Everyday Heroes 2018

HOUSTON COUNTY’S
EVERYDAY HEROES
September, 2018
A special publication from
HHJ
Houston Home Journal
FREE
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018 1
EDH18.indd 1
8/29/18 1:16:00 PM

Thank
P
You
OES
to all houston county
first responders
478-224-ribs (7427)
1365 Sam Nunn Blvd., Perry, GA 31069
www.shanesribshack.com/perry
106 Ag Village Blvd. • Perry, GA 31069
Exit 134 off I-75 • 478.224.1616
Located across from the Georgia National Fairgrounds,
in the Agricultural Village next to Perry Ford
www.brokenarrowoutfitters.com
2
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018
EDH18.indd 2
8/29/18 1:16:05 PM

“We thank our local First Responders.”
PERRY DRUG COMPANY
Ask us how you can order your refill using your smartphone!
www.PerryDrugCompany.com
1036 Macon Rd | Perry GA | 478-988-1144
Hubert Bennett, Jr. R. Ph. and Ben Bartlett, R. Ph.
A Special
Thanks of
Gratitude and
Appreciation
Shaw Blackmon
State Representative
House District 146
This publication is in honor of our
dedicated heroes. We thank you all.
HOUSTON COUNTY’S
EVERYDAY HEROES
HOUSTON
Publications, Inc.
PUBLISHER
Cheri Adams– cadams@hhjnews.com 1210 Washington Street
WRITERS
P.O. Box 1910
Kristin Moriarty– kristinm@hhjnews.com
Perry, GA 31069
James Simpson II- jamess@hhjnews.com Phone: 478-987-1823
Christine Hawley- chawley@hhjnews.com www.hhjonline.com
SALES
Manager Kerri Wright– kerriw@hhjnews.com
Lori Kovarovic– lorik@hhjnews.com
Nathan Mathis– nmathis@hhjnews.com
Creative
Manager/Layout Valerie Swyryn– valeries@hhjnews.com
Ashley Andrews– production@hhjnews.com
PHOTOGRAPHY
HHJ Staff
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018 3
EDH18.indd 3
8/29/18 1:16:11 PM

CENTERVILLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT
FIREFIGHTER BRANDON PATE
By KRISTIN MORIARTY
Journal Staff Writer
Centerville Fire Department’s mission statement is, as
first responders to fires, medical emergencies, disasters,
hazardous materials incidents, rescues and other
emergencies as they arise, Centerville Fire Department
protects the lives and property of Centerville City
residents and visitors through:
• Ethical Standards
• Honor, Respect, Loyalty, Integrity, and
Professionalism
• Customer Service – commitment to provide
exceptional Fire Prevention, Fire Suppression,
Emergency Medical Care, and Rescue Services to
citizens whenever called upon.
• Safety – striving to keep citizens free from danger
with the best equipment and training, the department
can reduce the risk to the public and its members at
fires, medical incidents, and other emergencies.
• Dedication – A commitment to the objectives of the mission is an
essential part of the code of conduct. The faithful observance of duty
calls for us to fulfill our obligations professionally and honestly.
• Preparedness – By combining all of the components of the core
values, Centerville Fire Department will maintain its constant state of
readiness to meet all threats and challenges, traditional and new.
This mission statement has become firefighter Brandon Pate’s career
focus. Pate was born in Kansas, and because his father served in the
military, Brandon was raised in Hawaii, New Jersey, and Georgia. Pate
is a 2015 Houston County High School graduate and his inspiration to
become a firefighter came from the explorers program in high school.
“Explorers was a program that allowed us to look at different
careers,” Pate said. “So I’ve always wanted to be a firefighter since
I was a kid and when I did the program I knew for sure it was the
career for me.”
After the explorers program, Pate then took the recruit class
through Houston County Fire Department. Once he graduated high
school he began volunteering through the county, and later was hired
in 2017 by Centerville Fire Department.
“I still volunteer with the county as well,” Pate said. “But I love this
profession, it’s very rewarding. Helping people and then having a
bond with your fellow first responders is something very cool.”
Pate’s first goal is to become a driver operator, and then he will
focus on progressing through the ranks. He was also awarded The
Sacred Heart Assembly 179 Knights of Columbus First Responder of
the Year for Centerville Fire Department, earlier this year.
Pet
Plantation
Funeral Home & Crematory
478-97 1-4112
petplantationhome.com
125 osigian Blvd.
Warner Robins, Ga
Thank You First Responders
For Keeping Us And
Our Animals Safe!
4
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018
EDH18.indd 4
8/29/18 1:16:28 PM

CENTERVILLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT
GCIC CLERK JANE HAIRSTON
Corporal Jeremy Mashuga, being shot twice. Mashuga
has recovered since then and is back on the job.
“That night was the scariest night,” Hairston said.
“I felt helpless, and it was hard to hear second hand
what happened. I couldn’t sleep because like I said,
it’s a family here at this department, and I didn’t know
how Jeremy was doing. I was able to talk to him that
night, and he told me to get some rest because he
was fine. Once he said that, I could breathe. It was
definitely scary for our whole community, but we all
came together, supported one another, and came back
even stronger.”
Hairston said her goal is to retire from the
department and then she hopes to travel with her
family.
By KRISTIN MORIARTY
Journal Staff Writer
If you have been to the Centerville Police Department, more than
likely you were greeted by Jane Hairston.
Hairston is the GCIC (Georgia Crime Information Center) clerk for
the department. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., she made her
way to Georgia in 2006. Hairston is also an Army Veteran; she joined
in 1983 and served six years total.
“I was a photo layout specialist in the Army,” Hairston said. “My
brother and sister served in the Air Force, so part of my inspiration
for joining the military was because of them. My brother retired as a
chief and my sister retired as a master sergeant.”
Hairston was stationed at Fort Bragg and worked with the 82nd
Airborne. She then was stationed overseas in Panama working for the
government printing office. Hairston also did a year of ROTC while
she was in college.
“I really enjoyed my time in the military,” Hairston said. “It gave me
a lot of great experiences that I’ll never forget.”
After moving to Georgia in 2006, Hairston was hired by the city of
Centerville Municipal Court. She worked there a year and a half, and
was then hired on by the police department.
“This is a great city to work for,” Hairston said. “But I really love the
people here at the police department. Chief Hadden really cares
about his people and does an amazing job. Sometimes it’s hard to
think that I have been here a little over 10 years, but then again, it’s
because it doesn’t feel like work when you have people who are like
family.”
Earlier this year in April the department was shook up from a
domestic violence incident that resulted in one of their officers,
Thank you
to our first
responders!
-Mayor
Harley and
City Council
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018 5
EDH18.indd 5
8/29/18 1:16:36 PM

GEORGIA
BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
SPECIAL AGENT HARLIE DECKER
By CHRISTINE HAWLEY
Journal Staff Writer
November will mark Special Agent Harlie Decker’s two-year
anniversary with the GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation). Interested
in the field since she can remember, she believes her inspiration truly
began while watching episodes of CSI: with her grandmother when
she was just six years old. “I used to take my mom’s makeup brush and
cocoa powder and pretend I was getting fingerprints off of stuff, when I
was just ruining her makeup brushes,” she recollected.
Besides a second cousin in law enforcement, she is the only member
of her immediate family to enter the career; however, her little sister
is interested in becoming a police officer now as well. Decker grew
up in Horseheads, New York, a town in the Finger Lakes region of the
state, where she played lacrosse for 12 years, and as a member of the
American national team, traveled to Germany and the Czech Republic
in 2013.
She achieved her bachelor’s degree at Hilbert College in upstate New
York and during her junior year, she interned at the GBI with Assistant
Special Agent in Charge and GBI Crime Scene Coordinator for the state
of Georgia, Todd Crosby (who, by protocol, had to be present during
the interview) at a different office. After her internship, she realized
that she had fallen in love with the field. “That’s when I made up my
mind that the GBI is where I wanted to be, and I applied, and here I
am,” she smiled.
Her daily duties range from day to day, and right now she does a
little bit of everything. She gets to “live the best of both worlds,”
she explained. Since she is also a crime scene
specialist in addition to a special agent, she is on
that call roster as well, so if something occurs in
the region that requires crime scene assistance,
she will report. Her tasks vary from processing
full scenes, start to finish, or pulling fingerprints
off of evidence that has been brought in. And
“one of the joys of being one of the only females
in the office” is the heavy interview participation
- if a male agent needs to interview a female,
she is most often present as well.
The first thing Decker enjoys most about her
job is “the unpredictability.” You “could be
sitting at the office catching up on paperwork,
or you could be hunting down a murderer.
It’s never the same, so it doesn’t get boring.”
The second is “the overwhelming feeling you
get when you’re bringing a family closure, or
answering questions people may have about
what happened and why.”
When asked which case really stood out to her, she jokingly replied,
“all of them; they all do. I’ve been kept busy since I’ve been here.” But
if she had to choose just one, it would be the Centerville incident that
occurred back in April of 2018, in which a suspect barricaded himself
inside a home. Decker worked that scene; in fact, she “was there for
most of the standoff too.”
As for advice to aspiring special agents and crime scene specialists,
she says, “Don’t give up, you have to have a real good work ethic, and
you can’t be afraid to get your hands dirty or be up for 36 hours.” In
addition to having thick skin, it is essential to have good stress relievers
too in dealing with the difficulties that come with the territory. “A lot
of us work out and we go to the gym. You have to have hobbies in this
job.”
Decker’s current goals reside in finishing out her certification to
become a certified crime scene technician for the state of Georgia and
going to the NFA (National Forensics Academy), which is a part of the
University of Tennessee, in about a month. She explained that the NFA
is a national level academy that provides excellent training and covers
every aspect of anything to do with a crime scene, like forensics. There
she will be able to study grave recovery, work with bone scatters,
actually dig up remains, and learn more about the different stages of
decomposition. She will also be completing her master’s degree in
seven weeks.
6
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018
EDH18.indd 6
8/29/18 1:16:47 PM

GEORGIA
STATE PATROL
PATROLMAN MARK SMITH
By KRISTIN MORIARTY
Journal Staff Writer
Born and raised in Macon,
Georgia, Mark Smith had always
known since the fifth grade that
he wanted to be in the military,
and more specifically, a United
States Marine.
That calling came true for him
a year before he graduated from
Central High School; he entered
the delay entry program for the
United States Marine Corp. Then
just 10 days after high school
graduation in 2004, he went off to
boot camp.
“My grandfather was a World
War II Marine as well as two of
his brothers, one was at the Battle
of Iwo Jima,” Smith said. “My
older brother became a Marine
in 1999, so yes, family history is
a big factor of me joining, but I
knew in fifth grade that I wanted
to be a Marine. And as time went
on, things started pointing me
towards answering the calling of becoming a Marine. I served from
2004 to 2013.”
Smith was an infantry machine gunner in the Marines. His first two
deployments were with the 1st Battalion 6th Marines at Fallujah, Iraq
in 2005 and Ramadi, Iraq in 2006. During his deployment to Ramadi he
stepped on an IED (improvised explosive device) bomb, which resulted
in losing his left leg below the knee. He was then sent to the Naval
hospital in Maryland.
“My brother was actually in the same battalion with me at that time,
but he wasn’t there when I got hit,” Smith said. “He was there to load
me onto the helicopter, and was able to be the one to call our parents.
It was definitely a scary time.”
At this point, Smith said most people in his situation would medically
retire. He had been in the Marines for three years and was a Lance
Corporal E3. Smith said he didn’t know what to do at first because
losing his leg was a big change and didn’t really know much about
prosthetics. When Smith was going through rehab and physical
therapy he learned that he wasn’t giving himself much credit, as he
was able to do a lot more than he thought he could.
“I decided to re-enlist, and it was the best decision I ever made,”
Smith said. “At first they wouldn’t let me stay in the infantry so
they sent me to Quantico, Virginia to become an instructor. I taught
specifics of what my job was in the infantry as a machine gunner.
During that time the medical board was reviewing my files to see if I
could go back to the infantry. After a year they said I couldn’t so then I
became a small arms repair technician.”
Not being able to be a part of the infantry was killing Smith he said,
but an opportunity came about and he was able to deploy with the
2A Battalion 8th Marines. The unit deployed to Afghanistan in 2011.
One day Smith said they were traveling by convoy checking with the
different units when on their way back they ran over an IED that was
homemade and weighed 50 pounds. Smith said it demolished the back
end of the truck. They were later told that had they been in a regular
Humvee, it would have killed them instantly.
When Smith returned home from Afghanistan he said the Marines
were starting to downsize. Due to not having enough time to get to
the next rank, Smith said he took it as a sign to move on. Now having
to choose a different career, Smith remembered that his high school
friend went into law enforcement. Smith reached out to him and was
told that the Georgia State Patrol was hiring.
“I honestly didn’t think they would take me as an amputee,” Smith
said. “But I took a leap of faith and got a phone call back from the
Georgia State Patrol. They told me that I wouldn’t be treated any
differently. So I got hired on in July 2013, and then came to the Perry
Post in September 2014.”
Smith said it was an easy transition moving from the military to law
enforcement because they are similar.
“It’s a way of life for me,” Smith. “I couldn’t see myself doing anything
else and I love what I do. Since being at the Perry Post in 2014 I have
seen some major accidents. It’s hard sometimes to separate yourself
from those calls and same for when I was in the Marines, but I have a
good strong faith that keeps me going.”
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018 7
EDH18.indd 7
8/29/18 1:16:54 PM

HOUSTON COUNTY
FIRE DEPARTMENT
FIREFIGHTER VINCENN WALLS
By James Simpson, II
Journal Staff Writer
Vincenn Walls’ journey to becoming a firefighter probably
isn’t the most traditional route, however, it’s about getting
to the destination of your choice just in time that counts.
As a Warner Robins High School dropout at 16 and
someone who had some hurdles to overcome in his
teenage years, Walls later found his niche in the fire
service shortly after turning 18.
“My brother-in-law at the time was a firefighter in Peach
County and I talked to him briefly about it,” said Walls,
who said he never thought he would become a firefighter
some day. “That kind of sparked an interest and talking
with other people who knew me, it wasn’t something they
thought I would actually do but I decided to go ahead with
it.”
From there on, Walls’ road took him through several
stops.
“At 18, I got into Peach County’s Recruit Program,” Walls
explained. “I went through the recruit program but was
not on Peach County’s Fire Staff. They were gracious
enough to allow me to be in the Recruit Program because
my brother-in-law was full-time with them. I was able to
get certified there and then I had to find someplace else to go.”
Two weeks after being certified, Walls started with the Fort Valley Fire
Department and spent three years full-time there. During that time
period, he gained employment as a Peach County Fire Department
volunteer, at the same time while working part-time at Byron Fire
Department. In January 2013, Walls left Fort Valley Fire Department
to make the move to Houston County Fire Department, where he has
served for six years. Walls also said that earlier this year, he resigned
from the Byron Fire Department.
Currently, Walls has multiple jobs serving full-time at the Houston
County Fire Department, part-time at Perry Fire Department, and is
a volunteer at Peach County Fire Department. “So, I work at a lot of
places,” said Walls.
In 2016, Walls started an internship with Georgia Fire Academy and
was eventually released as an adjunct instructor and has been there
Thank You To All The
Men And Women That
Keep Our County Safe!
from
Bonnie “Michelle” sMith, esq.
Doing What is Right anD FaiR alWays
MatteRs... even When no one is looking.
WWW.bonniemichellesmith.com
(478) 953-3661
www.facebook.com/bonniemichellesmith
P.O. Box 8633, Warner Robins, GA 31095
since 2016, where he is an assistant instructor.
Certified in 2010 as a firefighter and someone who has been in the fire
service for eight years now, Walls has plenty of duties that keep him
occupied on a day-by-day basis.
“My duties at the Houston County Fire Department are taking care of
the station, which we could be slim on personnel at times,” said Walls.
“We do pre-plans, install smoke detectors, take care of fire hydrants,
train, respond to emergency calls, and just do busy work to keep us
occupied.”
Walls’ duties at the Academy include “setting up course curriculum,
showing students what’s expected of them, and giving pointers and
different techniques to complete certain objectives.” For both the Bryon
and Peach County Fire Departments, Walls stays on-call and responds
to calls in case they need him for an emergency, and at the Perry Fire
Department, he picks up shifts as needed.
“Striving for more and being able to complete objectives is the most
challenging aspect of this job,” said Walls. “I’ve always been the type
of person who doesn’t care much about something or cares a lot
about something. I’ve been lucky to find the fire service and I’ve been
extremely passionate about it. I strive to do more and be active. To train
and gain knowledge. I want to be better today than I was yesterday.”
Walls expressed the level of responsibility that he carries as a
firefighter and likes the idea of making a difference in any capacity he
can.
“Feeling like you have a value and feeling like you made a difference,”
said Walls, regarding the level of positive attributes this occupation can
give you. “Just feeling like I helped someone. Even if their home wasn’t
lost, some families are just gracious that their animals got out or if you
saved some pictures in their house. Some people are appreciative of
that and that goes a long way in this line of work. When the good comes
around, that’s not taken for granted.”
8
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018
EDH18.indd 8
8/29/18 1:17:10 PM

HOUSTON COUNTY
SHERIFFS OFFICE
CHIEF DEPUTY WILLIAM “BILLY” RAPE, JR
By KRISTIN MORIARTY
Journal Staff Writer
Chief Deputy Billy Rape is in his 45th year with the Houston County
Sheriff’s Office. He was born in Byron, Georgia, but that’s only
because there wasn’t a hospital or many doctor’s offices in Houston
County at the time. Other than serving in the Air Force for four years,
and working as a special agent with the Atlanta Westport Railroad for
a couple of years, he has always lived in Houston County.
“My family’s roots run deep here in Houston County,” Rape said.
“There’s no other place like it. I graduated from Warner Robins High
School in 1964 and then went off to college in Atlanta. But Vietnam
was just getting started, and I received my first draft notice. I came
back to have my physical done. While waiting for notice of which
branch they were going to put me, my friend and I just decided to go
ahead and join the Air Force.”
Rape joined the Air Force in 1966. He was an electronic technician
on the F4 aircraft, and while in service, he deployed to Thailand
twice, and served a total of four years. When it came time for him to
re-enlist, he decided to move on to a new career.
“I enjoyed my time in the Air Force, but I didn’t re-enlist because
at that time there was too much of politics involved and not letting
the military do what they needed to do,” Rape said. “So I came back
home in 1970 and started thinking about law enforcement. My father
had been the chief of police for Warner Robins for 17 years, I had
always been around it, and thought it would be a good career for
me.”
Rape first became a special agent for the Atlanta Westpoint
Railroad, who later sent him to the police academy. Not long after
becoming certified, the railroad transferred him to Montgomery,
Alabama. In 1972, Sheriff Cullen Talton ran for office. After being
elected in November, he was taking applications for deputies.
“I got tired of traveling every weekend from the railroad,” Rape said.
“Once I learned Sheriff Talton was taking applications,
I immediately put one in and I was blessed to be hired
as an investigator.”
Rape said originally the Sheriff’s Office started out
with three investigators and then expanded to five.
At that time there was no chief deputy, just two
captains, one over the patrol unit and the other over
the investigation unit.
“After a couple of years the chief deputy’s position
was created,” Rape said. “Our first was Willie Talton.
When he was promoted, I was promoted to captain
over investigations. I have actually worked in every
division over the years except for juvenile. Lucky
enough, when Chief Talton retired I was appointed
to chief deputy in late 1990s. I have really enjoyed
working for the Sheriff and for this office. We are like
a family here. Time has flown. If you’d told me my
first day that I would be here 45 years, I would have
said you’re crazy.”
When Rape was an investigator he said he had a
variety of cases. Some turned out good while others
were tough to handle. One case that he thinks about
from time to time involved a young boy who returned home from
school to find his mother deceased.
“It was ruled a suicide, but everyone we had been interviewing
had strong feelings that it wasn’t,” Rape said. “I even had trouble
wrapping my mind around that it was a suicide. Well, the man
who she had been dating, we found information and tried to make
it where we would catch him at home. I had my guys sit on his
apartment a whole day but had no luck, so I told them to try again
in the morning. Next day they go back, hear music playing in his
apartment. The landlord let us in, and we found him and his daughter
deceased.”
“Through more investigating, we found out that the lady’s sister had
called him after it was ruled a suicide,” he went on to say. “While we
couldn’t really prove it, our thoughts were, after the sister had called
him, he felt guilty and killed his daughter and himself. But what has
stuck with me is, had I not pulled my guys off the night before that
we might have saved that little girl. It’s a hard burden to take on, but
in this business you have to make decisions on the spot a lot of time,
and it can be tough.”
One thing Rape has always kept in mind and heart is the advice
Sheriff Talton gave him and the other two investigators who were
sworn in with him on Jan. 1, 1973, which was, “Whatever determines
how long we’ll be here is how we treat people.”
“That has stuck with me all these years,” Rape said. “It may be
‘corny’ to others, but it has worked for me - it has worked for
this whole office because we try to instill that into our deputies
when they are first hired on. Even though we have to make arrests
sometimes, we always have to think about how it’s going to impact
someone’s life. We try to do it with as much compassion and make it
as easy as possible.”
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018 9
EDH18.indd 9
8/29/18 1:19:24 PM

HOUSTON COUNTY
911 CENTER
CORPORAL AMBER CLAYTON
By James Simpson, II
Journal Staff Writer
Becoming a 911 dispatcher wasn’t always the plan for Amber
Clayton, but here she is, 11 years later.
“I was in the process of filling out paperwork to go into the Air
Force,” said Clayton, who started at the Houston County 911 Center
right after graduating from high school at 19. “My family has always
been in the Air Force and my mom heard about the job and basically
referred me here and told me to fill out an application to see what
it was all about. I came in on a Saturday and listened and sat in to
get a feel of how everything goes. I really enjoyed it and I put in an
application.”
Clayton was born in Cobb County but moved to Warner Robins at
the age of 2 and has practically lived in Warner Robins her whole life.
A graduate of Houston County High School, Clayton says that working
at the 911 Center was her “first real job.”
In 2014, Clayton was promoted from Assistant Supervisor to
Corporal. Describing her everyday duties, she stated, “As a supervisor,
we still work the radio and are still responsible for answering the
phones, as well as supervise and assist people on the floor, for things
the other dispatchers might need.”
Clayton said the day shift starts at 5:30 a.m. and the paperwork gets
done before they get overflowed with calls. “Once the calls come in,
we start processing calls and getting them to the agencies that need
them and getting help out to people,” said Clayton.
Being a Corporal comes with many responsibilities and challenges as
well. “The challenging part of my job is handling anything that deals
with children,” explained Clayton. “Those are the
things we take home with us the most. People who
have been here for a while have learned to separate
work from home but when it involves a small child, it
kind of affects us greater.”
Clayton said that the overall reward of her
occupation stems from helping people and making
a difference. “Just the day-to-day duty of helping
someone is the greatest reward,” said Clayton.
She recalled a memorable story that stood out for
her as a 911 dispatcher from a positive standpoint.
“For me, it was probably delivering a baby,” said
Clayton. “There was a mother in labor while the
husband was deployed. The brother was driving
her to the hospital. The mother was in the backseat
and I was speaking to her. They left from the Russell
Parkway/Lake Joy area and we were telling the units
that we were on our way but by the time they got to
Watson Boulevard they had to pull over into Flash
Foods and had the baby right there.”
Anytime a co-worker is involved in a difficult
situation, Clayton explains those moments as her
toughest calls to make. “When my officers come into danger, it’s
tough because you work with them and we’ve become like family.
You get this helpless feeling on the radio that you want to help them
but can’t physically help them. You can only send them more help.”
Clayton then described the thing she has taken away most from her
job. “The greatest thing I’ve learned over the years is that you are
really not in control of other people’s actions and that’s just through
dealing with different calls. I remind myself sometimes that things
can be worse. Other people might be going through a more difficult
time than me. If I’m having a real bad day, I always keep that in
perspective.”
THANKS
A salute to the people who keep Houston County working!
From
WELLSTON
DECORATING
CENTER
2405 Moody Road,
Warner Robins
478-929-0395
www.wellstondecoratingcenter.com
10
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018
EDH18.indd 10
8/29/18 1:19:36 PM

HOUSTON HEALTHCARE
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE
PARAMEDIC JOHN WHITT
By James Simpson, II
Journal Staff Writer
Public safety work always seems like it was in
the works for John Whitt.
“When I was nine or 10, my elder brother,
James, was a volunteer firefighter and that kind
of got me interested in the public safety aspect
of it,” said Whitt. “When I turned 18, I joined
the fire department and went through the fire
academy. Once I got in that side of it, I realized
I really liked the EMS side of things and kind of
went forward.”
A graduate of Macon County High School,
Whitt went to South Georgia Technical College
for the AEMT (Advanced Emergency Medical
Technology) program then went to Darton State
College in Albany for the paramedic program.
October of this year will mark two years that
Whitt has been a paramedic.
“Not knowing what comes next is a challenging
aspect of what I do,” said Whitt. “Not knowing
if it’s a non-emergency or a life-threatening
situation, always being on the edge and being
mentally prepared for whatever comes down the
line.”
Whitt’s duties involve checking his truck and making sure all his
equipment is there and everything is ready to go operational. Once
that’s done, the paramedic is assigned a zone, and they run calls and
operate from that zone for the rest of that shift.
“You never know what to expect when you come into work, so you
come in with your game face on,” said Whitt, breaking down the life
of a paramedic. “You try to come in and prepare yourself for the day
and try to make an impact on someone’s life.”
The incident that stands out most for Whitt during a call or situation
while he tended to someone is the following touching story. “I had
a situation where a gentleman was experiencing a massive cardiac
event. We responded and got on the scene and we did CPR, pushed
medicine and did the whole nine yards,” said Whitt. “We ended up
getting him back and I wasn’t able to meet the family but I left my
number with someone close to the family and told them to give me a
call to let us know how he’s doing. Two weeks later, the daughter sent
me a picture of him at an event. He was a pastor at a church outside
of Warner Robins and he was back visiting with the same group of
people he was with when he had the cardiac arrest two weeks ago.”
David Borghelli, the Director of Houston Healthcare EMS, noted
that in a short amount of time, Whitt was promoted to Field
Training Officer. “He’s responsible for passing on knowledge to new
employees and helping train current employees, which is pretty
unusual for someone who’s been here for such a short time. John
brings a lot to the table,” said Borghelli.
On what he enjoys most about being a paramedic, Whitt replied by
saying making an impact on someone’s life. “It might not be every
day you save someone’s life but on occasion when it does happen,
that’s got to be the highlight.”
THANK YOU TO ALL FIRST RESPONDERS FOR
YOUR HARD WORK AND KEEPING US SAFE.
478.929.0624
Open Mon - Fri 8:30am - 5:30pm
Sat 10am - 2pm
2508 Moody Rd.
Warner Robins, GA 31088
www.southernlightingga.com
We take VISA, MC, Discover & AMEX
• Bathroom Lighting
• Ceiling Fans
• Chandeliers
• Exterior Lighting
• Framed Mirrors
• Framed Prints
• Kitchen Island Lights
• Pendants
• Table and Floor Lamps
• Recessed Lighting
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018 11
EDH18.indd 11
8/29/18 1:19:44 PM

PERRY FIRE
DEPARTMENT
FIREFIGHTER HUNTER FLOURNOY
By KRISTIN MORIARTY
Journal Staff Writer
Perry firefighter Hunter Flournoy knew he wanted to be a firefighter
when he was four years old, and now he is in his fifth year with the
Perry Fire Department.
Flournoy was born and raised in Alabama. Growing up he had
always been around a fire department because his father was a
firefighter paramedic.
“When I was a kid it was real exciting to see the fire trucks and
the firefighter’s uniforms,” Flournoy said. “As I got older and
learned more about the profession, the more I wanted to become a
firefighter.”
Before he became a full-time firefighter, Flournoy volunteered with
the old Kingston Fire Department in Alabama. His first fire training
was in February 2008. Later in 2013 he received his paramedic
license, moved to Georgia, and in 2014 was hired on to the Perry Fire
Department.
Flournoy started out as a driver and then made his way to
headquarters station in 2016. His first significant fire was on New
Year’s Day that year on Forest Street. It was an unoccupied building
that was a former daycare center.
“Thankfully it was vacant,” Flournoy said. “The fire happened early
that morning and when we arrived on scene, heavy smoke and
flames were coming from the attic area. It was pretty big and we had
help from Warner Robins Fire Department also. But it definitely got
my adrenaline going.”
Just in his time at Perry Fire Department
so far, Flournoy has worked a lot of traffic
accidents, medical calls, and fires. He said that
at times it can be hard to separate the calls that
are more difficult to witness.
“You have to have a good support system
and be able to talk it out,” Flournoy said. “My
wife is a nurse so we definitely have our time
to debrief from our jobs together and it really
helps. Then talking it out with your fellow
firefighters is also good.”
Then there are calls where Flournoy says they
take pride in.
“Recently we had a medical call where a
gentlemen went into cardiac arrest,” Flournoy
said. “The information we received while
heading to him was he had just finished
speaking with his wife before going into cardiac
arrest. We didn’t know what the situation
was prior to that, but we had him on the AED (automated external
defibrillator) machine, started compressions, and before he was
transferred to EMS, we returned spontaneous circulation.”
“We learned since then he was doing better,” he went on to say.
“Calls like that help drive home with what we do. We understand we
will lose patients sometimes, but when you revive one, it’s a sense
of pride knowing that you helped them. The things I love about my
job are helping others, seeing the relief on their faces when we show
up, and the adrenaline rush. I just hope to continue to progress in my
career and help as many people as I can.”
12
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018
EDH18.indd 12
8/29/18 1:19:54 PM

PERRY POLICE
DEPARTMENT
DETECTIVE QURIDSHA GILLIAM
By KRISTIN MORIARTY
Journal Staff Writer
Although Perry Police Detective Quridsha Gilliam was born in New
Jersey and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Perry has become her home.
Gilliam said as long as she can remember she always wanted to be a
police officer. No one in her family went into law enforcement but her
inspiration came from watching law enforcement related shows.
“I always knew I wanted to be a police officer but once I was getting
ready to graduate high school I thought about joining the military,”
Gilliam said. “As I was getting ready to look into the military, my
basketball coach Sharon Fowler, who was a huge mentor in my life,
talked with me and guided me to go to college and follow my calling.”
After graduating high school in 1994, Gilliam went on to Truett
McConnell, Jr. College on a basketball scholarship. She then received
a full ride basketball scholarship to Columbus State University, where
she graduated with her bachelor’s of science degree in criminal justice.
Gilliam was then hired on to the Perry Police Department in 1999.
“When I was looking for where I wanted to begin my career I saw that
Chief Potter was looking for some female officers at that time,” Gilliam
said. “It was perfect because Perry was a small agency and I wanted to
start small.”
Gilliam’s plan was to spend two years with Perry and then move back
to the Atlanta area. She said that didn’t happen, so her next move was
to stay five years to get vested and then move on. Now almost 20 years
later she is still with the Perry Police Department.
“I didn’t go through with my plans,” Gilliam said laughing. “Perry
became home to me. The people here are so supportive of law
enforcement and the department is simply the best.”
Gilliam started out in the patrol division with her field-training officers
Dave Wilson and Eddie Thomas. She then
moved to the bike patrol unit and became a
field-training officer. Not long after that she
was promoted to sergeant.
“I spent a couple of years with the patrol
division,” Gilliam said. “Then I was promoted
to detective in the investigations unit in 2008
and really have enjoyed it. So I’ve gotten to do
a little bit of everything in the department. But
the thing I enjoy most is interacting with the
community, getting to know them, and letting
them know that we are here for them.”
Being in law enforcement now for almost 20
years, Gilliam has had some tough cases. The
most recent one she has worked was the 2016
homicide of local young man Sam Poss, who
was declared missing at first, but was found
later killed by two other young males with
whom he went to high school.
“The trial for that case was held in May of this
year,” Gilliam said. “Both of the suspects were
found guilty but we are still waiting for one of
them to be sentenced. It was a really tough
case because it was a senseless act. Another
tough case for me was when I first became a
detective in 2008. A guy had killed his two children, ex-wife, and then
committed suicide.”
“There have been a couple more cases that have been tough,” she
went on to say. “But luckily they do not happen all the time. You have
to have an outlet so that you’re not thinking about them all the time.
For me, that is having a great supportive, loving family and working out
at the gym.”
Gilliam hopes to spend the rest of her career and retire from the Perry
Police Department.
“I truly love this community,” Gilliam said. “And we have some of the
best officers working at our department who truly care about our city.
We want to show that we are human too. We are here to protect and
serve.”
Land of the Free
Because of the Brave
First Responders &
Military Discounts
for our
Everyday Heroes
everyday at
Daisy Patch Flowers
1131 Macon Road, Perry (478) 987-2872
www.daisypatchflorist.net Visit us on Facebook
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018 13
EDH18.indd 13
8/29/18 1:20:25 PM

FLINT ENERGIES
JONATHAN BREAUX
LINEMAN
stayed there overnight with a minor second
and third degree burn on my arm and first and
second degree on my face.”
Overall, Breaux said he enjoys the work
atmosphere at Flint Energies and seeing people
get excited when something electrical of
theirs gets fixed. “For most people everyday
electricity is a convenience for us, but now it’s
a necessity. Just watching people when the
power comes back on is nice. Most of them are
appreciative.”
By JAMES SIMPSON II
Journal Staff Writer
Jonathan Breaux has been around electrical companies for some
time now and Warner Robins has been his primary spot. Having
lived in Warner Robins close to 30 years, the Breaux Bridge,
Louisiana native has had close ties to being a lineman.
“My wife’s uncle was working for a contractor and after we got
married, he ended up getting me on with Pike Electric,” said Breaux.
Breaux spent six years at Pike Electric from February 2001 to
December 2006 and started working at Flint Energies in 2006. And
he has been there ever since. A service lineman is responsible for
repairing, installing, and maintaining high-powered electrical lines
and systems near buildings, homes, and wherever service is needed
within the area.
“You learn a lot in this field, especially the safety aspects,” said
Breaux. “What you apply here, you can also apply at home, like fire
safety and electrical safety. We do safety programs every month
and the things you learn, you can take with you at home, like an
escape plan in case of a fire and CPR.”
Breaux said the most challenging aspect of his job is when he gets
a call around 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning after already working all
day, to go out and repair an electrical issue. “Having no rest can be
tough,” said Breaux. “The challenge is the long hours.”
He also highlighted a dangerous moment on the job as well.
“When I was here for two years, I ended up getting a flash and I got
burnt on the left side of my arm and the right side of my face from
an incident,” Breaux explained. “I was flown out to Augusta and
Thank You To The Bravest Of Us All
• Auto
• Home
• Life Insurance
• Fixed Annuities
• Umbrella Policies
• Retirement Planning
Kevin Lashley, Agency Owner
Lashley Insurance Agency, Inc.
Lashley Insurance Agency, Inc.
1112 A. Russell Pkwy
Warner Robins, GA 31088
Phone 478-922-3211 | Fax 478-923-0429
Lashley Insurance Agency, inc. KevinLashley1@Allstate.com
14
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018
EDH18.indd 14
8/29/18 1:20:34 PM

GEORGIA POWER
PHIL DUKE
LOCAL LINEMAN/TROUBLEMAN
By JAMES SIMPSON II
Journal Staff Writer
Before becoming an electricity lineman, Phil
Duke will admit that he didn’t know anything
about electricity, other than the basic stuff.
“I didn’t know anything about electricity
before Georgia Power, other than you plug
something in and it comes on,” said Duke. “I
didn’t know how much work goes into when
storms come or how many poles get broken a
week. We could have four or five poles break
a week from bad driving, trees falling, and
wrecks. I didn’t realize how much work goes
into keeping electrical systems going and how
much training goes into it.”
Born in Portland, Indiana, where he lived
for 20 years, Duke attended International
Business College in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Duke
then moved to Americus, Georgia in 2006
and worked at Caravelle Boat Group, LLC. He
then started to attend South Georgia Technical
College in Americus, where he just decided that
he wanted something different. “I went to the
tech school and finished a class. Georgia Power then hired three guys
out of my class,” said Duke.
Duke was hired at Georgia Power in Macon in April 2018. He served
a five-year course to become a certified lineman, which he has been
ever since. “As a lineman, my everyday duties are maintenance,
building new power lines for new customers, rerouting power lines,
doing energized work, hot phases, and any kind of storm work,” said
Duke. “If there’s any kind of major storm work, we would pick eight
line personnel over here, eight line personnel over here, and eight
line personnel from Hawkinsville, Milledgeville, Dublin, and Vidalia.
I’ve been to Texas, New York, and Ohio for storm situations. I’ve been
all over.”
After serving five years as a lineman, Duke started a Troubleman
position just a couple months ago. Discussing some of his possible
duties as a Troubleman, he stated, “If someone calls and their lights
are out or their lights are flickering, I go and determine what the
problem is and I’ll fix it if I’m able to,” explained Duke. “If I need
a crew, then I’ll ask for one and they can come help out. If your
streetlight is out or someone’s having problems troubleshooting, I
work on that. I also pick up wire if needed.”
Asked what’s difficult about his line of work, Duke says the fatigue.
“There are times when we worked 32 hours straight from sun up to
sun down to sun up again. That’s a big challenge when you’re doing
work that could kill you and you’re extremely tired and you have to
worry about the apprentices that haven’t been here in awhile,” said
Duke. “They are extremely tired and they’re not experienced. Also
the amount of caution you have to have and to do your job safely,
you have to know where your work area is.”
If there was an arduous task or situation that Duke was involved
during his time at Georgia Power, it was certainly last year during
Hurricane Irma.
“During Hurricane Irma, we did a lot of work in the Central Georgia
area,” said Duke. “We had over a million customers in the entire state
of Georgia without electricity during that time and that’s the biggest
event to my knowledge that Georgia Power had. We didn’t have a lot
of help but we worked as hard and diligently as we could. We worked
16-hour days just to get the lights on. It was just a good feeling
assisting someone and helping them get their lights back on and
seeing the customer’s reaction and excitement on their face. That’s
what I enjoy the most.”
Laura Branham
REALTOR
Multi-Million Dollar Producer
Home is where your heart is
1271 S Houston Lake Rd. Warner Robins, GA 31088
C: (478) 951-9617 | O: (478) 218-8052
laurabranham@robbinsfree.com
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018 15
EDH18.indd 15
8/29/18 1:20:41 PM

WARNER ROBINS FIRE
DEPARTMENT
ASST. TRAINING CHIEF MICHAEL CHRISTIAN
By JAMES SIMPSON II
Journal Staff Writer
As the Assistant Training Chief at the Warner Robins Fire
Department, Michael Christian (called “Dean” by many) has many
duties that surely keep him occupied.
“I’m a man of many tasks,” said Christian. “I’m in charge of training
recruits, hiring, promotional processes, researching and finding
new techniques and ways to help these suppression guys. We hold
classes for firefighters who are employed so they can get their
state certification. I’m in charge of the training center here. I’m a
Task Force leader with the Georgia Search and Rescue team and
an Adjunct Instructor for the State of Georgia. I instruct classes at
the academy in Forsyth and work for a couple companies that hold
rescue classes. For our personnel staff, we have 124 on it, so I have
to track all of their training hours, make sure they stay up to date for
their firefighter certification, their EMT certification, and monitor
insurance ISO ratings.”
Born in Anchorage, Alaska in 1962, Christian has spent most of his
adult life fluctuating between Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Warner
Robins, Georgia. A high school graduate of Warner Robins High
School in 1981, Christian started as a firefighter in 1990.
“I was working in Macon at Georgia Wire and I was just overworked
and a friend of mine said, ‘Hey, the fire department is hiring.’ Never
even thought about it,” explained Christian. “I applied. Didn’t get it
the first time and that was in 1989. I decided to apply again in 1990
and I ended up getting it. Loved it and it’s a job I’m really passionate
about. I stayed here for a little over two years and moved back to
Louisiana. I missed it so much that I ended up coming back here and
back with this department in 1995 and I’ve
been here ever since.”
Throughout his 25 years as a firefighter,
Christian described some of the many
challenges. “For training the newer recruits, I
would say the newer generations didn’t grow
up quite like we did, so having to adapt to the
way the generations are now when it comes
to training is a big challenge,” said Christian.
“This is a very hands-on job but there is a lot
of book knowledge that’s required to be a
firefighter.”
Christian says he works about 40 hours per
week and said those long hours over the years
have taken away some time from his family,
which he said was difficult. “I have to give it
up to my wife and kids because as a firefighter,
we’re gone a third of their lives because of our
work schedule,” said Christian. “I put my wife
through a lot of challenges having raised the
kids.”
Christian points to the devastation of
Hurricane Katrina in his home state of
Louisiana as one of the toughest situations he had to be a part
of. “I’ve had the opportunity through the GSAR program to go to
different areas as far as natural disasters. I was in New Orleans for
21 days for Hurricane Katrina. The rescue responses we did for
Hurricane Katrina were because it was in New Orleans. It was in my
backyard in Baton Rouge. That was rough seeing the devastation the
people had to go through.”
Christian then dove into his desire to do what he does. “Every day
there’s something new,” added Christian. “Not everybody can do this
job. We don’t make a lot of money but you have to do it for the love
of the job and the love of helping people.”
Thank You First Responders for
Keeping Our Homes Safe
Amanda Fiebig
Realtor
Associate Broker
C: 478-952-2499
O: 478-929-4444
526 S Houston Lake Rd
Warner Robins, GA
amanda@affrealty.com
www.amandafiebigrealtor.com
16
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018
EDH18.indd 16
8/29/18 1:20:54 PM

WARNER ROBINS POLICE
DEPARTMENT
OFFICER TREY THOMAS
By KRISTIN MORIARTY
Journal Staff Writer
Warner Robins Police Officer Trey Thomas was
presented with the Valor Award earlier this year
for his actions during the police standoff that
took place in Centerville on April 27, 2018. It is
the highest honor an officer can receive from
the department.
Thomas was the first Warner Robins Police
officer on scene that night in late April.
Centerville Police Corporal Jeremy Mashuga
and Officer Tyler Wilcox were dispatched to
a domestic disturbance call. Mashuga arrived
on scene first and was shot in the abdomen by
the suspect. When Thomas arrived, he began
rendering aid for Mashuga when the suspect
fired again and shot Mashuga, this time in the
foot.
Warner Robins Police Chief Brett Evans shared
during the May 7 Warner Robins Council
meeting that Thomas spotted the suspect and
returned fire four times with his rifle, which
stopped the suspect’s attack. Thomas then
handed his rifle to Deputy Johnson with the Houston County Sheriff’s
Office and directed him to cover the house while he and Wilcox placed
Mashuga in his Centerville patrol vehicle. Thomas directed Wilcox to
leave rapidly, helped get Mashuga out of the line of fire to medical
attention, and remained on scene for the next six hours.
Thomas has been with the Warner Robins Police Department since
2011. He serves on patrol and the SWAT team. Thomas is a 2003
Warner Robins High School graduate, has an associate’s degree from
Georgia Military College, and is currently working on his bachelor’s
degree. Thomas has also served in the Army Reserves since 2005, is
currently a corporal, and served two tours in Afghanistan as a combat
medic. He is married to his wife Valerie and together they have three
children.
“In incidents like this, an investigation continues after it occurs,” Evans
said. “We have reviewed the video and I have seen situations like this
in the past and have been a part of them. But I know Trey very well,
I have seen him shoot, I know he is a well trained medic and actually
trains all of our guys, but even knowing all of that and watching this
video, I was greatly impressed.”
“I cannot tell you how it is to observe an officer cool, calm, and
collective in taking charge of the situation, return fire when necessary,
render medic aid, and make a plan to get the injured officer out of that
scene while on top of all that, communicating over the radio to inform
other officers - wow,” Evans went on to say. “All of what I described
was about nine minutes straight with no hesitation. It is absolutely
impeccable. Again, as many times as I’ve seen it and been there and
done that, I have never been prouder than to watch that video. Thank
you Trey for your service.”
Thomas’s grandfathers and dad both served in the Air Force. He said
originally after graduating high school he was going to college to study
music education, but one opportunity after another led to him joining
the Army Reserves.
“After I became a certified medic, serving overseas was really eye
opening, especially for a 20-year-old,” Thomas said. “Dealing with all
of the trauma, I felt comfortable with it. In all chaos I find that I am
calm and can think about what I am doing. After my deployments is
when I decided to go out for law enforcement. The military and law
enforcement are pretty similar, so it was a pretty easy fit for me.”
Thomas’s squad at the Warner Robins Police Department has had a
lot of tough calls this year alone he said. His squad responded to the
homicides that took place in January, the roll over bus accident, and
many others.
“Sometimes it is hard to separate your emotions with tough calls,”
Thomas said. “But I have a very good support system, my wife. She
has been with me since my first deployment and I love her very much
and am so thankful for her. Also, our squad has our own debriefs in
blowing off steam and having that comradery. I have really enjoyed my
career and can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018 17
EDH18.indd 17
8/29/18 1:21:30 PM

Summer’s Landing
It’s about family taking care of family
THANK YOU FIRST RESPONDERS FOR ALL
YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION!
Call today to sChedule
your tour!
(478) 328-3800
Live Easy
Enjoy thE splEndor of
rEtirEmEnt worry-frEE
Elegant private residences offering
the finest comforts of life, with the
personal support you want.
• Supportive Independent
• Assisted Living • Memory Care
Best
of the
Best
2018
600 South Kimberly Rd., W.R. GA 31088
www.SummersLandingWR.com
18
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018
EDH18.indd 18
8/29/18 1:21:32 PM

EVERYDAY HEROES 2018 19
EDH18.indd 19
8/29/18 1:21:35 PM

20
EVERYDAY HEROES 2018
EDH18.indd 20
8/29/18 1:21:38 PM