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Linda M. Stoughton named Florida Emergency Preparedness Manager of the Year
TALLAHASSEE- Linda M. Stoughton, the Deputy Director for St. Johns County Department of Emergency Management was among 10 fire and rescue service personnel honored today by Florida Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Alex Sink for exemplary leadership last year in the line of duty. CFO Sink presented a proclamation signed by Governor Charlie Crist and other members of the Cabinet recognizing Stoughton as Florida 2006 Emergency Preparedness Manager of the Year.
“These men and women have been chosen by their peers for this recognition because they have demonstrated exemplary courage and commitment to their profession,” said CFO Sink. “That our responders regularly honor those they consider the best among them demonstrates the integrity they all bring to their work, and they have my utmost gratitude for all that they do.”
The awards are presented annually to fire and rescue personnel who are recognized by their colleagues as having served beyond the call of duty. In addition to honoring these individuals, the Cabinet has designated April 15-21 as Florida Firefighter Appreciation Week.
Deputy Director Stoughton began her career as a fire/rescue dispatcher in 1985. In 2001, she was named Emergency Management Coordinator for St. Johns County, and was named deputy director of the St. Johns County Department of Emergency Management in 2005. After the catastrophic 2005 hurricane season, Stoughton served on the Northeast Florida Incident Management Team and traveled to Mississippi and southwest Florida to assist with the relief effort.
She was nominated by the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association.
