Rick Searles, right, a State Emergency Operations Officer with the Washington Emergency Management Division (EMD), was honored Dec. 22 by his co-workers, EOC Supervisor Jaye Compton, left, and agency managers for his public service which included eight years with EMD and more than four decades with the Washington National Guard. Searles, who will retire Dec. 31, said he will leave with many fine memories of the dedication and teamwork of EMD employes   (EMD Photo)