Hi! I am Alex H. Pruismann, your newly-elected Hamilton County sheriff. Thank you for taking a few moments to read a brief message from myself.

The month of January for myself was one packed with change, learning, budgets, quick responses, press releases, and so much more.

But none of that compares to how much I have learned to lean on my employees that I am blessed and tasked to lead — everyone from the deputies, office staff, dispatchers and the jail personnel.

I knew the title of “sheriff” would be one that I would have no idea what truly went into it until I was in the chair, but after this first month I have learned to respect the men that have come before me even more than I already did. The likes of Sheriffs Jerry Farnham, Scott Anderson, Dennis Hagenson and Doug Timmons deserve even more respect than you can imagine.

I have learned that they are all only as great as the staff they put around them, and they all put a great staff together to make Hamilton County the safest place possible.

I can only hope to continue that tradition.

I was blessed with the opportunity by Jane Curtis to write an editorial for the Freeman-Journal every so often and, if any of you know me at all, you know I love to talk and love to write. So I couldn’t pass up the chance.

However, this first editorial is going to be about the people who are truly making the sheriff’s office run smoothly — the staff. Many don’t quite understand or have any reason to understand how the sheriff’s office runs. I will try my best to give a brief synopsis of it. I learned very early from my dad, Marlin, that you can’t do everything alone and that you need good people around you to truly succeed. And I have just that.

The first people you see when you walk into the office are the office professionals and staff.

I am lucky enough to have three ladies who know the office inside and out and have helped me every day with my annoying questions of “How?”, “Why?” and “Who?” These are also the faces that greet the public when they walk into the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. They can and will help with anything you need. I wouldn’t have been able to get through this first month without each of them. They have been an encyclopedia of knowledge that I just keep reading from.

My deputies.

There are not enough words to describe all the different situations they go through and the fact that they may have to change gears in a matter of seconds. They could be dealing with a domestic situation, a tragic accident, something trivial or something that really isn’t our job, but yet we are tasked with finding a solution. Our jobs can go from zero to 60 in mere seconds, and I have a team of deputies that are absolutely amazing and always willing to learn and become better. That’s a true measure of a great employee, always willing to become better.

The next are the dispatchers.

The unsung heroes in emergency situations, they are truly the first, first responders. They are the calm voices when someone may be having the worst day of their lives. They are the ones who give step by step directions for CPR, but also may get a call just to ask for the McDonald’s phone number. They are truly masters of multitasking while also doing all sorts of mundane tasks that are required for their job.

The jail staff.

If you ever wondered what it was like to be a jailer, come walk a day in the life of one of ours and, if you can stomach it, I have a job for you! On any given day they could be sworn at, made fun of, spit on with any sort of bodily fluid, fought with, and that’s just to name a few of the things they deal with. The public really has no idea what they go through, which is the point. We are here to make sure the public doesn’t have to deal with those types of situations. My jail staff is second to none.

The other members of the Hamilton County Courthouse have been nothing short of excellent as well. I have had many questions and ideas and each time they have been met with open ears and a willingness to talk, whether that be to tell me where I am wrong or how we can move forward with a plan. Everyone has been welcoming, encouraging and knowledgeable.

The people of Hamilton County are truly lucky.

What I want to get across is my genuine and heartfelt thank you to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department staff as well as the public that has trusted me to serve you in this capacity. It has been a learning curve of mass proportions, but I would not have been able to be successful without the help of the staff around me. We are only as strong as the people we work with, and I have an incredible staff.

Please, if you see or know someone that is an employee of Hamilton County, thank them. They are valuable and a true asset to our county.

I urge you to continue to watch our department Facebook page for more information about upcoming events and changes that will be occurring at the sheriff’s office.

Just a few of the highlights so far in the month of January are that the sheriff’s office and the Hamilton County Peace Officers Association have teamed up to put on a Citizens Academy that will occur in March and April of this year. You can get applications and information at the office, on Facebook, or by calling 515-832-9500.

Another exciting change is that the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office has implemented its new K9 program and Deputy Brandon Pritchard and Moab will be on the streets in February serving the citizens.

Thank you for putting your trust in me. I will do my absolute best to serve the citizens of Hamilton County and make it the safest place it possibly can be.

Make it a great day!

Alex Pruismann is the sheriff of Hamilton County.