PARIS — A 30-year veteran of the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office said he was caught off guard last week when presented an Employee of the Year award by a state organization.

Lt. Edward Quinn was recognized by the Maine Sheriff’s Association and Maine Chiefs of Police Association at their combined winter conference in Portland. Quinn said he was attending the conference, which ran from Feb. 3-5, for its associated training. Sheriff Wayne Gallant presented him with a plaque on behalf of the Maine Sheriff’s Association at the awards banquet capping the conference.

“I was just surprised to hear my name,” Quinn said, “and embarrassed.”

Quinn first began working with the Sheriff’s Office in 1980 as a part-time corrections officer. He became a full-time corrections officer the next year, and in 1988 began administering the Spillman software program for the Sheriff’s Office, Oxford County Regional Communications Center, and six of the county’s eight municipal police departments. Quinn also coordinates and facilitates the corrections training requirements.

Quinn said Spillman works as a unified public safety system that includes 75 desktop and laptop computers. He said he works to maintain the server and software at the cheapest possible price while keeping the same level of service. The Sheriff’s Office implemented the system in 1988 and local police departments later joined in.

“They each have their own agency and are sharing information on our system, which for me is fun to watch,” he said.

In presenting the award, Gallant described Quinn as a team player who has worked hard to continually improve the performance of the Sheriff’s Office.

“Since I have been sheriff, Lt. Quinn has worked diligently in saving the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office and the taxpayers of this county thousands of dollars in sound fiscal management decisions regarding our budget needs for computer equipment and programs, as well as finding ways to bring in top quality trainers for minimal or no costs to us so we can meet the training needs of our correctional staff,” Gallant said.

Quinn said one example of cost savings was a decision to archive older files rather than increase the system’s backup capability, freeing up more space and allowing the $3,000 cost to be delayed three years to a point when it can be incorporated with an anticipated upgrade.

However, Quinn credited the vendors and technicians who work with the Spillman system as helping to determine what savings might come up. He said the county commissioners, sheriffs, and budget committees have also been instrumental in approving grants and other measures needed to keep the system operating.

Quinn said he was simply doing the duties of the job, but that he was honored to receive the award.

“I don’t think of myself as any better than anybody else,” he said.

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