Two Columbia Falls police officers were recognized at the March 3 city council meeting for saving lives while on duty in separate incidents.

On Jan. 13 about 6 p.m., officer Micah Friesen responded to a call of a vehicle that had hit a building in the 800 block of First Avenue West. The driver of the vehicle was suffering an overdose. Friesen found the driver, 20 year-old Sidney Sweetin on the ground outside the vehicle breathing abnormally with his eyes rolled back into his head, which Friesen saw as signs of an opioid overdose. 

He gave the Sweetin a dose of Narcan, a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose. Moments later, the man began to recover and once he was medically stabilized, Sweetin was charged with DUI. 

“Officer Friesen’s quick actions certainly prevented an overdose death,” Police Chief Chad Stephens said in a Life Saving Certificate given to Friesen. “However, officer Friesen never lost sight of his public safety duty and his duty to enforce the law.” 

In a separate incident, officer Todd Hall also saved a person’s life. 

On Jan. 23, at about 7:51 p.m., officers received a 911 call of a 22-year-old female choking on food in the 400 block of Bills Lane. 

Officers rushed to her apartment and found the woman unable to clear her throat of the food and she was unable to speak. 

Hall performed the Heimlich maneuver on her and successfully cleared her airway so she could breathe, saving her life. 

“Officer Hall’s calm response to this incident and the actions he took are directly responsible for saving her life,” Stephens said in a Life Saving Certificate given to Hall. 

The two men were recognized for their efforts by the city council and staff. “Kudos to the officers,” councilman Mike Shepard said later in the meeting. “It’s nice to see young men who know how to do their jobs.” 

“The actions of these two police officers were outstanding,” Mayor Don Barnhart said. 

Stephens was also proud of their efforts. 

“Great work on their part. They (the force) seems to be doing a lot of that lately,” he said. 

In other city news: 

Council wrote a letter of support for the Hideaway Trailer Park sewer and water system project. The trailer park is seeking state grants to fund sewer and water upgrades and provides affordable housing for about 30 families. The letter was just one of support. The trailer park is outside the city limits and the letter had no financial impacts to the city, Barnhart noted. 

The city boosted its per diem rates for things like food and mileage to come in line with IRS and U.S. General Services rates. The last time they were updated was in 2019. The city was reimbursing just $7 for breakfast, as an example. 

The new rates increase in the standard mileage rate to 70 cents per mile and the per diem meal rates to in-state breakfast $20, lunch $22, dinner $33 and out of state breakfast $23, lunch $26, dinner $38 for 2025.

This story has been corrected to reflect the correct first name of officer Hall.