L-R: Police Officer of the Year George Reid, Paramedic of the Year Kyle Pavelka, Firefighter of the Year Ray Charafardin, and Tyrone Powell. Powell, a Highland Beach maintenance mechanic, is the town’s inaugural Employee of the Year award winner. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Rich Pollack
Officially, Tyrone Powell’s title is utility maintenance mechanic for the town of Highland Beach.
Those familiar with Powell’s work, however, know that the better moniker would be “go-to guy,” since the Public Works employee is called on to do everything from emptying trash cans on the beach to fixing a leaky faucet or replacing a water meter.
Now, after 10 years in Highland Beach, Powell has earned yet another title: Employee of the Year.
Recognized for his teamwork and easygoing demeanor, Powell is the inaugural winner of the Employee of the Year award for employees not in the fire or police department.
At a March ceremony, the town also honored Police Officer of the Year George Reid, Firefighter of the Year Ray Charafardin and Paramedic of the Year Kyle Pavelka.
Town leaders say Powell’s commitment to the town and strong work ethic helped him earn unanimous support for the award from department heads.
“Tyrone is always willing to help anyone at any time,” says Public Works Director Pat Roman, Powell’s supervisor. “He’s always smiling and never raises his voice. He’s just a pleasant guy to be around.”
Originally from Jamaica, Powell has been in the United States for 40 years, working first in the New York area, where he did the same type of maintenance work he does for Highland Beach.
He honed a variety of the skills he uses every day while growing up on the island.
“When you’re in Jamaica you learn to do everything,” he said.
Part of his job includes driving a cart down the beach Monday, Wednesday and Friday to empty trash cans, and over the last decade he’s gotten to say hello to many of the town’s residents.
Being outside is where he prefers to be.
“I don’t like office work,” he says.
Powell, 69, says his job in Highland Beach is the best one he’s ever had, in part because the town’s leadership just lets him do his job.
He is grateful for the Employee of the Year recognition and says it is the first time he’s work at a place that offers such an award.
As for the future, Powell says he’s not thinking about retiring anytime soon.
“I enjoy what I do here so I don’t see any reason to retire,” he said.
Officer of the Year
You would think that motorists would be unhappy when they get traffic tickets, but when the citations come from Officer George Reid, quite a few folks end up thanking him.
In fact, a couple have even written letters to town leaders expressing their gratitude for the way Reid handled the traffic stops.
“People love him,” Police Chief Craig Hartmann said.
Reid’s determination to help make the town safer by encouraging compliance with traffic laws — and the way he handled a life-threatening situation — were key reasons why he was selected Officer of the Year.
He led the department in several categories including traffic stops, citations, warnings, criminal violations and arrests.
Reid also helped subdue and arrest a machete-wielding man who tussled with officers and was able to pull Reid’s weapon partially out of the holster and pull the trigger.
Firefighter of the Year
Harnessing the latest technology is crucial to the success of any fire rescue department and in Highland Beach, firefighter Ray Charafardin is playing an important role in helping get that technology up and running.
“Ray helped implement technology that improves the quality of care and the implementation of that care,” Fire Rescue Chief Glenn Joseph said.
Charafardin led the initiative to update the department’s reporting system, transferring information from the old system to the new one over a six-month period.
He also helped with setting up the new EPOCH mobile laboratory system that makes it possible for paramedics to better diagnose medical conditions while with the patient.
In addition, Charafardin helped with implementation of a mobile app that enables paramedics to navigate the protocols for specific patient conditions.
Last year, Charafardin was named Paramedic of the Year.
Paramedic of the Year
In an emergency, having the right equipment — and knowing where it is — is essential for first responders. Paramedic Kyle Pavelka is making sure that’s what’s happening at Highland Beach Fire Rescue.
Pavelka volunteered to write two grants for additional equipment that the department needed, with one of those grants resulting in needed funding and the other still pending.
He also took the initiative to make sure the equipment was easily accessible to firefighters and paramedics if and when they need it.
“He completely redid the way we store and access equipment on the truck,” Joseph said.
The chief said that Pavelka is there to help others in the department — including firefighters and paramedics — improve through training programs. He also focuses on his own training.
“He’s very committed to improving his skills,” the chief said.
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