Local 71’s Jacob Blomker Honored As Outstanding New Responder
Join us in congratulating our own Jacob Blomker for his well deserved recent recognition!
His Business Representative, Richard Lott, brought this to our membership meeting on Friday. We are celebrating him online for those of you who may have missed the meeting, or simply want to share our joy.
Well done, brother Jacob.
#Jacob Blomker Outstanding New Responder AKDOT Local 71
Outstanding New Responder Nomination: Jacob Blonker
Jacob Blonker has exemplified what it means to be an outstanding new responder. From the earliest days of this incident, before he had any formal deployment or defined role, Jacob volunteered his time at the Incident Command Post and immediately became a dependable, all-purpose asset to the operation. Wherever support was needed, he stepped in without hesitation.
Jacob routinely made late-night supply runs to ensure outbound teams had the equipment, tools, and safety gear required to operate in the impacted communities. He personally rushed time-sensitive shipments between cargo carriers to prevent delays in life-safety materials reaching the field. He opened the ICP at the start of each day and stayed long after most staff had gone home, often remaining alongside only the Commissioner, the Incident Commander, and the Deputy Incident Commander as they managed late-night operational demands. At no point did Jacob complain or show fatigue; his steady presence and willingness to help created reliability in an environment defined by uncertainty.
Jacob has now mobilized to the Incident Support Base in Bethel, where he plays a critical role in managing the record-breaking volume of cargo required for community recovery. He assists with receiving, tracking, repackaging, and staging materials for shipment to the field, ensuring that supplies are accounted for and moved efficiently to the communities that need them most. His attention to detail, adaptability, and strong work ethic have made him an essential part of the logistics operation.
Throughout this response, Jacob has shown remarkable growth. He has demonstrated initiative, composure, and a clear commitment to serving the people of Alaska under challenging conditions. His performance has revealed significant potential for future leadership in emergency management and within DOT&PF. Jacob’s contributions have had a real and positive impact on the success of this response, and he is highly deserving of recognition as an Outstanding New Responder.
You can watch the video here.