Longboat Key firefighters earn their badges

Two firefighters got their official mark of duty on May 2.

On Wednesday morning, firefighters Chase Bullock and Jamison Urch received their badges for Longboat Key Fire Rescue after a year of required training.

Longboat Key Fire Rescue Chief Paul Dezzi began the short ceremony by explaining that one of the nice, and important, parts of his job is recognizing the hard work and upward mobility of the firefighters.

He told the the firefighters that the badges stand between them and emerging catastrophe and serves as a reminder of their duty to serve.

Urch said getting his badge was like a "huge sigh of relief.”

This is the second fire department both Urch and Bullock have been a part of. Previously, Urch was with Hardee County Fire Rescue and Bullock was with The Villages Public Safety Department.

At the ceremony, Dezzi also recognized two firefighters for 10 and five years of service and gave a medal of honor to Mark Fultz for rescuing a 93-year-old man from his capsized vessel in the Gulf of Mexico in February.

Dezzi also thanked the firefighters who helped build the memorial playground for the Ditmars brothers at South Lido Beach on April 18. The playground was built through the Where Angels Play Foundation. The new playground at Lido is the 48th to be built by the organization.