NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
May 27, 2008
Vol. 38, No. 242
For more information, contact Sgt. Greg Rhodes, Fish & Wildlife Enforcement, 302-739- 9913 or 302-542-6102, or Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902. PHOTOS AVAILABLE.
Office of Boating Education Honors
Volunteers at May 21 Banquet
The Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Office of Boating Education held its annual Boating Volunteer Awards Banquet on May 21 at the Felton Fire Hall.
Joseph M. Tridente of Millsboro was recognized as the 2007 Safe Boating Volunteer of the Year. A volunteer member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Mr. Tridente serves as Division 12 Staff Officer for Marine Dealer Visitation. In this capacity, he leads a volunteer team that distributes boating safety and education materials to Kent and Sussex County businesses involved in boating supply and service and sets up displays at a variety of events and locations. In 2007, Mr. Tridente devoted 148 volunteer hours to this program. Overall, his volunteers contributed 762 hours.
Also recognized was the late Robert Burke, a Dagsboro resident who worked tirelessly for four years on Auxiliary programs including fundraising, boating safety and the annual Inland Bays Cleanup. Mr. Burke passed away in October 2007.
Delaware Coast Guard Division 12 Capt. Harry W. Otto commended Mr. Tridente, Mr. Burke and all those who worked to promote boating safety and education in 2007.
“Delaware’s 245 U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers provide a service to the public at unparalleled savings, devoting a phenomenal 45,791 hours to boating safety programs and other marine-related activities in Delaware. That’s an average of about 187 hours per member, with some volunteering well over 1,000 hours each,” Capt. Otto said.
Cpl. Casey Zolper of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement was honored as the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Marine Officer of the Year. In 2007, Cpl. Zolper put in 828 boating enforcement hours, and his record included 3,270 contacts, 416 boardings, 103 arrests and four search and rescues, including an incident in which he rescued a capsized kayaker suffering from hypothermia.
“Cpl. Zolper takes his first responder duties very seriously. He will go out when a lot of people wouldn’t, putting himself at risk to save a life,” said Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Chief James H. Graybeal.
Cpl. Zolper joined Fish and Wildlife Enforcement in 2000 and graduated from the Delaware State Police Academy the following year. In 2006, after researching other state fish and wildlife K-9 programs, he took on and trained with a new partner: Warden, a Labrador retriever, Delaware’s first canine Enforcement officer. He is also noted for his knowledge of state and federal fishery laws and regulations, OUI law and expert finfish identification. After graduating from the Anne Arundel County SWAT school with four other Enforcement officers last year, the Lewes resident serves on Delaware’s marine tactical response team.
For more information on the state’s boating safety programs, please visit www.fw.delaware.gov/Boating/Pages/BoatingSafety.aspx or contact Sgt. Greg Rhodes at 302- 739-9913 or email gregory.rhodes@state.de.us.
