News

Contact: Paul Cox

Fire Prevention Cmte

Phone 919-518-2330

P.O. Box 51386

Durham, NC 27717

Exchange Club of Greater Durham

The Exchange Club of Greater Durham recognizes Durham Fire Department Firefighter Touché Howard with annual Fire Prevention award

The Exchange Club of Greater Durham recognized Durham Fire Department Firefighter Touché Howard today with their annual Fire Prevention Award. Firefighter Howard's efforts resulted in the development of a database analyzing the Durham Fire Department's Occupancy Risk Assessment Process. This database takes very complex raw occupancy data and automatically calculates "fire flow" and generates an "occupancy hazard" score based on NFPA and Commission on Accreditation Standards. The end result is a determination of the most effective and efficient resource commitment to every different type of occupancy in the City of Durham, and improvement of resource allocation and use.

Firefighter Howard's second significant accomplishment is the relationship he has developed with the City of Durham Public Works, specifically GIS. As a result of that relationship, and a complete revamping of the Fire Department's hydrant testing process (spearheaded by Firefighter Howard), the Durham Fire Department has the most accurate fire hydrant database in the past 20 years, if not ever. An indirect benefit of the accurate mapping of hydrants has been the hydrant layer added to Fire Department mobile data computers which allows fire units to identify primary and secondary water sources on fire calls.

The presentation was held at the Fire Department's Administration building at 2008 E. Club Blvd. in Durham. Presenting the award was Paul Cox, chairman of the Exchange Club of Greater Durham's Fire Prevention Committee. Brian Woodell, president of the club, presided.

Exchange Clubs of Durham honor Dr. Phail Wynn, Jr. with Book of Golden Deeds award

May 12, 2008 - The Exchange Club of Durham and the Exchange Club of Greater Durham recognized Dr. Phail Wynn, Jr. with its annual Book of Golden Deeds award Monday evening at the Durham Hilton Hotel. A past president of Durham Technical Community College (the first African-American community college president in the North Carolina system), Dr. Wynn’s accomplishments and contributions to the Durham community are many and amazing: Under his guidance Durham Technical Community College has become a leader in providing training and instruction in various high-technology areas; he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Triangle Community Foundation; a founding member of the Greater Triangle Regional Council; a member of the Board of Governors of Research Triangle Institute, and member of the Board of Directors of Sun Trust Banks, Inc. He is a founding Trustee of the Kenan Institute of Engineering, Technology and Science at North Carolina State University and also serves on the Board of Directors of the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina, MCNS and the UNC Health Care System. He is the former Chairman of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce and formerly served on the North Carolina Board of Nursing, the Governor’s Commission on Workforce Preparedness, and the N.C. Education Standards and Accountability Commission. He is a member of St. Joseph’s A.M.E. Church where he has served on the Trustee and Steward Boards.

Phail graduated from Douglass High School in Lawton, Oklahoma, in 1965. He received the Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1969. He then served as an officer in the United States Army, spending a one-year combat tour in Viet Nam and served with the 82nd Airborne Division and U.S. Army Special Forces ("Green Berets"). He received a Masters Degree in Educational Psychology from NC State in 1974 and his doctorate from the same university in 1977. He was inducted into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. He received his MBA in 1989 from the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at UNC Chapel Hill. He was also inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma national business honor society.

The Book of Golden Deeds is a community service project of the National Exchange Club sponsored by local Exchange Clubs across the nation. The purpose of the Book of Golden Deeds is to recognize the good deeds of men and women of everyday life in their respective communities. The honoree need not have great wealth, prestige or high social standing. The person that is honored might come from almost any profession; education, medical, clergy, business, public servants, etc. They always will have made their communities a better place in which to live, work and raise a family. Dr. Wynn has certainly made the Durham community a better place through his work and dedication.

The ceremony was presided over by Belo Shelton, president of the Exchange Club of Greater Durham.