At their meeting Wednesday, county commissioners approved the change, which realigns the two departments into an administrative system similar to what the county had 10 years ago.
The realignment creates the positions of public safety director and two deputy directors, one each for 911 and emergency management, said Susan Lotarski, the county’s human resources director. Commissioners also eliminated the positions of director of 911, 911 supervisor and emergency management agency director, effective Dec. 31.
Kevin Nicholson, the county's current 911 director, will be the new public safety director. Allen Clark, the county's current EMA director, will be deputy director for EMA. Diane Fuller, current 911 supervisor, will be deputy director for 911.
The county had an Office of Emergency Services director overseeing both 911 and emergency management until late 2006 when then-director Steve Watt left the county after 20 years to take a job in the private sector. Commissioners then divided duties of the Office of Emergency Services into 911 and emergency management.
The county's 911 and emergency management operations will move out of the courthouse and into their own building on Pine Street in Meadville next year. The building, to be completed by mid-2017, also will be home hazardous materials and Homeland Security operations, geographic information systems and addressing, and the coroner’s office. It also will be a backup site for the county’s information technology/computer systems and serve as an emergency operations center in the event of a manmade or natural disaster.
Keith Gushard can be reached at 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.
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