RESOLUTION

Recognizing Ms. Sharon Hammond On Her Retirement For Dedicated

Service To Bamberg County While Serving As Emergency Services Director For Fifteen Years.   

WHEREAS, Sharon Hammond, a native of Brooklyn, New York, was hired February 26, 2001 as the Emergency Services Director for Bamberg County.  While employed by Bamberg County, Ms. Hammond lived by the words of wisdom, “Management is management – it’s how you manage that makes the difference”; and

WHEREAS, with a profound passion for planning in emergency management, during Ms. Hammond’s employment with Bamberg County, she covered emergency management, 911, addressing, communications and other duties that assimilated along the way; and  

WHEREAS, when Ms. Hammond commenced working, Bamberg County did not have a full, functioning E-911 center. There were a lot of different components that had to be set up.  The implementation of the E-911 system was one of the accomplishments that she was most proud of.  The other was the upgrading of the county’s phone system to E-911 Phase II standards, allowing emergency responders to use GPS information transmitted by a caller’s cell phone to estimate the location of the caller and get them emergency assistance faster.  Bamberg County was one of the first counties in the state to have Phase II; and

WHEREAS, to include some of Ms. Hammond’s accomplishments and educational encounters during her tenure:  CERTIFIED EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Updating 911 Center, Run Box Configuration, SC Connect;  GRANTS:  LEMPG - $55,000; LEMPG 2013 - $53,000; Supplement LEMPG - $11,000; Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) - $9,000.  COMMUNICATIONS:  Code Red,  County wide training on the PAL 800 radio; Acquired a new Damage Assessment Tool – IDAM2; EXERCISES:  2013 Ardent Sentry Exercise and Governor’s Tabletop Exercise.   Ms. Hammond holds membership on the following Boards:  Low Country Regional EMS Council, United Way of Bamberg-Colleton-Hampton Counties, Low Country Healthy Start, SC Emergency Management Association (SCEMA), National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and SC NENA/APCO.   Recently in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Ms. Hammond was honored with the Meritorious Service Medal from the S.C. Military Department, Office of the Adjutant General presented by Major General Robert E. Livingston, Jr., and 

WHEREAS, Ms. Hammond’s excellent work ethic combined with high standards and dedicated service resulted in noticeable improvements and advances that measurably enhanced Bamberg County’s operational preparedness.  Ms. Hammond received the SCEMA Amateur Radio Operator of the Year in 2011, conveys her professionalism and dedication. Her period of service saw the successfully acquisition of grant monies to enhance County Emergency Management activities as well as the implementation of a new 911 Dispatch Center. Ms. Hammonds’ tireless devotion to duty, a strong love for country, state and county, reflects great credit upon herself, Bamberg County, the Emergency Management Discipline and the State of South Carolina.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BAMBERG COUNTY COUNCIL THAT:

1    We, the Bamberg County Council, commend and thank you for the superb job and service you have unselfishly given to Bamberg County for the past 15 years. May your retirement be a healthy and prosperous one for many years to come.