03/29/2024
Spread the love

[slideshow_deploy id=’73801′]

Colonel Bill Grey, commander of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and Frank L. Perry, Secretary of the Department of Public Safety will present several employees and civilians with awards from the department and the Highway Patrol in a ceremony on Tuesday, November 29th, at 10 a.m. at the State Bureau of Investigation Auditorium, 3318 Old Garner Road, Raleigh.

The awards given will include the State Highway Patrol Award of Valor, Purple Heart Award, Meritorious Service Award, Samaritan Award, Humanitarian Service Award, and the Appreciation Award. Members of Troop B, District 5, assigned to Bladen and Columbus counties are on the list to receive recognition.

The Meritorious service award recognizes a Trooper for who serve the state of North Carolina in an outstanding manner.

*Receiving the Meritorious service award are Trooper J. A. McVicker and Trooper K. L. McVicker

Trooper J. A. McVicker, Jr. and Trooper Kathryn L. McVicker of Troop B, District 5 (Bladen County) developed a program to present to teen drivers in Bladen County. They thought of programs that were offered in other counties relating to teen safety, and realized that no programs of that nature had ever been presented in Bladen County.  It was at this moment that they both decided that something needed to be done to protect the youth of Bladen County, and “Operation Safe Summer” was born. 

On April 11, 2016 Trooper McVicker and Trooper Freeman partnered with Deputy Cley Carrol and Deputy Bull Shaw with the Bladen County Sheriff’s Department and began to develop the program.  They met with Administrator’s from the Bladen County School Board and received their permission to present the program to the students at both high schools in the county.  There was a very short period of time to get the program together due to upcoming exams and the end of the school year.  It was decided that the program would be presented to both schools on Friday, May 13th

During the program, students were taken into the gymnasium and shown a video of local high school students skipping school, drinking down by the river and then driving away while texting.  The students then moved outside to watch a mock traffic collision that included Fire/EMS extricating victims from a wrecked car, the driver being given field sobriety tests and then placed in handcuffs, and EMS driving away with the injured victims.  All the while, the “Grimm Reaper” was walking around the scene.  The students then went back into the Gymnasium and watched video clips of the patient dying in the trauma room and then being wheeled to the morgue. 

The driver is then processed for DWI, placed in the county jail, and then appears in court before a judge to be sentenced.  There is also a clip of a trooper notifying the mother of the deceased that her son had passed away.  When the lights come back on, there was a coffin sitting there with the deceased student’s high school football jersey draped across it.  At that time, a local pastor begins to deliver a eulogy and talks about the dangers associated with driving while impaired or being distracted while driving. 

At the end of the eulogy, a set of parents from Wilmington, John and Tina Rossi, spoke about the very emotional death of their son who had died in a drunk driving crash.  Both members spent numerous hours of their own time creating this program, choreographing and filming the video segments, along with coordinating the efforts of all those involved.  It was a true team effort and collaboration between all agencies involved.

*Also receiving the Meritorious Service Award is Sgt. Daniel T. Hilburn. On Saturday, October 8, 2016, Sgt. Hilburn was assigned to the Columbus County Emergency Operations Command (EOC) to provide any assistance needed during Hurricane Matthew.  Sgt. Hilburn was only there a short time before he was made a part of the Incident Management Team and named as the Branch Director for all Law Enforcement assets in Columbus County. 

During the storm and the aftermath, he managed all logistical requests for manpower, meals, lodging and mission assignments for the next eighteen (18) days working from sun up to well after sunset. Sergeant Hilburn worked over 250 hours in just 3 weeks. He was tasked with coordinating missions for the NC National Guard, NCDMV License and Theft Officers, the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office, all the local police departments, and numerous squads of NC Troopers that were sent from outside Troop B to assist with this disaster. 

Sergeant Hilburn coordinated efforts with the NC State Fire Marshalls Office to provide for escorts from as far away as Scotland County to ensure responding fire departments from across the state were able to get to Columbus County in a safe and timely manner to provide the needed relief to the local volunteer fire departments.   

At one point during the disaster, Sergeant Hilburn was responsible for over thirty (30) NC Guardsman, sixteen (16) NC Troopers, fourteen (14) NCDMV Officers and numerous local law enforcement officers.  After working for more than two weeks straight, Sergeant Hilburn volunteered to work in the Town of Fair Bluff, on Saturday and Sunday, for the Chief of Police, so that he could go home and get some much needed rest. 

Sgt. Hilburn’s dedication to duty and to the citizens of Columbus County, reflects great credit upon himself, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, and the State of North Carolina. 

The Samaritan Service Award is given to a Trooper who went beyond the call of duty to aid or assist a fellow citizen.

*Receiving the Samaritan Service Award is Trooper. A. Russ. On Saturday, October 8, 2016, at approximately 4 p.m. as Hurricane Matthew was approaching, Trooper Russ was nearing the end of his scheduled shift.  He was monitoring the local fire, EMS and law enforcement radio traffic and heard the fire department called out to a stranded motorist trapped in a ditch with the water rising near Trooper Russ’ home. 

The fire department advised with the high winds and downed trees and power lines in this area they would be unable to respond until after the storm had passed.  Trooper Russ traveled to the location the stranded motorist was reported to be located and found her still in the car.  She had swerved to avoid a falling tree and driven into a ditch.  She was unable to exit the car due to the angle causing the door to be too heavy to open and the doors on the other side were pinned against the ditch. 

Trooper Russ opened her car and held it while she crawled out.  He put her in his car and attempted to carry her to her destination.  While Trooper Russ was helping her out of the car, more trees had fallen, bringing down power lines.  Trooper Russ was unable to travel back the way he had come.  Trooper Russ went to his house where he and his family welcomed her into their home to stay until the hurricane could pass. 

About Author