All Stars As Hurricane Matthew Raged On, G4S Didn’t Punch Out

Milwaukee Honors Officer With Cobb Award

G4S Officer Devonte Cobb

The G4S team at CSX. Front L to R: CSX Police Supervisory Special Agent Andrew Ford, CPO Paul Orlando, CPO Carol Hanna, CPO Mario Cordova, CPO James Harvey, USO Chime Tobler. Back L to R: CPO Peter Divert, CPO William Estes, CPO Virgil Carter, CPO Robert Navarro, CPO Richard Huggins, CSX Account Supervisor Captain Manor Knight, and G4S Jacksonville General Manager Roger Sulimirski.

At the end of October, Hurricane Matthew wrecked havoc on the Southeasern United States. Evacuations were in effect throughout parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina as one of the strongest hurricanes in nearly a decade worked its way up the coast. While millions of people were taken from their homes, and flooding resulted in $1.5 billion in damage to 100,000 homes in North Carolina alone, G4S’ Hurricane Relief Team stayed on duty throughout the weekend. Beginning in Miami, 40 officers were flown in to help support local clients in the affected areas. As Hurricane Matthew worked its way up the coast, the team chased it, covering sites and locations from Miami through North Carolina. G4S met with every local client to review the Disaster Emergency Plan and determine if someone was in the area to have on guard. Multiple clients asked for and received officers working during the storm. Before the storm, officers on duty were given an extra day to take care of personal matters and make sure that their homes, families, and loved ones were taken care of and prepared for any scenario. In Jacksonville, the G4S team that regularly works with CSX assisted in maintaining order for the seven locations in the city. To the volunteers and the officers that stood post and helped maintain sites, a big thank you for keeping the company and our clients in safe and secure hands. 6

G4S Wisconsin lost a valued member of its team when Officer Devonte Cobb tragically passed away in December. Cobb was recruited to G4S with his wife, Dominique, working under Gail Ford in Racine. In October, Cobb was deployed to Florida for relief efforts for Hurricane Matthew. Ford was so excited and proud of Cobb that she drove him to the airport for his first plane trip. Cobb was a dependable and trusted employee, working the third shift in Racine. The Wisconsin team created the Devonte Cobb Emergency Deployment Award in Cobb’s honor, giving him the first award. The award honors individuals who show dedication and selflessness deployed to disaster areas and other emergency situations. Cobb was a valued member of the team and his loss is felt by the many individuals who had the pleasure to work with him.