[00:00:03]
[New Bern Fire-Rescue Employee Appreciation Ceremony]
TO ASK CHIEF GLASS IF YOU COME UP HERE AND TAKE US TO THE LORD PRAYER.THANK YOU LORD FOR THIS ANOTHER DAY.
MANY BLESSINGS OF LIFE THAT YOU UPON.
WE THANK YOU LORD GOODNESS, YOU GRACE AND YOU MERCY.
WE THANK YOU LORD FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TOGETHER AND RECOGNIZ THESE FOLKS AND PRAISE, SPECIAL, BLESSING THEM.
GO WITH US AND GUIDE US LORD THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THIS CEREMONY, THROUGH THIS DAY.
GIVE THE PRAISE, HONOR LORD, PRAY.
JUST THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.
WHENEVER I HAVE AN AUDIENCE, ALWAYS TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS SOMETHING.
SO I'M GONNA ASK A QUESTION, SOMEBODY, IF THE AUDIENCE KNOWS THE ANSWER, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND.
WHAT IS DO YOU THINK OUR NUMBER ONE JOB IS IN THE FIRE SERVICE FOR THIS FIRE DEPARTMENT? GUYS IN BACKGROUND ALLOWED TO RAISE? ANYBODY WANNA TRY TO TELL ME WHAT THEY THINK OUR NUMBER ONE RESPONSIBILITY IS WITH THE FIRE YOU GOT.
WHAT IT, WHAT YOU THINK IT FIRE YOU.
ONE OF, ONE OF THE THINGS, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY AT THE PROGRAM AND ONE OF THE COURSES WE HAD TO TAKE WAS ON RISK REDUCTION.
AND I'M SITTING IN A CLASS FULL OF CHIEFS FROM ALL AREA UNITED STATES AND OUR INSTRUCTOR LOOKED AT US AND SAID TO US, SO HOW MANY OF YOU CHECKED OR SPOKE DETECTORS BEFORE YOU CAME TO CLASS? VERY FEW HANDS WENT UP.
HE SAID, HOW MANY OF YOU HAD A HOME STATE PLAN PUT TOGETHER BEFORE YOU CAME TO CLASS? VERY FEW HANDS CAME, WENT UP.
IT WAS A EPIPHANY FOR ME AS A, FOR ME CAUSE IT REALIZED, YOU KNOW, I LEFT MY FAMILY SEVEN HOURS AWAY AND I WASN'T EVEN PRACTICING WHAT I SHOULD BE PRACTICING IN MY POSITION, YOU KNOW? SO I LEFT THEM NOT KNOWING IF THEY WORK, THEY UNPROTECTED AND I DID NOT HAVE PUT TOGETHER.
SO IT, IT KIND OF TURNED ME AROUND.
SO YOU CAN ASK THESE GUYS IN THE BACK, WHENEVER THEY'RE DOING THE FINAL INTERVIEW, WE GO THROUGH A PROCESS, THEY GET THROUGH AN AGILITY TEST, THEY GO THROUGH INTERVIEWS AND THEIR LAST INTERVIEW IS USUALLY WITH ME.
AND I'LL ASK THEM THAT SAME QUESTION.
I'LL SAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK NUMBER ONE JOB IS? KYLE JUST RECENTLY WENT THROUGH, DID I NOT ASK THAT? YES SIR.
AND YOU, YOU KNOW, PUTTING OUT FIRE RESCUE, YOU MIGHT HEAR EDUCATION ONCE A BIBLE.
TYPICALLY IT'S GONNA BE PRIDE, TRUST, RESCUE, HELPING SOMEBODY, WHICH ARE ALL GREAT THINGS THAT WE DO EVERY DAY.
OUR NUMBER ONE JOB IS PREVENTING SOMETHING FROM OCCURRING IN THE FIRST PLACE.
AND HOW WE DO THAT, WE'VE GOT A GREAT PREVENTION BUREAU HERE AND A LOT OF THESE SHIFT GUYS, WE WORK EVERY DAY TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE SAFE.
BUT THAT'S OUR NUMBER ONE JOB IS TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE SAFE.
SO ALWAYS REMEMBER IF YOU EVER GET ABS WHAT IS A FIRE DEPARTMENT'S NUMBER ONE JOB RESPONSIBILITY IS FIRE PREVENTAL AGAIN, THANK YOU VERYBODY FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT.
UH, SOME OF THE RECOGNITIONS WE WILL BE PRESENTING ARE LONG PAST DUE IN THE PAST.
WE PARTICIPATE WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUALLY AND WE WILL DO RECOGNITIONS EVERY, EVERY YEAR.
AND COVID HIT AND WE WERE POSTPONED FOR A COUPLE YEARS AND THEN, AND I'LL TAKE THE BLAME, WE KINDA DROPPED THE BALL.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THOSE THAT WERE RECOGNIZING THE NIGHT ARE NOT IMPORTANT AND NOT WELL DESERVED THAT RECOGNITION.
THEY SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED IT A LONG TIME AGO, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THAT DID NOT OCCUR.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THOSE TONIGHT, BUT WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TONIGHT.
MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE RECOGNIZED.
SO I JUST KIND OF PUT A COUPLE THINGS IN HERE THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO HEAR.
A LEADER IS SOMEONE WITH A VISION AND A PATH TO REALIZING A LEADER IS SOMEONE WHO ENSURES THEIR TEAM HAS SUPPORT AND TOOLS TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS.
A GOOD LEADER TAKES A LITTLE MORE THAN HIS SHERIFF OF THE BLAME WITH A LITTLE LESS SHARE OF THE CREDIT.
THE THINGS WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IN THIS DEPARTMENT ARE NOT CAUSE OF ME, IT'S NOT CAUSE OF FIRE.
IT'S CAUSE OF THESE INDIVIDUALS STANDING BACK HERE AND THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE RECOGNIZING HERE TODAY.
THAT'S WHAT MAKES US THE GREAT FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE ARE, I CONTRIBUTE OUR SUCCESS ON MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM.
I'M VERY FORTUNATE AND I SAY THAT WITH ALL HOLD APART.
I'M VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A TEAM THAT CARES ABOUT THIS DEPARTMENT AND
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CARES ABOUT THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE.I'M VERY PROUD OF YOU, THE FIRE CHIEF OF THIS DEPARTMENT.
I'M VERY PROUD OF THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT WORK HERE IN CALL THIS PLACE HOME.
SO BEING SAID, LET'S GET STARTED.
I WOULD LIKE KAREN JOHNSON TO COME UP.
YOU STAY RIGHT HERE BESIDE ME.
STARTED WITH US ON TEN FOUR TWENTY ONE AGAIN WHEN HIS PAST TWO THINGS.
BUT SHE HAS HER NICKNAME IS BUBBLES.
THAT'S WHAT I HAVE CALLED HER.
BUT SHE HAS BROUGHT THAT KIND OF ATMOSPHERE TO THE DEPARTMENT AND THAT'S IMPORTANT.
YOU GET A HARD WORK, GET GOOD ETHICS, BUT YOU ALSO, THAT DEMEANOR THAT BRINGS THAT TO THE TABLE IS VERY IMPORTANT.
SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO US IN THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION THAT YOU DO.
GIVE HER A ROUND NOW MS. PATTY, SO SHY I FOR HER.
SO SHINE, SHE BRINGS A RED SO SHINE TO THE DEPARTMENT AND SO KAREN PATTY HAS BEEN WITH US AND SHE IS MY ADMINISTRATOR.
I'M SORRY, RESPONSIBILITIES THAT KAREN DOES.
SHE ANSWERS THE PHONE, SHE HELPS US TO DO ALL THE THINGS.
I GIVE HER A BUNCH OF WORK HERE LATELY THAT SHE'S BEEN WORKING ON.
I BRING UP PATTY IS ACTUALLY MY ADMINISTRATOR'S ASSISTANT.
BASICALLY I COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT HER AND I PROMISE YOU THAT HER POSITION IS VERY IMPORTANT IN THIS DEPARTMENT.
NOT ANYTHING IT IS TO ANY OF YOU GUYS.
BUT SHE'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT SHE MAKES SURE THAT MY EYES ARE, MY TS ARE CROSSED AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING ARE PUT IN PLACE WITH THANK YOU.
SHE STARTED ON 3/14/22 ON MY BIRTHDAY.
JONATHAN GAS, IF YOU COULD STEP UP HERE PLEASE.
JONATHAN WAS RECENTLY PROMOTED TO THE FIRE MARSHALS POSITION.
HE STARTED WITH THE DEPARTMENT ON 3 15 0 1 AS A FIRE SPECIALIST.
HE WAS PROMOTED TO FIRE SPECIALIST ONE ON 7 6 0 3.
HE WAS PROMOTED TO FIRE SPECIALIST TWO ON 7 18 0 4, PROMOTED TO FIRE SPECIALIST THREE ON 7 31 0 5.
PROMOTED TO FIRE INSPECTOR EDUCATOR ON LEVEL FOUR 18.
PROMOTED TO FIRE PREVENTION INSPECTOR ON 6 26 22 AND PROMOTED TO FIRE MARSHAL ON FIVE OF THIS YEAR.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE REASON I WAS KIND PICK, WALK RIGHT UP IS HIS SON DIDN'T GIVE THE ANSWER SAYS THE FIRE MARKS WERE HE HAD NOT GIVEN THE RIGHT ANSWERS CONTROL, BUT HIS RESPONSIBILITY IS HE OVERSEES THE FIRE BUREAU AND THEY WEAR MANY, MANY HATS.
IT'S NOT JUST INSPECTIONS, IT'S INVESTIGATIONS, IT'S EDUCATION.
THE, THOSE OF YOU THAT CAME TO THE OPEN HOUSE THE OTHER LAST WEEKEND, THE WEEKEND, IT WAS THEIR PARTICIPATION AT AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE OUT HERE PART OF OUR LIFE, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT MADE THAT SUCCESSFUL.
DENNIS WAS HIRED ON 6 7 97 AS A FIRE SPECIALIST, PROMOTED FIRE SPECIALIST ONE ON 6 16 99, PROMOTED TO FIRE SPECIALIST TWO ON 6 28 2000, PROMOTED FIRE SPECIALIST THREE ON SEVEN 11 2001 PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT, WHICH IS NOW OUR CAPTAIN ON 10 17 0 1.
PROMOTED TO BATTALION CHIEF ON 8 12 18 AND PROMOTED TO A SERVICE SUPPORT SERVICES CHIEF ON 9 5 22.
OUR SUPPORT SERVICES CHIEF IS BASICALLY OVERSEES OUR LOGISTICS, UH, OVERSEES OUR ACCREDITATION AND ANY OF OUR SOPS OR ANY OF OUR DATA TYPE WORK, HE IS MY DATA DO, HE'S THE ONE I GO TO.
JUST LIKE I SAID, I HAVE PATTY TO BE ABLE TO GO TO TO MAKE SURE THINGS ARE PUT IN PLACE.
HE'S THE ONE I GO TO WHEN I HAVE A PRESENTATION TO DO.
HE'S THE ONE THAT CREATES MY DATA FOR ME.
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YOU UP? I GOT LITTLE STORY TO TELL ABOUT I'M POP AND HE'S SONAND GUESS WHAT HE BECAME, HE BECAME OUR RIGHT HAND MAN.
SO HE KIND HAD A LITTLE THING GOING ON, BUT HE, HE'S BEEN A GREAT, UH, ATTRIBUTE FOR US.
ONE PROMOTED TO FIRE SPECIALIST TWO ON 1 16 0 5, PROMOTED TO FIRE SPECIALIST THREE ON 1 29 0 6, PROMOTED TO ENGINEER ON 7 16 17, PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN ON 5 3 20 AND THEN RECENTLY PROMOTED ON 11 11 22.
AND CHIEF, THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, THEY OVERSEE THE SHIFTS.
THEY'RE THE ONE THAT MANAGES SHIFTS DAY TO DAY ACTIVITIES AND MAKE SURE, AND THEY ALSO DO INSTANT COMMAND.
IF WE HAVE A SCENE THEY TAKE OF THE SCENE AT ALL, THE CAPTAINS WILL TASK THAT THEY CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR POSITION.
I'M NOT GONNA TELL A STORY ABOUT YOU.
I GOT STORIES ABOUT ALL OF, BUT I, HE MIGHT NOT APPRECIATE HE'S, BUT HE, HE HAS GONE ALL WAY AND HAS BEEN A GREAT ATTRIBUTE FOR ALSO FOR US.
ALLEN IS A CAPTAIN ON C SHIFT AND HE WAS HIRED ON 9 2 0 8 HEED FIRE SPECIALIST ONE.
HE PROMOTED TO FIRE SPECIAL TWO ON FIVE 10 MURDERED THE FIRE SPECIALIST.
3 0 9 4 11 MURDERED THE ENGINEER ON 12 16 18 AND PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN FOR 3 6 22.
THE CAPTAIN OVERSEES A GROUP OF THREE PERSONNEL.
EACH ONE OF THESE APPARATUS HAVE A CAPTAIN WITH AN ENGINEER AND TWO FIREFIGHTERS.
THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO RUN THESE PARTICULAR APPARATUS AND PERFORM THE TASK WHEN THEY GET ON.
BUT I TELL PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, THE CAT'S POSITION IS PROBABLY TO ME ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PHYSICIANS IN THE DEPARTMENT.
AND PEOPLE ASK ME WHY THINK ABOUT RAISING CHILDREN? WHEN YOU RAISE YOUR CHILDREN FROM THE TIME THEY'RE LITTLE TO THEIR TIME, THEY TAKE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS OLD, YOU'RE IMPLANTING YOUR VALUES, YOU'RE TEACHING THEM AND YOU'RE TEACHING THEM.
WELL, WHEN SOMEBODY NEW WALKS IN AN APARTMENT, THAT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY.
THEY'RE BRINGING THAT NEW PERSON IN, THEY'RE TAKING UNDER THEIR WING.
THEY'RE TEACHING THIS PERSON HOW TO DO THINGS.
SO TO ME IT'S VERY CRUCIAL THAT THEY DO IT RIGHT TO THAT GREAT FOUNDATION UNDERNEATH OF I COULD TYPICALLY, WHENEVER YOU WE'RE A FAIRLY LARGE DEPARTMENT AND I CAN LOOK OUT AND DON'T REMEMBER, BUT THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I CAN START SEEING SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF ONE OF THESE ENGINEERS OR ONE OF THESE FIRE SPECIALISTS.
AND I COULD QUICKLY TELL WHAT CAPTAIN THAT OVERSEES IT, THAT SHOWS THE INFLUENCE THE CAPTAINS HAVE HIS CREW, THEY'RE VERY CRUCIAL TO THIS DEPARTMENT AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE BUSY BEES.
THEY'RE THE ONES GETTING THINGS DONE FOR US ALONG WITH THEIR CREW.
JACKSON IS THE CAPTAIN WITH US HERE.
HE WAS HIRED ON 10 19 15 AS FIRE SPECIALIST ONE.
HE PROMOTED TO FIRE SPECIAL TWO ON 10 22 17, PROMOTED TO FIRE SPECIAL THREE ON 10 21 18.
PROMOTED TO ENGINEER ON ONE 20 AND RECENTLY PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN 8 8 21.
AND AGAIN, SAME AS I WAS TALKED ABOUT WITH ALLY, HE HAS A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY.
HE IS IN CHARGE OF MAKING SURE THAT THESE CREWS ARE BEING THE FOUNDATION AND BEING BUILT.
I I'M A FIRM BELIEVER IN OUR FOUNDATIONS.
THOSE BEFORE US BUILD A FOUNDATION THAT WE STAND ON AND TO BUILD FOUNDATIONS FOR TO STAND ON AND IT'S IMPORTANT PERSONNEL THAT I SEE HIM DO EVERY DAY.
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NICK FOR HERE.SO NICK WAS ALSO A CAT WITH UH, NICK CAME DOWN AND HE CAME DOWN FRONT DOOR AND CAME DOWN BUSINESS.
SO, BUT ANYWAY, NICK CAME TO ME.
I REMEMBER THIS SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY, ITS QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO.
I REMEMBER HIM COMING TO MY OFFICE.
HE WAS ALL DECKED IN HIS SUIT AND TIE AND EVERYTHING.
SO THAT'S VERY GOOD IMPRESSION.
SO HE ASKED ME, HE WAS VERY, HE WANTED TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT HE NEED TO DO.
I TOLD HIM WHAT HE NEEDED TO DO.
HE WENT, TOOK CARE OF AND HE CAME WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT NOW CAPTAIN.
SO ANYWAY, NICK WAS HIRED ON 4 4 0 5 AS A FIRE SPECIALIST PROMOTED TO FIRE, SPECIAL ONE ON 49 0 6, PROMOTED TO FIRE SPECIAL TWO ON 48, 7 PROMOTED FIRE SPECIAL.
PROMOTED THE ENGINEER ON 2 21 AND THEN RECENTLY PROMOTED THE FIRE CAPTAIN ON 12.
FIRE ENGINEER RESPONSIBILITIES IS VERY IMPORTANT ALSO.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE THE LIFELINE OF THE CAPTAINS AND THEIR CREW INSIDE THE BUILDING.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT PRESSURES ON THE HOSE LINE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE EQUIPMENT OPERATING PROPERLY AND MUCH DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD.
AN ENGINEERING POSITION IS VERY IMPORTANT AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WANNA TELL SOME OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BE SITTING OUT HERE TODAY, LEARN YOUR MATH IN SCHOOL.
YOU DON'T THINK IN THE FIRE SERVICE YOU NEED TO KNOW MATH.
THAT MATH IS VERY IMPORTANT CAUSE HE'S GOTTA BE ABLE TO CALCULATE.
ENGINEERS GOTTA BE ABLE TO CALCULATE THEIR FRICTION LOSS AND UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THAT PERSON LEAVES ON IN THE HOSE LINE.
SO IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT JOB AND IT'S A LIFELINE THAT THAT THE ENGINE THAT THE CAPTAINS AND THE FIREFIGHTERS HAVE INSIDE THE HOUSE.
ETHAN WAS HIRED ON THE 8 21 16.
HE PROMOTED TO FIRE SPECIALIST TWO ON 3 25 18 PROMOTED TO FIRE SPECIALIST THREE ON 6 26 22 AND PROMOTED ON 12 9 22.
CONGRATULATIONS ETHAN STEVENS ALSO PROMOTED THE ENGINEER, FORMER ENGINEER IS NOW WITH THIS HIRE DATE.
1807 PROMOTED TO FIRE SPECIAL 1 13 0 8 PROMOTED FIRE SPECIAL 2 1 11 0 9 PROMOTED FIRE SPECIAL THREE ON 1, 10 10 AND PROMOTED 10 21.
SO LET'S GO TO OUR NEW PERSONNEL KENNY KENNY COME WITH US ON.
KENNY HAS BEEN WANTING TO BE A PART OF OUR DEPARTMENT FOR A LONG TIME.
HE WORKED VERY DILIGENTLY AND AND FOR TO GET HERE AND HE WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO BE HIRED WITH US ON 3 9 22 AS FIRE AS SPECIALIST.
HIS JOB IS TO FIREFIGHTER ON THE PATROL.
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TOO.NOW NATHAN WANTED TO BE A FIREFIGHTER.
HE ACTUALLY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE STORY IS THAT HE WAS POLICE OFFICER IN CALIFORNIA.
AND MORE THAN CHANGE OF CAREER AND HE SAW THAT WE WERE RUNNING AN ACADEMY.
THAT WORD WE WERE RUNNING THE ACADEMY CAME ALL THE WAY FROM CALIFORNIA TO NEW NORTH CAROLINA TO BE A PART OF OUR ACADEMY AND NOW HE'S A PART OF OUR ORGANIZATION AND HE WAS HIRED AS A FIRE SPECIALIST ON 9 6 22.
JACOB CAME ON BOARD WITH US ON 8 17 22 AND HE'S ALSO A FIRE SPECIALIST AND HE WORKS OUT OF THE BACK OF THE TRUCK AND JACOB ACTUALLY HAS A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY WITH US TOO.
HE WAS A VOLUNTEER WITH FOR A LONG TIME AND HELPED US ON THAT SIDE OF IT.
WENT TO WORK FOR ANOTHER FIRE DEPARTMENT, DECIDED NEW TO THEIR PLACE.
ALSO WAS HIRED A FIRE SPECIAL AND HE WAS HIRED AGE 17 TWO AND HE'S, HE CAME FROM, SO HE'S ANOTHER ONE.
CHASE IS ANOTHER ONE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT NEW WAS A BETTER PLACE BE WE GUY PULLED AWAY ANOTHER GLAD HE CHOSE TO BE HIS HOME.
THE KYLE CURRENTLY IS A PRIOR TRAINEE WITH US AND HE'S GOING THROUGH OUR 14 THREE STANDARD WITH OUR TRAINING DIVISION WITH THE GOAL.
WITH THAT HOPEFULLY SHIFT BUT RIGHT US HIRED ON 8 22 KYLE, THAT CONCLUDES THE RECOGNITION.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO NOW, INVITE EVERYBODY TO COME BE A PART OF.
WE GOT KATE REFRESHMENTS OVER HERE.
YOU GOT ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME AS A FIRE CHIEF, PLEASE COME TALK TO ME AND UH, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TONIGHT.
APPRECIATE OTHER I LEARNED SERVICE.
ANYBODY SERVICE KNOWS WE CANNOT DO IT WITHOUT OUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER, OUR FAMILY CAUSE THEY'RE WANTS SUPPORT US AND AWAY FROM HOME AFTER HOURS.
I THINK FLORENCE GENTLE BACK HERE FOR SOME HOURS STRAIGHT THAT THEY WERE WORKING.
THEY'RE AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES WHILE THEY KNOW THEIR FAMILY BACK AND THEIR HOMELESS NOT KNOWING WHAT'S GOING.
SO WE KNOW WE CANNOT DO IT WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT.