Recently, Columbia County honored Lt. Jamarius Tate from the Fire Department as employee of the year.
As it turns out, Tate not only earned the county’s top honor but he is a true role model, even, hero, in our midst.
Tate knew he wanted to be a firefighter from the time he was a child. He became a cadet in the McDuffie County Fire Department when he was just 15 years old.
He would go on to graduate high school at Thomson High and graduate the very next week from the firefighting academy. Only a week after that, the Thomson Fire Department hired him.
“This was a job I was born to do,” Tate says. “I always wanted to be a fireman.”
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Currently, Tate holds two roles in Columbia County. He is the lieutenant for Fire Company 6 and also EMS training coordinator for the county as well.
Chief Robert Rosier says that Tate is the heart of his organization.
“Is he a hero? Yes, he is.” Rosier says adding, “He is not only a dedicated fireman and EMT, but he has used the grant process to get active shooter training for us and brought in life support training without us having to spend any money.”
“Is he a hero, yes. Lt. Tate is absolutely about saving lives, and yes, that makes him a hero”
As part of the Georgia EMS Association, Tate not only presents continuing education for Columbia County, he travels the state teaching medical trauma skills to other EMS personnel. He also has a special interest in teaching children that they can grow up to do his job.
“I like to connect with the kids and teach them that they don’t have to become a doctor to work in the medical field,” Tate says. “They can grow up to be respiratory therapists, a nurse or an EMT like me. We all make a difference when people need help.”
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Tate has been with the Columbia County Fire Department for eight years and has become involved as a volunteer and marketing director for Leaders and Adolescents Unifying to Navigate Careers in Healthcare or LAUNCH.
With LAUNCH, Tate works with kids, teaching them hands on CPR, and the group also hosts, in partnership with Doctors Hospital, after school learning and a summer camp. It is all centered around teaching kids the skills they need to be the next generation of emergency care givers.
“Honestly, I am just doing what I love to do,” Tate says, “I really love teaching others what I have learned.”
Tate earned employee of the year from Columbia County.
Ever a humble southern man, when asked for a final comment, Tate said:
“Go Dawgs!”
Scott Hudson is the Editorial Page Editor of The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
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