Call for Nominations: National Awards Honoring Flood and Swiftwater Rescue

Oct. 19, 2007
The Swiftwater Rescue Committee of the National Association for Search and Rescue is seeking nominations for the 2008 Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards for Outstanding Achieve­ment in the Field of Swiftwater Rescue.

The Swiftwater Rescue Committee of the National Association for Search and Rescue is seeking nominations for the 2008 Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Swiftwater Rescue, the highest international honors presented for flood and swiftwater rescue.

The awards recognize outstanding achievement in the field of swiftwater-flood rescue. In addition to individual incidents and acts of heroism, swiftwater-flood rescue team efforts, those who have dedicated years of service to developing and implementing swiftwater-flood rescue training programs, and public safety-media-education efforts, will be considered for nomination.

The awards honor civilian rescuer, Earl Higgins, who lost his life in February of 1980 while attempting to save a child being swept away in the flood-swollen Los Angeles River, and firefighter/paramedic Jeffrey Langley of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, who lost his life in a helicopter accident in March of 1993.

The awards will be presented during the annual conference of the National Association for Search and Rescue, May 29-June 1, 2008, in Colorado Springs, CO.

The DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS is January 1, 2008.

Nominations for the 2008 awards may include events and achievements in both 2006 and 2007 (January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2007).

The nominations period for the awards opens November 1st and will close January 1st. All nominations must be postmarked prior to January 1, 2008.

There are a variety of award categories to select from. Not all awards require that noteworthy technical swiftwater/flood rescues have been performed within the past year. Many award categories recognize significant achievement in the development of swiftwater/flood rescue training programs, flood disaster preparedness and response, flood and swiftwater safety education programs, etc.

The Higgins & Langley Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Swiftwater Rescue

The Higgins & Langley Memorial Award is the premier internationally recognized Award for excellence in Swiftwater Rescue. It signifies an intense dedication to the field and a genuine desire to benefit the larger community responsible for the service. Only one Higgins & Langley Memorial Award is awarded in any calendar year.

Lifetime Achievement Award

The Lifetime Achievement Award is reserved for those few individuals who make a significant, lasting and continuous impact in the field of swiftwater rescue. Consequently, Lifetime Achievement Awards are awarded only occasionally.

Program Development Award

The Program Development Award recognizes agencies that make a significant commitment to swiftwater rescue programs in their area. This award profiles the education, training and resources to develop a successful swiftwater rescue program.

Incident Award

Occasionally, a specific Incident is recognized that clearly demonstrates outstanding skill and preparedness as well as outstanding teamwork in a swiftwater rescue.

Special Commendation Award

The Special Commendation Award recognizes the breadth of possible contribution in the field of swiftwater rescue. Awards of this type can be for media contribution, strategic planning, individual heroism or esprit de corps.

For more information, please contact:

Matthew Mauzy, Secretary
Higgins and Langley Nominations Committee
PO Box 335
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-0335
Tel: 919-967-1515 x1
Fax: 919-967-1515 x1
[email protected]

Download Nomination Forms: Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards in Swiftwater Rescue

http://higginsandlangley.org/ Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards newsletter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HigginsLangleyMemorialAwards

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