First responders honored for service
♦ Four civic organizations team up for the Frontline Awards.
Rome civic organizations honored half a dozen public safety personnel Monday during the annual Frontline Awards program.
Noon Optimist Club, Seven Hills Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club of Rome and Rome Lions Club came together to create an extension of the Respect for Law Awards, which recognize law enforcement. The new awards honor other first responders, such as EMTS, 911 dispatchers and other front liners.
Rome-floyd Fire Department Capt. Matt Evans and Sgt. Daniel Dowdy were honored Monday for assisting people involved in serious wrecks.
Dowdy and his crew responded to a two vehicle wreck at the intersection of Alabama Highway
and Woods Road on Feb. 5.
“Sgt. Dowdy’s leadership skills and quick life saving actions helped save the life of a 10-year-old little girl,” Fire Chief Troy Brock said. “He applied a tourniquet and was recognized by the emergency room doctor saying that his actions helped save the life of this little girl.”
On March 6, Evans and his crew responded to a twovehicle wreck on Ga. 53 involving five people. With the help of an off-duty Floyd EMS medic and a citizen, they were able to pull a woman from a burning vehicle and save her life.
Linda Patty, the fire and life safety specialist with the Rome-floyd Fire Department, was also honored for her efforts to reduce community risk during fire situations.
Lt. Victoria Henson, one of the newest supervisors at the Floyd County 911 Center, received an award for maintaining a highly professional atmosphere while at the same time making shifts as fun as possible for her co-workers.
Neither Henson nor E-911 Director John Blalock were able to attend, but Floyd County Commissioner Scotty Hancock honored the dispatcher, calling the department “the unsung heroes” of public safety.
Dusty Johnson, a paramedic lieutenant with Floyd Emergency Services, was honored for tireless efforts to mentor new EMTS and provide continuing education programs on top of maintaining exceptional service in the field. Johnson was also recently honored as the Georgia Region 1 Paramedic of the Year.
Chasity Bridges, an administrative assistant at the Redmond EMS program, was honored for what has been a run of seven-day-a-week service over the course of the last year and a half. She helped make sure all of the Redmond EMS staff were up to date with COVID-19 protocols and was instrumental in establishing offsite clinics to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
While presenting her award, Redmond EMS Director Marty Robinson said she has helped hold the department together and represents more than one kind of front line worker.