MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WTVF) — A FedEx supervisor is receiving an award for getting his overnight crew to safety during the 2020 tornadoes.
Jamie Raymond is receiving the FedEx Humanitarian Award. The award is given to employees around the country who go above and beyond the call of duty.
"He didn't let anyone leave the building," said Robert Alamaraz, senior manager. "He at that point in the night made the decision for what was best for his employees."
When the tornado warning was issued, Raymond stopped dozens of employees who were sorting 10,000 to 15,000 packages scheduled to go out in the morning.
"I made the call, but my team were the superstars," said Jamie Raymond. "Every call I made they did it flawlessly. They got their package handlers together... it was incredible how everybody came together and [there was] no panic."
As the lights flickered, employees quickly filed into a small break room.
"It was real quick. It was ten to fifteen minutes. It came down to the wire... it came down to minutes before the tornado hit before I got everybody in," Raymond said.
The FedEx Ground facility in Mt. Juliet shut down for six months after the tornado. The twister tore a hole in the roof and damaged several trailers in the yard.
"The amount of rain that came into the building was pretty eye-opening," said Almaraz.
Everyone is back in the original building now, including Raymond, who has been promoted.
"I kind of wished I made the calls earlier [that night], but I made them right on time, and really my team, I'll say it again, my team really brought it together," Raymond said.
He will receive his award from FedEx on April 8.
