2020 Distinguished Service Award and Lifesaver Awards
Gerald Bamburg
Distinguished Service Award
Gerald Bamburg has been a member of the Florida Park Service family long before he began his career with the state of Florida. Gerald comes from a family of park rangers. In conversations with him, he has spoken of visiting his uncle, then park manager at Wekiwa Springs State Park, as a young man. After serving his country in the U.S. Navy, Gerald sought employment with the Florida Department of Natural Resources at the newly acquired Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park.
Gerald began his career at Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park in June 1986 as a park law enforcement officer. During his tenure at the park he also has served as park ranger, resident park ranger, interim assistant park manager and his current position of maintenance mechanic.
Gerald has amassed an array of maintenance skills in his career that have proved mission-critical to ensuring the park's daily operations run smoothly. The knowledge he possesses of the park's infrastructure has been essential in assisting park staff with repairs.
Gerald has cleaned up and repaired park facilities after every hurricane that has impacted the park since its opening. Gerald has seen the park change drastically during his tenure, often recounting the original location of the road some 100 yards south of the current roadway. Gerald has participated in all facets of resource management, including prescribed burning and sea turtle nest monitoring. Simply put, Gerald is as knowledgeable of the park's diversity as one can be.
Gerald is also a great teacher. He has assisted park staff and volunteers with maintenance projects and taught many his methods and knowledge.
In August 2020, Gerald assisted with a park water main break. With his knowledge of the park's plumbing infrastructure, he was able to save the park thousands of dollars in repair bills.
Gerald is skilled in his job duties and is an exemplary employee. He is a figure that the staff can consult with any questions of park operations. His knowledge of park maintenance has been a great benefit to the park and the state. It is for these reasons among countless others that he has been nominated for a Distinguished Service Award.
The Distinguished Service Award is awarded annually to recognize contributions which require a high degree of personal initiative, professionalism, leadership, effort, or skill; must represent a significant benefit to the division; and must be made on a voluntary or special assignment basis completely above and beyond the requirements of the employee's position description.
Alma Johnson, Josh Hodson and Lance Kelly
Lifesaver Awards
In July 2020, park staff at the ranger station at Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park received a call from a concerned visitor stating that a man had been lying on the beach for some time without moving and that they were concerned. Park ranger Alma Johnson quickly rushed to the scene of the distressed swimmer. She found the visitor lying in the surf, with labored breathing and vomiting. Alma comforted the visitor and held his head to keep it out of the water. Park Manager Josh Hodson arrived on scene and both Josh and Alma were able to pull the visitor out of the water and up onto the beach.
Alma, a trained first responder, knew to place the visitor into the rescue position. The visitor was not in a good state, still having a hard time catching his breath. In a state of shock, the visitor kept saying he was scared. Josh and Alma's confidence and professional demeanor helped to reassure and calm him. They kept talking to the visitor, offering words of encouragement, stating that he was in good hands and to just breath.
Within minutes, Assistant Park Manager Lance Kelly, a trained first responder, arrived with his medical bag. Lance took the visitor's vital signs while waiting for EMS to arrive. The visitor, who had nearly drowned, was still in distress. EMS arrived with a four-wheel drive vehicle and assisted with transporting the visitor to the ambulance and the hospital, where he made a full recovery thanks to all staff involved.
Alma was instrumental in providing lifesaving aid to the visitor. Her quick thinking and sense of urgency ensured the visitor received the care he required. Her training as a first responder was instrumental in assessing the situation and responding appropriately. Her professional demeanor and confidence helped to reassure the visitor that he was in good hands. She went above the call of duty to provide first aid to a stranger. Even during the COVID pandemic, Alma put the visitor's safety first.
Josh did not stop to think about himself, always putting the visitor's safety first. Josh's quick actions were instrumental in providing lifesaving aid to the visitor. He was able to prioritize the visitor's need above his own, ensuring the visitor was given appropriate care in a safe manner. His ability to remain calm and professional during this trying situation helped ease the fears of the visitor. He went beyond the call of duty to provide care to a stranger.
Thanks to the efforts of Alma, Josh and Lance, the visitor recovered from the incident.
The Lifesaver Award is awarded to an employee or volunteer for saving the life of another person.
2020 Florida State Parks Division Award Winners
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