Weekly Comments from Dale Martin

City Manager Dale Martin

Dale Martin
City Manager
Fernandina Beach
August 18, 2017 1:00 a.m.

 

As the end of summer approaches, I had the privilege of attending the 2017 Ocean Rescue Banquet and Service Awards last weekend. Other City and County officials also attended, enjoying a good meal, and celebrating a successful season on the Amelia Island beaches.

The Atlantic Recreation Center was wonderfully decorated by Ms. Kaleigh Simmons, the Fire Department’s Administrative Coordinator. She was assisted by her mother, Ms. Marceil Simmons, who works as a Staff Assistant for the Maintenance Departments. Dozens of tables were precisely set with floral centerpieces. A beautiful cake (Nana Teresa’s Bake Shop, 13 N. 3rd Street) depicted a lifeguard float.

The auditorium was filled with vibrant young (and some not quite as young) adults, family, and friends. Dr. Andrew Schmidt, an Emergency Medicine Physician with the University of Florida and the Medical Director of Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue, provided insightful remarks regarding lifeguard service.

The young adults, many of whom are still in high school, undergo rigorous training and testing to serve as an ocean lifeguard. Dr. Schmidt reminded the audience that those “kids” have one primary charge throughout the summer- to save your life. The members of the Fernandina Beach Ocean Rescue perform a variety of other tasks- water safety, public relations, and security, but nothing as burdensome as being prepared to rescue and save a swimmer in distress. While several rescues and assists were conducted this year, FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, NO DROWNINGS HAVE OCCURRED UNDER THE WATCH OF OCEAN RESCUE. In comparison, consider that twenty-nine drownings have occurred this year in Lake Michigan and fifty-nine throughout the Great Lakes this year (about a third attributable to rip currents according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project; ninety-nine deaths reported in 2016).

            Shamefully, I knew the names of less than a handful of these dedicated employees. When a stack of nearly sixty applications lands on my desk for approval to hire (at less than twelve dollars per hour), I routinely signed off on each one and, with little afterthought, sent the stack back to Human Resources. I would occasionally pass a manned lifeguard stand, but I didn’t greet the guards often enough. They were just “there.”

Trained and prepared to save lives, I am not an ocean swimmer, but the services that the Ocean Rescue lifeguards perform and the professionalism through which they represent our community is, humbly, underappreciated. I learned the names of two more lifeguards last week: Rookie Lifeguard of the Year Mr. Mark Surprenant and Lifeguard of the Year Ms. Shelby Bradley. Kudos to those two for being recognized by their peers, their supervisors, and now, the entire community. Deputy Fire Chief Fino Murallo has provided the leadership and patience necessary to build the Fernandina Beach Ocean Rescue.

The relative anonymity in which the Ocean Rescue lifeguards work is not necessarily unique to Ocean Rescue in Fernandina Beach. Many of us are recognizable as City officials, but our efforts include so many other employees that are unheralded.

We have several junior staff at City Hall that provide exceptional support to me, City Clerk Ms. Caroline Best, Community Development Director Mr. Marshall McCrary, and Human Resources Director Ms. Robin Marley. You will likely infrequently interact with that staff, but they do an amount of work that simply gets overlooked by the community.

Our water and sewer systems are well-maintained by operators who you will rarely see. Their efforts let you unquestionably and unhesitatingly turn the tap and drink the water. With the beautiful island beaches, it is imperative that our wastewater being properly treated by other operators before being returned to the waters surrounding us. The Airport has been nurtured by one staff for the past few years. Other staff, although not technically City employees, serves residents at the Marina and the Golf Course.

The City’s streets, stormwater, and landscaping efforts require several maintainers- in parks, on ballfields, downtown, and around City facilities. And that maintenance requires a knowledgeable group of mechanics to keep the City’s fleet of vehicles- from lawn mowers to fire trucks- operational. The City Attorney and Comptroller have subordinate staff that is exceptionally professional in their duties, but they are tucked away in offices that have little direct interaction with residents. Recreation center staff has plenty of interaction with the public, but, I expect, most are relatively unknown to the patrons of those facilities.

Our police officers and firefighters are a little more recognizable because of their uniforms, but nonetheless, are not recognized by name to most residents. Nearly all employees proudly wear the Fernandina Beach name or patch on the shirt or uniform. We typically recognize our employees each December, I am proud all year long to be a co-worker of so many dedicated workers that keep our community safe, operational, fun, and beautiful. Thank you for your efforts.

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Dave Lott
Dave Lott(@dave-l)
6 years ago

Great recognition of the Ocean Rescue personnel and congratulations on another successful season. Also, kudos to all City staff for their day-in, day-out exemplary performance. We all have less than stellar days from time to time, but the longevity of the City employees is a testament to their passion for the work that they do. Thanks for all you do, seen and unseen.