A Manheim Township Police officer who has recovered drugs and guns, located a bank robber and saved an elderly woman who wandered away from home has been nominated for the "America's Most Wanted" All-Star Award.

Officer Calvin Steidler was nominated for the national award, given by the television show that broadcasts information about fugitives in an effort to have them apprehended by authorities.

Steidler, 26, said he was surprised when he got a phone call from a TV show employee, thinking someone was joking with him at first.

He later learned that a teen from the youth group at his church, Grace Fellowship Church in Ephrata, had nominated him for the award.

"I would never expect anything like this," he said.

Steidler joins about 80 emergency personnel, including police officers, paramedics and firefighters, who have been nominated for the award. Some of the nominees' stories have been in the national spotlight, including the woman who shot a man who opened fire at the Fort Hood military base in Texas in November 2009.

Each week during the contest, which ends in early May, one finalist is chosen. At the end of eight weeks, the eight finalists will compete for the top award, which features prizes of $10,000 and a trip to the NASCAR SPRINT Cup Series in Charlotte, N.C., in May.

Votes may be cast online or by text message. Information is available at www.amw.com/allstar/2010.

During the past year, Steidler's accomplishments included arresting a suspect wanted on a drug warrant during a traffic stop. He also recovered cocaine and a handgun during two other traffic stops.

Steidler located and arrested a suspect wanted for a bank robbery after seeing the suspect's mug shot.

During another investigation, he was able to determine that someone who reported their vehicle stolen had actually wrecked it.

In late October, Steidler helped to find an 85-year-old woman who had wandered away from her home. Riding a bicycle, he located her, bleeding, barefoot and disoriented, in a patch of woods on the grounds of Manheim Township High School.

"From my career," he said, "that's the most important thing to me. … That one really stuck in my head."

In December 2009, he was presented the Officer of Year Award by the Manheim Township Police Department.

Since January, he has been a school resource officer at Wheatland Middle School, a job he said he is enjoying very much.

cstauffer@lnpnews.com