News Release 531

RUSSELL A. BURGE NAMED NOVEMBER 2007
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH BY
MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Volume 35-531

Contact: Phillip J. Tremblay

(For immediate release)

573-751-7629

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, NOV. 9, 2007 --- Russell A. "Rusty" Burge, a parks maintenance worker at Big Lake State Park near Craig, has been named Employee of the Month for November 2007 by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

On May 6, 2007, the Missouri River breached the levees near Big Lake and flooded most of the river bottoms in Holt County, including all of Big Lake Village and most of the acreage of Big Lake State Park. As the floodwaters threatened, Burge drew on his 22 years of experience at the park, including working through the 1993 flood, to initiate emergency measures to ensure the safety of park visitors and minimize flood impacts and damage to state park equipment and facilities.
Within 24 hours, all roads to the park were flooded, and the entire area was evacuated. Burge had moved all park vehicles out of the flood zone before the roads were flooded and then used a boat to transport park personnel through floodwaters to and from the park. This continued for approximately two weeks until the water receded.

In making Burge's nomination, Gary K. Parker, park superintendent at Big Lake State Park, said, "Rusty was off-duty when heavy rains began to fall upstream on the weekend of May 5 and 6. From past experience, he immediately realized the threat to the park and monitored the situation on his own time. On the evening of May 6, Rusty came to work voluntarily to check on conditions at the park. He then contacted me to inform me of the imminent threat of flooding to the park. When I arrived at the park, he had already initiated efforts to secure the safety of park visitors and to protect and secure state property."

The eventual flooding drew nationwide television coverage. The flooding of the park occurred at the beginning of the peak-use season, when many people had already made plans and reservations for summer vacations at the park.

While the park was flooded, Burge continually monitored forecasts, local conditions and took further measures to secure and prevent damage to state property. For example, he shut off power to the sewage lift stations and kept the pumps from being ruined; he moved furniture in the motel from the bottom floor to the top floor; he blocked sewer lines at the park office, resulting in minimal damage to that building; and he helped the park concessionaire secure his property and inventory.

When the floodwaters receded, much of the park was covered with tons of flood debris and muck. Burge then led the maintenance staff in a huge cleanup effort. With very little outside assistance, he coordinated park manpower and equipment and had the park ready to reopen by June 15, just six weeks after floodwaters swamped the park.

"Rusty's actions before, during, and after the flood emergency helped to ensure the safety of park visitors and protected and secured valuable state property and equipment. His efforts were key factors in enabling us to reopen the park only six weeks after the disaster had struck. I feel that Rusty deserves special recognition for the dedicated performance of his duties in the flood of 2007," said Parker.

Burge resides in Mound City.

###

Editor: Photo is available at /newsrel/rusty-burge.jpg.