Habersham County Emergency Services Director Chad Black spent his last day on the job surrounded by friends, making a routine Friday feel more like a hero’s send-off. And to county officials and emergency services employees, it was.
Black has served Habersham County for 31 years, and the Northeast Georgia community for 40, in both firefighter and EMS roles. For the past five years, Black has served as the director of HCES, where he has been named to councils, received prestigious awards, navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and brought new life-saving programs and equipment to Habersham County— all while saving lives.
An extraordinary beginning to an ordinary day
A decoy meeting held by Interim County Manager Alicia Vaughn and Habersham County Public Information Officer Carolyn Gibson Friday morning made time for Black’s HCES staff, and members from other county public safety departments, to gather for a surprise retirement party at the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center.
Everyone attending backed up against the wall to surprise Chad when he walked into what he thought was an empty room, shouting “surprise!” when he arrived with Vaughn and Gibson leading him in.
“I don’t know what to say,” Black said in astonishment as his team looked on. “I don’t know that I can say anything— this was going to be hard anyway, you all just made it harder.”
The group enjoyed cake and conversation, taking time to give Black cards full of well-wishes. Gibson arranged to make a call over the radio system to Black, thanking him for his service to the county.
“We would like to thank you for your 31 years of service with Habersham County and over 40 years of service to this community,” Gibson said. “You have served the citizens and employees to the highest standard. Thank you for your devotion and for your long career in public safety. Congratulations on your retirement, we will miss you greatly. Congratulations, Director Black, we love you.”
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There were hugs and teary eyes as Black’s friends wished him well in his next job as he retires from fire and emergency services and moves on to become the Executive Vice-President of Governmental Sales and Business Development at Pro-GeneX Laboratories and Clinical Service in Gainesville.
“Everyone in this room that’s worked with me, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you,” Black said. “When I left my other position after 32 years, that was a pretty easy one; this one’s been hard, and it’s going to be hard leaving everybody here.”
HCES arranged for Black to take one more flight in an Airlife helicopter, which he worked on for more than 17 years. The helicopter landed out behind the aquatic center for Black to take for a spin; he said Friday’s sunny weather and clear skies made for a beautiful flight.
It takes a team
It wouldn’t be a Friday for Black if he didn’t meet up with Sheriff Joey Terrell and HCES and HCSO employees for lunch at Blue Creek Barbeque. During their Friday afternoon ritual, they catch up on their work and personal lives, further growing their bond as a public safety team and as friends.
After spending the morning and early afternoon with public safety coworkers and friends, it was back to the day-to-day work that Black says is “pretty boring,” but those tasks that seem mundane to Black are anything but to the community.
Black attended a Zoom meeting to catch up with the Northeast Georgia Medical Center and the Region 2 Regional Trauma Advisory Committee on a groundbreaking in-ambulance blood transfusion program he has helped lead in the region, serving on the committee from its founding in 2019 until he announced his retirement.
The pilot program is helping the state understand the lifesaving ability of emergency blood transfusion during long ambulance rides, and he, along with the rest of NGMC and RTAC is hoping to expand the program to more agencies in Georgia.
Then it was off to prepare for this weekend’s winter storms— something Black will be around to help with, sticking around a few more days after his official retirement from emergency services to help manage dangerous weather conditions throughout the county. He attended a national weather services briefing, helped organize winter-weather appropriate equipment for the county fire department and talked plans with HCES.
Those meetings and briefings are just parts of Black’s work alongside his dedicated team to keeping Habersham County citizens safe and saving lives.
“I’m just grateful for the opportunity I’ve had, and every one of us had a big part in this,” Black said, reflecting on his time working with Habersham’s first responders. “It took a team – and you still have good people here – you’re going to have good people, so don’t let me down. Keep this department going like it is.”
