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4 <br /> in a vehicle with or without an ambulance and/or first responders.This program was extremely <br /> successful in providing education, building community relations, providing in-home care and <br /> making effective referrals to more appropriate care other than the emergency department.This <br /> program was dismantled in 2010. <br /> 4. Organized a meeting, as one of very few EM Directors in the State, to speak up and demand <br /> answers regarding the vulnerability of spent fuel and waste pools at the Shearon Harris Plant in <br /> case of a terrorist attack. He challenged NC Emergency Management's preparedness and <br /> emphasized the need to focus more on the response to public safety rather than to the <br /> industry. <br /> 5. In 1993, Colonel Waters led the opening of the new 9-1-1 Center located at 1914 New Hope <br /> Church Rd. with all new and state-of-the-art equipment. <br /> 6. Colonel Waters saw the need and hired the first OC Fire Marshal and first Emergency <br /> Management Coordinator. <br /> 7. Hosted multiple international groups who were fascinated with Colonel Waters' approach to a <br /> consolidated system and advanced emergency medical system.Though the majority of these <br /> groups were from the Soviet Union and were all military ranked males, Nick demanded that <br /> they acknowledge and speak with his female leadership.This was the type of leader he was. If <br /> you earned it, you deserved to be respected for it. <br /> I could list several more pages of Nick's achievements. He led this County through multiple disasters and <br /> with each disaster he saw an opportunity to teach and better prepare for the next one. We learned <br /> very quickly that regardless of where a disaster occurred, we were to be present and prepared to help <br /> any of our colleagues who needed help. During the 9/11 attacks, Nick shared with us that even though <br /> we weren't damaged in Orange County, this attack was a direct hit to all emergency services responders <br /> nationwide. <br /> He took the time to mentor each and every one of his employees and constantly encouraged going <br /> outside of our"comfort zones." He taught, not only his employees, but the community and many of our <br /> government partners, how to react and respond to a crisis. Reverend Freeland, through Nick's <br /> interaction with Orange Congregations in Mission, described him as a man "who cared about the fragile <br /> and the disenfranchised." He encouraged us to do our very best with the gifts and resources we were <br /> given and to always make sure we passed our knowledge down. <br /> We continue to share his philosophy and leadership with each and every employee in our agency. He <br /> never asked for recognition, but his absence made us all realize how much he was truly appreciated by <br /> all he touched. He embraced the community and believed in and supported the cause of every single <br /> emergency responder across the country. No job was unimportant and no task was beneath him. He set <br /> - 2 - <br />