The honor of “Hometown Hero” normally goes to one or two people each year who have made an impression on the Mercer Island community. However, this was no ordinary year.

Twenty with a passion for emergency preparedness shared the 2010 nomination.

“Emergency Volunteer Leads have trained, drilled and spent countless hours getting themselves and their teams prepared to respond in a disaster,” said Emergency Preparedness Officer Jennifer Franklin.

Jason King, Dr. Lee Glass and Pete DuFour manage all volunteers and assist in the Emergency Operation Center; Dr. Carter Hill and Patti Darling, medical; Dr John Dunne & Dr. Kim Lampson-Reiff, mental health team; John Frazier, sheltering; Erin Koehler and Barbara Luther, child care; Beth Cordova and Jim Hunt, senior care; Steve Bryan, damage assessment, Dave Cook and the Mercer Island Radio Operators, communications; Bob Ewing and Tina Jackson, resource inventory; Bob Bersos and Dean Corrigan, transportation; Bonnie Miller, animal shelter care; Covenant Shores; Andrew King, technology volunteer; and Natalie Marr winner of the Red Cross’s National Hero Award for Service in Action for Emergency Preparedness.

The Mercer Island Police Department also honored King as “volunteer of the year.”

“This group goes above and beyond in their efforts to make our Island better prepared in a disaster,” Franklin said.