Newspaper Page Text
Page 2A — Wednesday, October 14, 2020, The True Citizen
Sanders to retire after three decades in Burke
COMPILED BY
DIANA ROYAL
On Friday, he turned off his
radio for the last time.
Chief Rusty Sanders, who
joined the Burke County Emer
gency Management Agency in
1987, has officially retired.
He remembers taking that
opportunity in 1987 to become
the agency’s assistant director,
an agency that was responsible
for the Fire Services, EMS
Services, 911 Services, Emer
gency Management Services,
Dive Rescue, Fire Cause In
vestigations and, eventually,
the Transit Department.
Sanders recalls when the
only fire station was the head
quarters that employed ap
proximately 13. Today, the
agency boasts 12 fire stations,
12 EMS units and a full-time
staff of certified firefighters,
EMTs and paramedics.
Here, he shares with The
True Citizen how it all began
and what he’s learned along the
way in a career that’s spanned
nearly half a century.
What was it that made you
seek a career in emergency
services?
My father had a long career
in law enforcement in Rich
mond County before his retire
ment. My older brother started
off as a volunteer firefighter
and moved to a full-time,
paid firefighter position with
Suburban Fire Department in
Richmond County where he
became critically injured when
a wall collapsed on him, break
ing his back in several places.
By the grace of God, he was
able to recover and made the
change into law enforcement in
Richmond County. He worked
in law enforcement for a lot of
years while obtaining his law
degree and becoming a suc
cessful lawyer. So I guess the
reason I got into emergency
services at the age of 19 was
watching and being proud of
my father’s and brother’s de
votion and love of serving the
public in a much needed way.
What did you do before
coming to Burke County
EMA?
I started my firefighting
career in Richmond County in
September 1974, when Rich
mond County was first starting
to operate the fire services. I
was stationed on Old Waynes
boro Road, just off Highway
56. We stayed in a rundown,
old plantation house and used
an army maintenance tent to
house the fire truck. We finally
got a single wide mobile home
as our living quarters.
I progressed through the
ranks of private, driver, lieuten
ant and captain.
While serving in the fire de
partment, I wanted to be able
to serve the public better, so
I attended classes at Augusta
Tech whereby I eventually ob
tained my EMTA certification
and continued on to obtain my
paramedic certification. I also
obtained an associate’s degree
in Applied Fire Science.
What was it like becoming
chiefydirector?
I was appointed director in
2002.
Having the opportunity to be
involved with helping to build
the agency early on helped
make the transition somewhat
easier. It didn’t take long to
learn that you don’t know what
you don’t know. All the differ
ent needs of the department’s
broad areas of responsibilities
presented quite a challenge to
keep things balanced.
What are some things that
happened over the course of
your career others might not
know or realize?
In the early 90s, while ex
tricating a citizen from under
their farm tractor, I suffered
two ruptured discs in the lum
bar region of my back and had
to undergo surgery.
Some how I managed to be
appointed Deputy Coroner
and served in that capacity for
approximately thirteen years
under two different coroners
while working full-time for
the EMA.
I managed to attend law
enforcement basic mandate
class and became a certified
law enforcement officer and
ended up working part-time
for the Burke County Sheriff’s
Office. I’ve maintained my law
enforcement certifications and
have continued to support law
enforcement in any way I can.
What would you say is the
most rewarding part of your
job? The most difficult?
One of the most rewarding
parts of my career is to see
someone you have taught/
trained utilize their gained
knowledge/abilities in a suc
cessful way and have them
come back at a later time and
sincerely thank you for contrib
uting to their success.
One of the most difficult
parts of my career is having
to discipline someone by sus
pending them without pay and
or terminating them. Having
such an impact on someone’s
livelihood is difficult, although
unfortunately it is necessary
from time to time.
What made you decide to
retire?
I have always been told and
felt that at a certain time in
one’s career, you will know
when it’s time to retire/move
on to something different. That
time has come for myself.
What message would you
like to say to the public as
you retire?
I would like to be remem
bered as a humble person,
never liked the “limelight” and
would like to be remembered
as a fair person in dealing with
various situations. I was not a
politician when I started my
career and Em not a politician
forty-six years later.
What would you like to see
happen for BCEMA in the
future?
I wish Burke County and all
the public service agencies a
harmonious and prosperous
future. I hope that all of the
dedicated employees of the
Burke County EMA who have
also given so much of their
life and careers to unselfishly
serving Burke County makes
the transition to a new director/
chief without undue stress and
worries.
I hope that whomever be
comes the new director/chief
reassures and supports ALL
the employees of the Burke
County EMA family.
What are you going to do
now?
I will continue to live in
Burke County and plan on
doing a lot of work around
the house and look forward
to having the time to get back
to enjoying some of my hob
bies that I’ve had to give up/
postpone over time due to ever
increasing job responsibilities.
I have had a VERY
BLESSED forty-six year ca
reer.
WELL WISHES
I will surely miss working with Rusty. He is the kind of
person that once he makes a decision, he sticks with it. He
was always available to help us improve emergency man
agement in Georgia and from my perspective he always had
the best interest of Burke County in mind. Happy retirement
my friend!
Chuck Ray
Field Operations Manager
GEMA/HS
Chief Sanders was always fair! He was an excellent boss
and director, and he truly puts the citizens first. He created
some big shoes to fill. I hope he has many happy, healthy
years retirement.
Amylia Lester
Public Information Officer
BCEMA
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