UTICA, N.Y. – Two Utica firefighters and two Utica police officers were honored with awards Tuesday, for their work in the field.

Lt. William Schere and firefighter Esher Kenyaw, of Utica Fire Department, both received the American Legion New York State Firefighter of the Year Award for 2019, after restraining a murder suspect at the scene of a crash.

“We respond to slightly more than 14,000 calls a year, and these two gentlemen always exhibit the highest qualities of what we have come to expect from the Utica Fire Department,” said UFD Chief Scott Ingersoll.

Schere and Kenyaw arrived to the crash in January 2019, where they found Naythen Aubain covered in blood. They tackled and restrained him until police reached the scene.

Aubain is facing murder charges for allegedly killing his grandmother and elderly landlord.

Investigator William Williams and U.S. Marshal Greg Morawiec, of the Utica Police Department, were also honored as American Legion Utica Post 229 Officers of the Year.

“When a veteran enlists in the military, they sign a blank check for everything and up to including your life. Much like our counterparts here, they pretty much do the same thing on a daily basis. They have no idea what they're going to run into,” said Paul Wojcik, of Utica Post 229.

Both Williams and Morawiec serve on the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugative Task Force.