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CFO and State Fire Marshal Jeff Atwater to Host Annual Fire Service Awards

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MEDIA ADVISORY

Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jeff Atwater will present the annual Florida Fire Service Awards during a reception hosted Monday, April 10, at 5:30 p.m. on the 22nd floor of the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee. This annual ceremony rewards and honors those in the fire services community who have shown excellence in their profession.
On Tuesday April 11, the CFO will host a traditional “Ringing of the Bell” ceremony before the Cabinet meeting. The ceremony honors firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Award recipients will be recognized during the Cabinet meeting.
Monday, April 10
WHO: CFO and State Fire Marshal Jeff Atwater
WHAT: Annual Fire Service Awards Reception
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. EST
WHERE: 22nd Floor of the Florida Capitol
Tallahassee, Florida
Tuesday, April 11
WHAT: “Ringing of the Bell” Ceremony
WHEN: 8:35 a.m. EST
WHERE: Florida Capitol Courtyard
This year’s award recipients represent fire service organizations across Florida. The winners are:

  • Darrel Donatto, Fire Chief of the Year – Palm Beach County Fire Rescue
  • Ryan Gallik, Career Firefighter of the Year & Fire Service Instructor of the Year – St. Cloud Fire Rescue
  • James “David” Dietz, Forestry Firefighter of the Year – Florida Forest Service; Chipola Forestry Center
  • Ted Ross, Fire Marshal of the Year – Tice Fire District
  • Jackie de la Osa, Fire Inspector of the Year – North Collier Fire Control & Rescue District
  • Keith Tyson, Professional Firefighter of the Year – Vice President of Education Research and Outreach for Florida Cancer Support Network
  • Brock Dietz, Fire Investigator of the Year – Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office, Tallahassee Field Office
  • Earl Gray, Volunteer Firefighter of the Year –  Highland Lakes Fire Department
  • Robert Lemons, Fire and Life Safety Public Educator of the Year – Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services
  • Fire Academy of the South, Training Center of the Year – Florida State College at Jacksonville

Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jeff Atwater, a statewide elected official, oversees the Department of Financial Services, serves as Florida’s State Fire Marshal, and is a member of the Florida Cabinet. CFO Atwater’s priorities include fighting financial fraud, abuse and waste in government; reducing government spending and regulatory burdens that chase away businesses; and providing transparency and accountability in spending.

ICYMI: Florida Politics: "Jeff Atwater wins first round of $1 billion bonds fight with feds"

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“Jeff Atwater wins first round of $1 billion bonds fight with feds”
Florida Politics
Story by Jim Rosica
February 9, 2017
Click HERE to read the full story.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater has scored a preliminary win in his fight against the federal government over U.S. savings bonds he holds as unclaimed property.
The U.S. Treasury has agreed to redeem “just over 1,000 bonds, worth a little more than half a million dollars, excluding accrued interest,” Atwater spokeswoman Ashley Carr said Thursday.
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In November, Atwater sued the feds for that amount, saying they had refused to make good on matured U.S. savings bonds he holds as unclaimed property.
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“The bonds they’ve agreed to redeem are those in our physical possession and bonds for which we had records and had previously returned to the U.S. Treasury,” Carr said. Atwater’s office plans to give the proceeds from the bonds “to whom they belong, or their heirs.”
“We’re a long way from the finish line, but it’s a win worth celebrating,” Carr said.
The Department of Financial Services, which Atwater heads, is holding thousands of “unclaimed, matured savings bonds that were originally registered to individuals with last-known addresses in the State of Florida,” his suit says. Some of the bonds date back to the 1930s.
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Florida’s piece is one small part of the pie: “… over $19 billion in matured, unredeemed U.S. savings bonds remain outstanding nationwide,” Atwater has said.