consortium.

Selectmen Chair Peter Teitelbaum praised Walcek's efforts during last winter's blizzard: "He was a whirling dervish for those two days," said Teitelbaum. "It's nice to have a man of John's integrity and compassion and human decency as a senior officer in our department."

Walcek serves as the Deputy Emergency Management Director for Wareham, and was recognized for putting together a Local Emergency Planning Committee.

The committee is made up of local first-responders and emergency personnel, and is used to coordinate responses to  storms and other emergencies that can involve multiple public safety agencies.

The Wareham Local Emergency Planning Committee was certified at the highest level of state certification by the Massachusetts Emergency management Agency (MEMA).