The North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division is the recipient of a 2012 Governor’s Awards for Excellence, the highest honor a state employee may receive. “On behalf of the more than 450 permanent personnel and roughly 120 temporary workers that make up the ferry division, I am extremely proud to accept this award,” said Ferry Division Director Harold Thomas.

During a ceremony and reception held Nov. 27 at the North Carolina Museum of History, the Ferry Division was honored in the Safety and Heroism category. Nominated as one entity in that category, the team had to prove that it “demonstrated outstanding judgment or courage in an emergency, voluntarily risking his/her life, or exhibited meritorious action to prevent injury, loss of life or prevented damage to or loss of property.”

The nomination submission noted that the Ferry Division deserved the award; “not only because the crew members performed open-water rescues, shore rescues and animal rescues, but provide the primary means for evacuation and recovery before and after hurricanes.” 

Examples of these efforts include operating a continuous emergency ferry route during the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, rescuing a family and a dog from a fire-disabled boat, performing CPR on passengers, assisting cold-stunned sea turtles and rescuing a capsized boat full of fishermen.

On hand to receive the award from Gov. Bev Perdue’s Chief of Staff Britt Cobb; were NCDOT Secretary Gene Conti, Ferry Director Harold Thomas, Deputy Ferry Director Jed Dixon, Assistant Ferry Director of Maintenance and Materials Charlie Fearing, Ferry Homeland Security Officer Bobby Hill and Ferry Personnel Technician Gail Sheets.

A video about the NCDOT Ferry Division’s contributions towards safety and heroism is available for viewing on the NCDOT YouTube page, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZADqqILXdw.