On Thursday, October 23rd, 2008, Chief of Operations Eric Hodges announced the promotion of Thomas Rutherford to the rank of Corporal within the McLean County EMA Operations Team.

A Corporal position is awarded at the discretion of the Director to an Operations Officer who achieves one or more of the following criteria:

• Consistent term of quality service
• Performance above and beyond the call of duty
• Contributes in a unique and substantial way to advancing the mission of McLean County Emergency Management
• Is assigned a specific role within the organization and does not currently hold a rank (i.e. Training Officer, Information Officer, etc.)

Rutherford joined the McLean Count EMA in 2005 and during his tenure, he has taken on several major projects that have helped both the Operations Team and the McLean County EMA further its mission and quality of service. Rutherford has been responsible for office renovations, establishing and maintaining relationships with the McLean County Resource Hospitals for supply management in the Mass Casualty Incident trailer, training and mentoring new team members, and enhancing the capabilities of the Unified Command Post. Rutherford tirelessly dedicates his time and energy to the Agency and exemplifies the true spirit of a volunteer.

Rutherford's promotion is effective immediately.