First responders of the year honored Friday by Exchange Club in Albany

ALBANY — The Albany Exchange Club honored Dougherty and Lee County firefighters and EMS personnel Friday by recognizing a first responder of the year from each of four different departments.

One firefighter and one paramedic from both Lee County and Dougherty County were recognized during the lunchtime ceremony at the Exchange Club fairgrounds and commanding officers had the opportunity to pay tribute to their top employees by sharing brief anecdotes as to why these four were so special.

“This is a very important occasion for all of us in Public Safety,” Lee County Public Safety Director Wesley Wells said. “As first responders, many times we have to stop what we are doing, no matter if we are traveling or dealing with personal issues, when we get the call.

“It is a somber moment when we respond to some of these calls and it really takes a lot out of some of the personnel. The men and women who respond to these calls have to deal with things that they have never had to deal with before, but this is who they are and this is what they do.”

Lee County Firefighter Jason Warren was recognized first. According to Wells, Warren never shies away from his duty and is always there when he is needed.

“Jason takes great pride in his job,” Wells said. “You can feel his enthusiasm and his desire to move things forward. He has volunteered his time to serve on the rules and regulations committee and has done a great job. He has also stepped into the role of training EMT’s. It’s not his daily job, but he takes great pride in it.”

Next up was Lee County paramedic Chris Laramore. He was recognized, according to Wells, because of his unwavering dedication in the face of extreme adversity during a recent 12-day period when Laramore had the unfortunate luck of responding to three tragic calls in succession.

According to Wells, Laramore was the first responder at the officer-involved shooting on Aug. 1 off of Stocks Dairy Road, the fatal car wreck that left a Lee County teenager dead and coroner Ron Rowe Sr. in critical condition on Aug. 4, and the bizarre early morning fiery suicide Aug. 9 in the parking lot of Harvey’s on U.S. Highway 19.

“Laramore performed flawlessly,” Wells said. “That shows what a true individual this is both personally and professionally.”

Dougherty EMS Director Sam Allen spoke next. Allen introduced Dougherty County’s paramedic of the year, Robert Head Jr., who played a major role in the emergency response after the January storms that severely impacted Albany.

“We have quite an extraordinary individual this year,” Allen said. “During the January storms this year, Robert was the first one who responded to the all-page and this employee was the first who responded to the station to help set trucks up and get crews out.

“We responded to the Radium Springs area after the Jan. 22 tornado that was heavily devastated, and again this employee played a vital role in setting up triage areas out there and relocating those areas when it became necessary. It was total chaos out there, but as I stood back watching the situation, this paramedic handled it flawlessly.”

Albany Fire Chief Ron Rowe Jr. was the last speaker during the ceremony. He introduced Dougherty County firefighter of the year Jeremy Bullington and praised the young firefighter for his dedication to serving others.

“The choices we make in life determine what happens,” Rowe said. “You make good choices and good things happen. Jeremy Bullington has been with us for a few years now. Jeremy is very respected in our department.

“He came in young and on Dec. 23, 2016, Jeremy made a choice and it was a choice not everyone is willing to make. He could have turned and went home, but he didn’t. He made a choice that affected life. He chose to make a difference and that decision is allowing a child to grow up today. It’s allowing a parent to be a parent and it’s allowing grandparents to have memories.”

According to Rowe, Bullington, after witnessing an accident on U.S. Highway 82 near North County Line Road, jumped out of his car to help.

The fire chief explained that two vehicles collided, sending one rolling down an embankment and into a ditch, where it landed upside down in water.

Bullington, off duty at the time, didn’t hesitate. He jumped into action, helping free a baby, trapped in a car seat with its head submerged in water, and an adult female from the mangled car. The decision, Rowe said, saved their lives.

“We all should realize that the choices we make every day don’t just affect us, but it affects everyone around us,” Rowe said. “Jeremy made this choice off-duty. He was not getting paid to save those people. He stopped because that is who he is.”