Celebrate Our First Responders!

The Greater Naples Chamber is honored to announce our 2019 Distinguished Public Service Award Winners! Established in 2003, the Distinguished Public Service Awards recognize the outstanding contribution of an individual or team to their respective public service profession and to the well-being of Collier County. This year’s award categories and honorees include the following:

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EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
Deputy Chief Tony Camps, Capt. Anthony Maro, Capt. Matthew Allen, Lt. Mike Smith, Lt. Kevin Escalera, Lt. Tony Delatorre, PM Moises Galicia & Lt. Jorge Castillo,
Collier County Emergency Medical Services

This team of dedicated professionals with Collier County Emergency Medical Services has taught over 260 classes and has trained over 6,800 Collier County residents as part of the Stop the Bleed Campaign. The two-hour class prepares individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to provide medical care for surviving a mass violent event, such as an active shooter. A graduate of the first class taught by this team used her training to survive the Las Vegas shooting in October 2017.  ​

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FIRE SAFETY
Lt. Robert Schank,
North Collier Fire Control and Rescue

Lt. Schank began his career in fire safety in 1997 with the North Naples Fire District. He is now a lieutenant with the North Collier Fire Control & Rescue District. He coaches soccer at Lely high school where he focuses on mentoring youth, with many of his mentees following in his professional footsteps. Schank has been responsible for influencing over 20 emergency responders to start their career in Collier County. ​

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LAW ENFORCEMENT
Lt. Michael O’Reilly & Sgt. Matthew Doyle,
Naples Police Department

Lt. O’Reilly and Sgt. Doyle, of the Naples Police Department, were off duty attending a Boy Scout swim test when they noticed a man having a seizure in the pool. Both men jumped into action and began rendering emergency aid. Through several cycles of CPR and a shock from an available AED, they were able to bring the patient’s pulse back and save his life. Within a week, the man was fully recovered. ​

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
PST-II Kristopher Murphy,
Naples Police Department

PST-II Murphy, of the Naples Police Department, received a 911 call from a panicked woman indicating her stepfather was unconscious on the floor with irregular breathing. Murphy immediately recognized the emergency as cardiac arrest and had the stepdaughter begin chest compressions within 3 minutes and 15 seconds of receiving the call. After 78 seconds, the man began breathing on his own, and he was alert and speaking minutes later.  

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LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Retired Deputy Chief Michael Nichols,
City of Naples Fire-Rescue Department

Retired Deputy Chief Nichols played a key role in producing the first-ever five-year strategic plan for the City of Naples Fire-Rescue Department. He also had a vital role in forging a partnership between the Naples Fire-Rescue, Collier County Sheriff’s Office and Motorola to implement and deploy the new computer-aided dispatch system improving unit response time. Additionally, Nichols has been instrumental in teaching and mentoring local youth in the annual Naples Police and Fire-Rescue Youth Academy. 

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The Greater Naples Chamber will honor 13 Collier County first responders with the 17th annual Distinguished Public Service Awards on October 9 at the Hilton Naples from 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. The keynote speaker will be Collier County Judge Janeice Martin of the 20th Judicial Circuit. Reserve your seat today!

The event is sponsored by Naples Daily News, Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Naples, Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., First Florida Integrity Bank, 100 Club, Dragon Horse Media, Burntwood Tavern, Lee County Electric Cooperative
and Life In Naples.