Video: Greer Honors Its Public Safety Officers

A big crowd honored the first responder personnel, firefighters and police officers in the Greer area on Thursday night. 

Mark Owens, vice president for the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce, said some 120 people made it out to the MD360 Public Safety Appreciation Dinner. 

The chamber developed the idea to promote the city's public safety officers not only because they were deserving, but because having a strong police and fire presence is an important element to attracting people to a community, Owens said. 

A dinner, prepared by the Fatz in Greer, was provided at no cost to the public safety officers, and some prizes were given away through a random drawing, including use of a BMW vehicle for a weekend, a Costco membership and gift cards. 

Ed Driggers, city administrator, told the audience about his father, who was a police officer in Lancaster. He recalled how when he was a child, someone shot at his father's house while his family was inside it, all because he was a cop. 

"Most people have no idea of the perils you present yourselves to every day," Driggers said. 

Mayor Rick Danner, who called the officers "true heroes," challenged the citizens attending to be heroes in their own ways by helping others and serving the community in any way they could. 

Check out Patch's video coverage above.