Flagler’s Inimitable Bob Pickering Earns Distinguished Service Award at Governor’s Hurricane Conference

Emergency Management Specialist Bob Pickering received the Distinguished Service Award Thursday at the Governor’s Hurricane Conference in south Florida for being a jack of all trades within his department.

“I nominated him for a weather-reporting based award,” said Flagler Beach Fire Department Captain Stephen Cox. “I’ve taken part in the Governor’s Hurricane Conference for some time, so I knew about the awards. I got a call from the awards committee, and they told me they decided to present him an upgraded award. I am thrilled.”




Pickering – known to most as BP – has worked for Flagler County 28 years as of this coming July 5 when his duties fell under Civil Defense. That changed in 1995 when Civil Defense became Emergency Management and moved into the county’s first Emergency Operations Center.

It’s true that he is arguably most well known for the hyper-local weather reports he researches and coordinates with the National Weather Service in Jacksonville for the benefit of anyone working in any form of emergency services countywide, as well as residents. But his wide array of tasks and responsibilities go well beyond that.

“It would be close to impossible to replace him,” said Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord. “He has a staggering amount of institutional knowledge of Flagler County and the emergencies that befell it – every consequential weather event, wildfires, you name it – and the willingness to do anything that will help our community.”

The Governor’s Hurricane Conference was established in the mid-1980s to share lessons learned and other important information to public and private officials, especially local emergency management professionals and those involved in preparedness, planning, response and recovery.

“His actions, his work, speaks for itself,” Cox said. “BP is a phenomenal human being. He’s always there for us no matter what we need.”